Ian Kiernan to be farewelled in state memorial service
IAN Kiernan — who cleaned up Australia and “convinced millions of people to change their attitude towards littering” — will be honoured with a state memorial service. The environmentalist lost his battle with cancer, aged 78.
NSW
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ENVIRONMENTALIST Ian Kiernan, who cleaned up Australia and inspired the world, will be honoured with a state memorial service.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the special service after speaking with Mr Kiernan’s family, saying the passionate campaigner convinced “millions of people to change their attitude towards littering”.
“It is a tribute to his determination, capability and high degree of personal commitment that an event that started with 40,000 people in Sydney became a worldwide movement — Clean Up the World — attracting 40 million people in 120 countries,” the Premier said.
Mr Kiernan passed away aged 78 after he was diagnosed with cancer in July this year.
Among the most touching tributes yesterday came from the head of his old school in the state’s northern tablelands.
Describing Mr Clean Up Australia as a “larrikin” and a “powerful environmentalist”, The Armidale School headmaster Murray Guest said the famous old boy showed that one person could change the world.
Mr Guest said the Clean Up Australia founder, round-the-world sailor and Australian of the Year “left an inspiring legacy to people around the globe”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined the heartfelt tributes.
“The thing I think Ian did more than anything else was just tap us all on the shoulder and say ‘hey, we’ve got to take care of this — this is our responsibility, it’s not government’s, it’s ours as Australians. It’s our beautiful Australia and it’s our job to keep it that way’.”
A builder who specialised in historic restorations, Mr Kiernan came up with the idea for Clean Up Australia Day after sailing solo around the world in 1987 and being appalled by the amount of rubbish choking the world’s oceans.
He took his passion global in 1993 launching Clean Up the World. He competed in more than a dozen Sydney-to-Hobart races, including the ill-fated 1998 race in which six sailors died.
In 1994 he jumped a gunman to protect Prince Charles after a frenzied student stormed the stage with a starter’s pistol at an Australia Day event at Darling Harbour.
Nicknamed “the greatest garbo since Greta” by broadcaster Phillip Adams, he forged a legacy of an “informed, concerned, committed and involved community” sharing his passion for protecting the environment.
Mr Kiernan is survived by his wife Judy and daughters Sally and Philippa, who is set to join the Clean Up board.