British broadcaster Sir David Attenborough has brought the natural world into living rooms for seven decades. As he celebrates his 100th birthday, he reflects on a life of adventure and his enduring affection for Australia.
Attenborough first visited Australia in the 1960s, filming art, culture and interviews with First Nations people. He wrote in his memoirs, 'Life on Air', about the rich range of animals he found, including marsupials like wallabies and bandicoots, and the area now known as Kakadu National Park. In 2015, he called North Queensland his favourite place, praising the Great Barrier Reef and the region's natural beauty.
His career began with a BBC traineeship after he failed to get a radio job. He produced 'Zoo Quest' in the 1950s, taking him to Sierra Leone, Guyana, New Guinea and other countries. The show featured rare animals filmed in their natural habitats.
Attenborough's childhood fascination with nature started with fossils in the English countryside. He recalled hitting a stone to reveal a coiled shell unseen for 150 million years. His first pet was a fire salamander given by his father on his eighth birthday.
