Custodian Launches Children’s Book – Ellie’s Reef Adventures

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND CUSTODIAN LAUNCHES CHILDREN’S BOOK TO PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

Lady Elliot Island custodian Amy Gash has turned her childhood adventures growing up on the Great Barrier Reef into a children’s book series to inspire future marine conservation.

Ms Gash and her family including parents Peter and Julie and sister Chloe, have dedicated the past 20 years to protecting the environment and transforming Lady Elliot Island into a world-class eco-tourism destination.

The first book in the Ellie’s Reef Adventures series launched today (13 April) introduces readers to Bubbles the Bottlenose Dolphin who Ms Gash grew up with and who is a regular visitor to the Island.

“Lady Elliot Island is home to more than 1200 marine species and over the years I’ve come to learn the unique personalities of many of the animals that call the Island home,” Ms Gash said.

“There is Bubbles the Bottlenose Dolphin, Blondie the Green Turtle, and Inspector Clouseau the Pink Manta Ray. I hope by writing about them children and everyone who reads the books can fall in love with them and the reef just like I have,” she said.

In 2022, Amy was honoured as Queensland Tourism’s Young Achiever of the Year, with the Stephen Gregg Bursary supporting the illustration and publication of Ellie’s Reef Adventures, helping bring this story to life.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Natassia Wheeler said initiatives like this highlight the powerful role tourism can play in conservation and education.

“Tourism, when done well, is a force for good – not just economically, but environmentally and socially. What Amy and her family have achieved on Lady Elliot Island shows how operators can lead in both protecting natural assets and inspiring the next generation to value them,” Ms Wheeler said.

“Stories like this matter because they connect people, especially young Australians, to the places that make Queensland so special. That connection is what drives long-term stewardship of icons like the Great Barrier Reef and ensures they can be experienced for generations to come.”

Illustrator Stephanie Elizabeth Lloyd, an Australian artist and avid snorkeller, describes the Great Barrier Reef as her “favourite place” for inspiration. Since visiting Lady Elliot Island in 2020, she has photographed and sketched its marine life, later transforming into artworks in her Port Douglas gallery.

“Ever since my first visit, Lady Elliot Island has held a special place in my heart. Bringing its beauty and biodiversity to life through illustration has been a truly exciting journey. Sharing Ellie’s world and message with young readers feels more poignant now than ever,” Ms Lloyd said.

Ten per cent of profits from the book series will be donated directly to environmental organisations supporting marine protection.

Ms Gash said she wanted the series to capture the magic of the reef and help young readers feel connected to it, so they’re inspired to care for and protect it.

“If these stories help children see the reef as something special and worth looking after, then I’ve achieved exactly what I set out to do,” Ms Gash said.

MEDIA KIT: Video and images of Amy Gash and Bubbles the Dolphin at Lady Elliot Island

Media enquiries: Claudia Browning, Adoni Media | 0499 358 839 | claudia@adonimedia.com.au