Emily Dufton: alumni profile
You graduated from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« in 2007, what has been your path since finishing school?
English was my favourite subject at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ«, and I always knew my career would involve writing. When I finished school, I moved to Sydney to study Public Communications at UTS and pursue a career in public relations.
While studying, I worked part time in retail and completed as many internships as I could. I finished my course and landed my first fulltime gig, working in publicity for the Lifestyle channels at Foxtel. I loved the TV industry, but after a few years I eventually got itchy feet and moved to London.
I lived in the UK for 5 years and had the time of my life – travelling, working and having a lot of fun.
My first UK job was in the communications and events team at The Telegraph, where I worked on events I’d never dreamed I could be part of. I met the British Prime Minister, saw the Queen at Chelsea Flower Show, worked on the red carpet at the BAFTAs, and learned from some of the UK’s most respected editors and journalists. (Sorry, I know name dropping is tacky, but it was a surreal few years of my life.)
After The Telegraph, I returned to my first love – the TV industry – until the dreary London winters eventually brought me back home to Australia, in search of warmer climes and a career shift.
I moved into digital content strategy and production, to focus on more creative writing. I did a year’s stint as a lifestyle journalist (which involved A LOT of free stuff) but decided to trade in the freebies and exit the struggling media industry.
I now work for the NSW Government as the content specialist for its flagship threatened species program, Saving our Species, and get so much satisfaction from my job.
My partner Ross and I have also just finishing building our dream home on the Hawkesbury River in Mooney Mooney, and we’ve been lucky to work from this little oasis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are you passionate about?
Growing up in a place as beautiful as the Central Coast, I’ve always been really connected to our living environment and I’m passionate about preserving our precious biodiversity.
With more than 1000 native plants and animals at risk of extinction in NSW alone, I'm particularly committed to bringing awareness to the urgent need to conserve our unique and much-loved native wildlife.
What do you love most about your job?
It’s a privilege to create content for the NSW public about some of the world’s most remarkable plants and animals.
Conservation is incredibly important, but I don’t think it always has to be serious. My favourite part of the job is finding creative ways to help make science and conservation cool, fun and digestible for the public.
I also love working with so many passionate and knowledgeable ecologists, who are always teaching me new things (like, did you know the endangered Manning River turtle can breathe out of its bum?!).
What’s the hardest thing about your work?
It can be confronting working in threatened species conservation, particularly during catastrophic events like the bushfires we saw last summer and while experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis.
There is still so much work to be done – I don’t think it will ever end – but we are also seeing so many good news stories which gives me a reason to remain hopeful.
What Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« experience or achievement most prepared you for where you are today?
I’m grateful to Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« for actively encouraging students to find a balance between study and life (vita et scientia!). Working hard is important, but there’s nothing more valuable than family and friends to help support you through the tough times and celebrate life’s wins with you.
The friends I made at school – who are more like sisters – are some of my biggest cheerleaders and have helped to shape the person I am now.
What is one piece of advice you would give to your high school self?
Be kind and patient, don’t be too hard on yourself and wear your sunhat (you’ll understand when you get your first wrinkles).
