At-risk animals and environmental causes have lost a fierce crusader following the death of Olivia Newton-John.
The singer and actor might be well known to many for her stage and screen work, but to others she was a dedicated campaigner for the natural environment.
During her long career Newton-John used her fame to draw attention to matters close to her heart - no matter whether it was endangered wildlife or rescue dogs at a shelter.
As far back as 1977 she flew to Namibia in southwest Africa with conservationist Dr Laurie Marker to film a segment about the plight of the cheetah.
"It has become Laurie's life's work to preserve this most beautiful cat - the fastest land animal on the planet - from extinction," Newton-John posted to her Instagram page.
Since then, she has urged people to stop trafficking animals; helped establish thousands of trees on her north coast NSW property; and in recent years has helped campaign for the release of bears held in captivity in Asia.
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Newton-John and her friend Jon Dee co-founded National Tree Day in 1996. The duo are also behind the One Tree Per Child campaign.
On Tuesday Mr Dee paid tribute to his friend for her dedication to the environment.
"For the last 30 years I've been friends with Olivia Newton-John," he posted to Twitter. "I'll miss her so much.
"In my last letter to her, I told her of the great things she'd done for the environment and wildlife."
He also shared her reply to him: "I am so very proud of what we have achieved" she wrote.
It's not just wild animals that have fueled Newton-John's passions, with the star posting pictures of her dogs, cats, horses and chickens on Instagram.
Bindi Irwin, daughter of well-known animal campaigner Steve Irwin, posted a touching tribute to Newton-John on Instagram and shared a photo of them holding hands and smiling widely.
"One of the kindest and most wonderful souls the world has ever known," she said.
The star has been widely recognised for her environmentalism and love for animals during her career.
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In 1990 she was named the first Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Program, and in 1999 she received the Red Cross Humanitarian Award.
In 2006, she was honoured with an Order of Australia (OAM) for services to entertainment, the environment and the fight against breast cancer.
Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
