Farmer put himself on front line of Maules Creek coal protest

Cliff Wallace was not the kind of person you expect to see in an environmental protest – let alone putting his beloved farm, Wando, up as the staging post for a forest blockade that made international headlines and lasted two years. But he was a man of enormous courage and generosity and when he and his community were under threat from Whitehaven coal mine in Maules Creek near Narrabri, he acted.

Cliff’s kitchen was no-frills and functional, in a way that reflected Cliff’s tough exterior, with his early mornings and evenings spent cultivating lucerne and grazing cattle. “I hope none of youse are vegetarian,” he said to the small group of people including environmentalists gathered in his kitchen. Heads shook all around. Dinner was his staple: a pre-cooked chook from the supermarket, half an iceberg lettuce and some grated cheese.

Protest signs at the Maules Creek coal mine construction site in 2014 when protest action escalated over clearing in Leard State Forest during wildlife hibernation. When the government took action to remove the protest camp from the forest on questionable safety grounds, Cliff didn’t hesitate to host a camp on his property. For a man who lived alone for decades – well nearly alone, since we can’t forget his dog Charcoal – it was a remarkable change of pace.

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