Peter Gash OAM

Peter Gash is the Custodian and Managing Director of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort and Chief Executive officer of Seair Pacific Aviation. Lady Elliot is a coral cay island located 80 kms north-east of Bundaberg, on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. In his early twenties, Peter discovered the island and its amazing beauty, both above and below the water. Coincidentally, that’s where he and his now wife, Julie, became close friends with both sharing a passion for the natural environment and the fragile eco-system of the island.

Peter is a licenced Pilot and has been flying tourists to the Great Barrier Reef for over 35 years. He started out operating scenic daytrips by seaplane from the Gold Coast to Lady Musgrave Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef. In the mid 90’s, Peter took the floats off the Aircraft and began flying guests to nearby Lady Elliot Island. Lady Elliot Island is the only coral cay island on the Great Barrier Reef with an airstrip.

Peter, his family and two business partners took over the lease of the island in 2005 and has been operating the 44 room eco resort since that time.

Peter’s main motivation is Education and the Environment. Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort operates on a ‘Four E’s’ Philosophy: To look after our Environment we need to be Efficient, Economically Sustainable and able to Educate Effectively.

“Our Family and our amazing Team see ourselves as custodians of this wonderful little island – here to maintain both the Island and the reef in pristine condition for future generations. Our Teams mission here on Lady Elliot Island is to leave the Island and surrounding Reefs better than we found them. To achieve these goals, we are constantly trying to improve standards and introduce new eco-initiatives to make the island a role model in best environmental practice”.

Peter’s personal mission, more now than ever before is to… “inspire & encourage other people, particularly our younger generation, to follow their dreams and to make a real and tangible difference on the planet”.

“Lady Elliot Island is 100 kms from the coastline, we are very isolated and by location, must be totally self-sufficient. We make our own power from a Solar Electric-Hybrid Power system. All our water is desalinated via our own reverse osmosis desalination system and our wastewater is treated by our own wastewater treatment plant. We convert ALL our food-waste and cardboard in a special composting process to make beautiful clean soil, which we then utilise in our revegetation program”.

In recognition of Peter’s 30 plus years in Queensland’s dynamic tourism industry and in particular his passion, dedication and leadership in sustainable ecotourism, Peter was awarded the Marie Watson-Blake award for ‘Outstanding Contribution by an Individual’ at the 30th annual QLD Tourism awards in November 2014. Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort was also awarded Gold in the Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism in 2014, 2017 & 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024.

In 2020 Peter was the recipient of an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the General Division in the Australia Day Honours List for his service to eco-tourism and aviation.

Peters’ wife Julie is an integral and key part of their day-to-day business. Julie is a strong supporter of the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors foundation as well as the Currumbin Wildlife hospital Koala Program. She epitomises the truth that behind every successful bloke stands a great and strong woman.

Their two daughters are both closely involved in the business. Their oldest daughter Amy acquired her private pilot licence in her early twenties and recently was the recipient of the Queensland Tourism Young Achievers award in 2022. Amy also received the Gold Coast Woman of the Year Awards, Environmental Warriors Award in 2023 for services to the Environment.

Younger daughter Chloe is a Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Koala Advocate. She is also fast becoming a well-known Australian Singer Songwriter who has featured regularly on the Australian and US country charts for her music. ‘When Your Light Burns’ being one of her more well-known songs about two little girls growing up on a very special Queensland Island with a historic lighthouse that shines their path for the future.

Peter considers by far his greatest achievements to be he and Julies 40 years of marriage and watching their two amazing daughters being so passionate about the future and following their dreams.