Who we are & what we do
A passionate community of volunteers working to protect, celebrate and preserve Low Isles and the Douglas Shire's remarkable maritime heritage.
The Low Isles Preservation Society is run entirely by volunteers — locals who care deeply about one of the Great Barrier Reef's most significant islands.
LIPS was incorporated in 1992 after the local community rallied to protect Low Isles when the lighthouse was automated and the island's last keepers departed. Since then, our voluntary committee has worked alongside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and a network of community partners to ensure Low Isles is protected, researched and celebrated for future generations.
Today the committee oversees a broad program of conservation, heritage, education and community activities — from liaising with the Joint Field Management Program on the future of Low Isles, to managing the island's interpretation centre, coordinating pied imperial pigeon counts, and developing the Port Douglas Maritime Cultural Precinct.
We are always looking for new members, volunteers and community supporters to help carry this work forward. If Low Isles matters to you, there's a place for you in LIPS.
LIPS Committee 2026-27
Non-committee general members
LIPS carries out a broad and ambitious program of conservation, heritage, education and community work — all driven by volunteers who love this island and its surrounding reef.
Island management & caretaking
We liaise with the Joint Field Management Program (GBRMPA and QPWS) to help caretake Low Isles and contribute to decisions about the island's future. LIPS members serve as relief caretakers, supporting the island's day-to-day management.
Stakeholder engagement
We engage with the Local Marine Advisory Advisory Committee (LMAC), tourism operators, Traditional Owners, local government, stakeholder and community groups to help shape the future of the Great Barrier Reef broadly, and Low Isles specifically as a protected, accessible and well-managed site.
Museum & interpretation centre
We manage the Low Isles interpretation centre — one of the smallest museum spaces in Queensland — and winner of the 2026 Volunteer Museum of the Year at the Gallery and Museum Achievement Awards (GAMAA).
Maritime Precinct project
LIPS is leading the development of a Port Douglas Maritime Cultural Precinct on the Dixon Inlet waterfront, celebrating the region's fishing, maritime and reef heritage. This includes artefact collection, oral history recording and community engagement.
Pied imperial pigeon counts
LIPS volunteers have conducted monthly PIP counts at Low Isles since 1994 — one of Queensland's longest-running bird monitoring programs. Data is submitted to the QPWS WildNet database and the Australia-wide BirdLife database.
Scientific research support
We support and facilitate scientific research visits and monitoring at Low Isles, including marine animal, reef health, and bird research and monitoring.
Oral history recording
As part of the Maritime Precinct project, LIPS is working to record and preserve the oral histories of Port Douglas's maritime community — fishing families, boat builders, lighthouse keepers' descendants and reef pioneers — before those stories are lost.
Education & research visits
We provide opportunities, facilities and support for education and research trips to Low Isles — working with schools, community groups, universities and research institutions to connect the next generation with this extraordinary place.
Conservation & clean-ups
We participate in beach clean-ups, participate in local marine debris collection events, and contribute data to the national marine debris database. Community events and volunteer days are run throughout the year.
Celebrating the centenary of the 1928 GBR Expedition
In 1928, Low Isles became the site of the world's first detailed scientific study of a coral reef — the Cambridge University Great Barrier Reef Expedition led by Sir Maurice Yonge. In 2028, exactly one hundred years later, LIPS will help lead celebrations of this landmark event and its enduring legacy for reef science worldwide.
Plans include community events, educational programs, photographic exhibitions comparing 1928 and present-day reef imagery, and connections with the descendants of expedition scientists. If you'd like to be part of the centenary program, get in touch at lipsinport@gmail.com.
100 years since the world's first coral reef study at Low Isles
Whether you want to get hands-on as a volunteer, contribute your professional skills, support us financially, or simply stay connected — we'd love to have you involved.
Become a member
Join LIPS and have a say in the future of Low Isles. Membership gives you access to volunteer opportunities, our newsletter, invitations to events and voting rights at the AGM.
Apply for membership ↗Volunteer with us
From relief caretaking to pigeon counts, beach clean-ups to oral history recording — there are many ways to contribute your time and skills to LIPS.
Explore volunteeringDonate or support
Every contribution helps fund conservation projects, island maintenance and heritage programs. You can also donate your Containers for Change refunds directly to LIPS.
Ways to supportGet in touch
Have an idea, a story to share, an artefact to donate, or simply want to learn more about what we do? We'd love to hear from you.
Contact us