OUR BAT RESCUE AND CONSERVATION STORY
We are a community group that works for the conservation of bats and their habitat through rescue and landcare work, advocacy, education and research.
Our Story
Tolga Bat Hospital is an Australian not-for-profit dedicated to bat rescue and conservation, working through wildlife care, advocacy, education and research since 1990. Our activities began in a small way when the local paper reported that hundreds of young spectacled flying-foxes had been orphaned by tick paralysis. The adventure began with just 2 orphans, but over the next 10 years it morphed into a life’s passion for our founder. We originally worked with bats from the Tolga Scrub and hence our name. However, this became confusing when we opened the visitor centre in 2009, as we are not at Tolga, and so we called it The Bat Hospital Visitor Centre. Today we work with all bats, megabat or microbat, from this region and afar. As a result, bats come to us from remote rural areas many hundreds of kilometres away, and occasionally for sanctuary when retired from zoos.
We followed in the footsteps of Friends of Far North Queensland Flying Foxes. This group was very active in the 1990s, working mainly with the colonies at Zillie Falls and Whiting Road on the southern Tablelands. In 2002, however, they folded and voted to transfer their funds to Tolga Bat Rescue and Research Inc. In doing so, Ann and Bruce Johnson, the mainstay committee members, left a legacy of very informative newsletters and rehabilitation methods.
Growing Our Bat Rescue and Conservation Work
Over the years, our work has become more holistic and wide-ranging. For example, in 2004 we became endorsed as a Landcare group, in recognition of our habitat restoration work at the Tolga Scrub and other flying fox camp sites. We subscribe to the Landcare Ethic: “To protect our environment and way of life now and for future generations, we must carefully manage our land, air, water and biodiversity.”
In addition, we became incorporated in 2002 as a not-for-profit community group, listed on the Register of Environmental Organisations in 2007, and registered as a charity in 2008. Consequently, this enables us to accept tax-deductible donations, but also means we have a fair amount of administration and accountability.
Despite this growth, we faced the challenge of ensuring the sustainability of the Bat Hospital by moving beyond an all-volunteer workforce. As a result, we began employing some very capable people from 2011 — Lis Kernan, Deb Melville, Hannah Thomson and currently Vivvy Hsieh from 2023
Our Team and Membership
Annual membership to be a volunteer or supporter is only $15. To support our bat rescue and conservation work financially, please use the Donate button on our website.
Our membership usually hovers around 120. In addition, we send an occasional email newsletter to members and supporters, and provide regular updates on our Facebook page. Our AGM is usually held in April or May.
2025-6 Office Bearers
President / Secretary: Jennefer Mclean Vice-Presidents: Stacey Gordon Treasurer: Vivvy Hsieh Membership Officer: Ashleigh Johnson
Honorary Veterinarians: Tableland Veterinary Service
Policies and Procedures — currently in draft form.
The start of bat rescue and conservation. This frame over the bath was our nursery in the very early days. It is still there and gets used at the beginning of each pup season when we only have a handful of pups in.
We grew out of the bathroom pretty quickly, but it wasn’t until 2012 that we had a bequest that paid for the Nursery building.
High-rise living was our only indoor possibility for the first few years. We had to move the pups to the outside cage prematurely. We’d hang large sheets of cardboard to create the walls of an outdoor room, as well as cardboard on top, and set up a heater inside.
THE OBJECTS OF OUR CONSTITUTION
1. Wildlife care with a focus on bat rescue and conservation. To rescue, rehabilitate and release all species of bats with a high standard of care, as well as provide a sanctuary for some of those who cannot be released.
2. Education. Educate and raise awareness of issues affecting bats, involving
(i) bat carers and volunteers
(ii) the education community, teachers and students of all ages and disciplines.
(iii) the public health, research, scientific and veterinary communities
(iv) the general community
3. Actively seek partnerships in the community for all aspects of our work, networking with:
(i) other community groups especially those with environmental aims
(ii) public health, research, scientific, veterinary and education communities
(iii) other local. national and international bat groups
4. Habitat protection. Negotiate with landowners to facilitate the repair and protection of bat habitat, especially the Tolga Scrub.
5. Research. Support ethical research into the general ecology of bats and their management.
6. Advocacy. Advocate for conservation values of bats and their habitat.
7. Recognising the rights and responsibilities of Volunteers. Implementing an increasingly safe and harmonious volunteering environment.
8. Establishment of the Public Fund. To establish and maintain a public fund to be called the Tolga Bat Hospital Fund for the specific purpose of supporting the environmental objects/purposes of Tolga Bat Rescue and Research Inc.
Our first cage, built in 1996, and replaced in 2004 with a steel/concrete cage known as Middle Cage (between the Microbat Cage and large Flight Cage) or Orphan Season cage.
