Our Story: From Crisis to Conservation

In the wake of the devastating bushfires that tore through the Port Macquarie region, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital was overwhelmed by the kindness and support of people from across Australia and around the world.

During those critical weeks, our team — alongside NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service — worked tirelessly to search for and rescue koalas from fire-affected areas. Many were found injured, dehydrated and suffering from burns.

Each koala brought into care received intensive treatment — rehydration, burn care, and ongoing medical support — with dressings changed regularly as they began their recovery.

What began as an emergency response quickly grew into something much bigger.

A Community That Showed Up

With your support, we were able to:

• Build and distribute automatic drinking stations across fire-affected habitats

• Expand support to other wildlife organisations across New South Wales

• Invest in critical equipment to deliver water and care where it was needed most

But as the scale of the devastation became clear, so did the need for long-term action.

The fires destroyed vast areas of prime koala habitat, with hundreds of koalas lost and local populations significantly impacted.

It was clear — recovery wouldn’t be enough. We needed to rebuild.

Building the Future for Koalas

Thanks to the generosity of this community, we were able to bring to life something truly groundbreaking:

The Wild Koala Breeding Program at Guulabaa – Place of Koala

Originally envisioned as the ‘Koala Ark’, this facility was created to help protect and rebuild wild koala populations in a safe, natural environment.

And today — it is a reality.

The centre is now open to the public, and our breeding program is underway.

We’re already seeing signs of success, and while we’re not quite ready to share everything just yet… we can say this:

There is real hope for the future of koalas.

The Next Chapter: A New Koala Hospital

Your support didn’t stop there.

We are now in the final stages of redeveloping the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital — creating a modern, world-class facility for wildlife care, conservation, research and education.

When it reopens in mid-2026, it will allow us to:

• Care for more sick and injured koalas

• Deliver advanced veterinary treatment

• Expand rehabilitation and conservation outcomes

• Inspire thousands of visitors each year to protect koalas

Because of You

Everything we’ve achieved — from emergency rescue to long-term conservation — has been made possible by people like you.

This is more than a fundraiser.

It’s a movement of people who chose to stand up for koalas when they needed it most.

And because of that, we’re not just responding to crisis anymore —

we’re building a future.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

www.koalaconservationaustralia.org.au