Australian Story’s most popular subject

On the right side of this photo is a property belonging to farmer and horse breeder, Peter Andrews. One the left is a neighbour’s property.

Four years ago Australian Story featured Andrews’ ability to transform degraded landscapes into thriving oases.

It remains the most popular episode of the long-running show yet, as voted by viewers to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary.

Australian Story now revisits Andrews, and looks at how some very influential and highly placed Australians have rallied to his cause as scientific evidence and international interest is also building.

For nearly thirty years, Peter Andrews ‘natural sequence farming’ was rejected by scientists, bureaucrats and politicians alike as he used controversial techniques including planting noxious weeds. But the evidence soon became difficult to ignore.

“Some of our findings are startling…. that’s taken place in a period of two years when from textbook understanding you’d be thinking ten or fifteen years. And in fact, it’s turned out that that has resulted in a river recovery, to our knowledge, unprecedented in Australia, ” says Prof. Richard Bush, head of the scientific study team at Baramul, Gerry Harvey’s property.

So why does Peter Andrews seem to be at his wit’s end when recognition for his work is at an all time high? Will he accept the invitation to green the Sahara desert?

Introduced by Ray Martin, the first of two episodes airs 8pm Monday on ABC1.