Ellison Reef

Ellison Reef is a vibrant reef off the coast of Mission Beach in Queensland. But in 1967, it was almost lost.

A mining company applied to dredge the reef for coral rubble and sand. 

Citizen scientists from the Queensland Littoral Society—now AMCS—surveyed Ellison Reef and proved it was alive and full of a rich variety of species. Their evidence helped defeat the mining proposal and ignited the Save the Barrier Reef campaign.

This community-led effort became the first major push to stop mining and oil drilling across the reef and led to the creation of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act in 1975.

If the 1967 campaign had not succeeded, mining and oil drilling across the Reef would have followed.

Ellison Reef became known as the Reef that saved all Reefs.

Today, climate change is warming our oceans, intensifying bleaching and putting reef ecosystems under serious pressure. The fight to protect the reef is not over. 

In 2025, marking 60 years of AMCS and 50 years of the Marine Park, scientists, citizen scientists, Traditional Owners and a new generation of reef stewards returned to Ellison Reef to repeat the survey.

Filming and surveying at Ellison Reef, 2025.

Return to Ellison Reef

Ellison. The Reef That Saved Them All is a powerful short film about the reef that sparked Australia’s modern ocean conservation movement.

Sixty years after the original fight that saved it from being mined, Ellison Reef once again becomes a touchstone for what’s at stake as climate change accelerates. More than a historical record, this film is a rallying story of science, culture and community at the heart of today’s reef protection efforts.

Combining science, art, culture, archival material and intimate underwater storytelling, it reflects on the legacy of the original Fight for the Reef campaign and brings today’s urgency into clear view, showing how community voices and evidence-based advocacy have shaped national decisions before, and how they can again.

Ellison. The Reef That Saved Them All is both a tribute and a call to action, reminding us that hope is strengthened through evidence, community and care for Sea Country.

Roger Swainston

Roger Swainston is one of the most recognised artists of the underwater world. Raised in the Western Australian outback, childhood visits to the remote south coast sparked a lifelong fascination with the marine environment. He has dedicated his career to drawing and painting the natural world, particularly the ocean’s diverse species and ecosystems.

Roger was part of the 2025 expedition to resurvey Ellison Reef, spending four days diving and drawing underwater.

His incredible drawing, using graphite pencil on drafting film, captures the intricate, delicate beauty of the reef:

Roger’s recount of this experience (via his Instagram page: @rogerswainston): 

This reef system was last surveyed in 1965 by a group of passionate citizen scientists, in protest against a proposal to mine the reef for limestone! Their protest was a success which eventually led to the protection of the reef and the formation of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. I was recently invited, with many other passionate scientists led by Adam Smith and his team from Reef Ecologic to participate in this repeat of the original survey.

Blessed with near perfect weather, I spent 4 days on the reef diving and drawing underwater. We had great visibility for filming and drawing, though 3-meter tides made it tricky to work on the drawing, as the tide fell and water movement increased. However 28C warm waters meant I could stretch each scuba tank out to make over 3hr dives per tank.

Whilst Ellison Reef is in recovery from human and climate related impacts I was pleased to see a good diversity of corals and reef fishes – including a visit from an enormous Humphead Maori Wrasse – and see some massive old Porite bommies in really good condition. The reef is slowly recovering but there is always more to be done to protect these fragile ecosystems.

Roger Swainston drawing underwater at Ellison Reef. Image credit: Harriet Spark.

History of Ellison Reef

1965 – AMCS is Founded

The Australian Marine Conservation Society is founded, known then as the Queensland Littoral Society, QLS.

1967 – Save the Barrier Reef Campaign

The first high-profile challenge faced by AMCS (QLS at the time) emerged when an application was lodged to mine coral at Ellison Reef, off Innisfail in North Queensland.

This proposal was a test case for widespread mining of the Great Barrier Reef. In response, AMCS jointly launched the Save the Barrier Reef campaign with the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (WPSQ).

Alongside Australian poet Judith Wright, AMCS legally contested the coral limestone mining application. Contrary to mining proponents’ claims that the reef was ‘dead’, AMCS divers proved it was thriving — documenting 226 species of fish, 88 species of living hard coral and 95 species of molluscs.

Ellison Reef was shown to be a living reef, worthy of protection, not short-term economic gain. You can read the original 1968 Ellison Reef Report here. 

Founding AMCS member Eddie Hergel holding the Ellison Reef Report

1970s – Ellison Reef sparks the creation of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act

After many years of hard work from AMCS and our conservation colleagues, the Australian Government banned limestone mining and oil drilling on the Reef and established the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area.

The legal challenge grew into Australia’s largest marine conservation campaign. As a result, the Great Barrier Reef was protected as a Marine Park and later recognised as a World Heritage Area — now one of Australia’s most iconic tourist attractions and the largest living system on Earth.

Ellison Reef’s story helped shape the creation of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) Act and the modern reef protection movement.

The 2025 survey team at Ellison Reef. Image credit: Harriet Spark.

2025 – Return to Ellison Reef

Sixty years on from the founding of AMCS, and fifty years since the GBRMP Act, the Great Barrier Reef and reefs around the world face irreversible change from the impacts of human-driven climate change. 

In November 2025, AMCS joined with a new generation of coral scientists, community divers, reef advocates and Mandubarra Sea Country rangers to return to Ellison Reef.

The team completed a resurvey of Ellison Reef, this time accompanied by a film crew. The documentary, Ellison. The Reef That Saved Them All, not only captures this historic moment but is a reminder that Australia has a proud history of standing up for the ocean, that committed people can shift the course of events, and that hope is built through action. 

AMCS crew at the 2025 Ellison Reef Survey.  Image credit: Harriet Spark.

Credits for Ellison. The Reef that Saved them All.

A huge thank you to everyone who made the survey and film possible.