Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture
Date: 14 Apr 2026 Author: Peter Sherlock
St Mark’s Grasslands, located on the lands leased by the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture and St Mark's National Theological Institute at Charles Sturt University, is a place of enormous environmental significance. Home to indigenous grasses and rare native plants, they are one of Canberra's best examples of a natural temperate grassland.
In April 2026 the Centre's Chapel played host to a farewell for Sarah Sharp ahead of her move away from Canberra to recognise her exceptional role for over 30 years in caring and advocating for the Grasslands. The farewell was attended by over 90 people from across Canberra, indicative of the high respect for her work and passion.
When Sarah first began her environmental career, grasslands were not considered important. Until 1980, grasslands were considered sub-standard eco-systems, and still by 1991 they were being ignored in the ‘Bush Capital’. From 1992, whilst in the employ the of ACT Environment Department, Sarah assisted in creating the Grassland Recovery Program and began monitoring St Mark’s Grasslands.
The department very quickly became aware that it would not have the capacity to care for these fragile environments on its own. Sarah and her colleagues suggested the community be invited to help, and in 1994 the ACT Friends of Grasslands was established. Since then, Sarah has served variously as President, Secretary and committee member.
The farewell was organised by ACT Friends of Grasslands, Landcare ACT and the ACT Department of Environment, and chaired by President of the Friends, Dr Jamie Pittock. Michael Mulvaney summed up the occasion when he quipped that "Sarah has created a revolution". The event concluded with Sarah’s own words in farewell:
We need to tread more lightly. This is not your land, not my land, it is ours.