Tehree Alice Gordon is an Australian volunteer who has been working with animals since the 1950s. In 1975, Gordon and her husband established the Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary. Upon opening, Jirrahlinga became the first ever koala sanctuary to be established in Victoria, Australia. In 2001, Gordon was awarded the Centenary Medal and she was named the Senior Australian of the Year in 2004.

Tehree Gordon
Born
Tehree Alice Gordon
NationalityAustralian
OccupationAnimal volunteer

Career edit

In the late 1950s, Gordon began her career working with animals as a volunteer.[1] In 1975, Gordon was influenced to create an animal sanctuary after becoming the owner of a kangaroo.[2] That year, Gordon and her husband established the Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary which became the first koala sanctuary in Victoria, Australia.[3] At Jirrahlinga, Gordon takes care of pets for elderly and sick owners while allowing children who have experienced abuse to spend time with the animals.[4] Other places that Gordon became a co-owner of include the Chewton Dingo Farm in 2005[5] and Halls Gap Zoo in 2016.[6]

Personal life edit

Gordon is married to her husband Hamish, who became a co-owner of Jirrahlinga since 1981.[7] In 1998, Gordon was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.[8]

Awards and honours edit

In 2001, Gordon was awarded the Centenary Medal for her work in animal welfare.[9] In 2004, Gordon was named the Senior Australian of the Year.[10] In 2012, Gordon and her husband were awarded at the Pride of Australia Awards.[7] In 2017, Gordon was given a lifetime achievement award from Volunteering Victoria.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Award recipients announced at Volunteering Victoria 2017 State Awards". Volunteering Victoria. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  2. ^ Morrison, Chloe (10 July 2008). "The sights and smells of the Bellarine Peninsula". ABC Rural. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. ^ "By the Way". The Rotarian. August 1993. p. 3.
  4. ^ Wade, Matt (26 January 2004). "We must all fight for justice, says young winner". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  5. ^ Brown, Rachel (2 July 2005). "Couple to buy dingo farm". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  6. ^ Boyd, Sophie (14 July 2016). "Halls Gap Zoo: Greg and Yvonne say goodbye". The Stawell Times-News. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b Brown, Terry; Mawby, Nathan (3 September 2012). "Victorians recognised for bravery and service at Pride of Australia awards". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  8. ^ Crabb, Annabe (26 January 2004). "A senior moment for a serial rescuer". The Age. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Awards Extract". Australian Government. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Tehree Gordon". Australian of the Year Awards. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2022.