Elly Gearing

2012 - 2014

Environmental advocate Elly Gearing has built a career dedicated to protecting wildlife and inspiring people to connect with the natural world. She lived at John XXIII College from 2012 to 2014 while studying at the Australian National University, where she first experienced a strong sense of community and leadership as a Senior Resident. Her time at the College helped shape her commitment to collaboration, empathy and environmental stewardship.

Elly’s career has taken her across some of the world’s most remarkable ecosystems. She worked as one of a small cohort of female safari guides in South Africa, connecting visitors with wildlife and conservation stories, and later spent several months in Antarctica as an expedition guide and lecturer, sharing the science and urgency of climate change with international audiences. Now based in Sydney, she leads the philanthropic giving program at Wildlife Conservation International (WCI), galvanising global support to protect endangered species and irreplaceable ecosystems. As a Fellow of the Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) 2025 National Leadership Program, Elly is emerging as a powerful voice in conservation fundraising.

Alongside her professional work, Elly is a passionate freediver and wildlife photographer, often documenting the natural world through photography and writing. Through fundraising, education and storytelling, she continues to inspire action to protect wildlife and the fragile environments that sustain it.

Quote

"Follow your heart. Do more of what you love. And every so often, do something that really scares you."

All photographs © Bronte Morel 2026 and not to be reproduced.