AMCS: Ellison. The Reef that Saved them All
In 1967, a mining company applied to dredge Ellison Reef for coral rubble and sand. What happened next became a defining moment in Australian conservation — ultimately leading to the creation of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
Ellison: The Reef That Saved Them All traces that moment in Australian history, when ordinary people spoke up and changed everything. Now, nearly sixty years on, a new generation of reef stewards has returned to repeat the original survey.
Produced and directed by Harriet Spark for the Australian Marine Conservation Society, this 25-minute documentary combines underwater cinematography, archival material, science, and community voices to tell one of Australia's most important environmental stories.
The film follows the 2025 expedition to Ellison Reef, where coral scientists, citizen scientists, Traditional Owners, and Mandubarra Sea Country rangers resurveyed the reef for the first time since the 1960s. Their work echoes the original survey that proved the reef was alive — a finding that helped defeat the mining proposal and ignite the campaign that would shape national ocean policy for decades.
Ellison premiered at the Ocean Lovers Festival in Sydney in 2026.
A Grumpy Turtle Films Production for the Australian Marine Conservation Society
Director & Producer — Harriet Spark
Cinematography — Woody Spark, Jimmy Purtill
Editor — Susan Harvey
Colour Grade — Justin Tran
Sound Mix — Jimmy Saunders