Tim Jarvis AM: 2024 Australian of the Year for South Australia
Tim Jarvis AM is a man of many titles. These include explorer, writer, speaker, filmmaker, and passionate environmental advocate, and now the 2024 Australian of the Year for South Australia.
Tim Jarvis has been been described by the Australian Museum as an adventurer who never chooses the easy road. Some have been icy cold, in fact. Tim has recreated several Antarctic expeditions without the benefit of modern technology and says they taught him plenty of transferable lessons for tackling global issues like climate change. He’s putting some of them into practice right here in SA.
Paint us a picture of Tim Jarvis as a child. Was it always obvious that you would become an adventurer and planetary caretaker?
My passion for adventure and sustainability started as a young child growing up in Malaysia in the 70s. I then went to a school that espoused the principles of ‘learning by doing’ and getting outdoors, (UWCSEA) in Singapore. It gave me self-confidence from needing to think on my feet and make decisions. I also developed a love of nature that has continued into adulthood.