Dr Keith Bolton has lived an extraordinary life. He has lived through two major disaster events, Cyclone Tracy and the February 28 2022 flood. Keith is a musician who has played around Europe, and is a scientist who is using his skills to challenge the norm, pioneering a different way forward in the fields of sewage treatment and hemp. Maive McKenzie sat down to listen to Dr Keith Bolton's life story.

I spent my early years growing up in the Northern Territory. I was the younger sibling by just a couple of years, and my older brother, well, he’s off in the world of high-tech computing now, doing big things with directing and programming.

Our family was pretty academic—professors, PhDs, that kind of environment. There was always this quiet expectation that we’d follow a similar path into higher education.

Mum was a teacher and taught at every level you could think of—primary, secondary, even tertiary. Her specialty was chemistry, and she taught at Southern Cross University. 

I was born in Darwin and lived there until I was about four. Then came the night we got hit by Cyclone Tracy. It was Christmas Eve, and like any kid, I went to bed early, full of excitement. Cyclones were a pretty normal thing in Darwin, so no one was overly worried about a bit of wind and rain. But I was staying in an upstairs room, and soon the ceiling started dripping. I called out to Dad, and that’s when we realised this wasn’t just another storm.

Things escalated quickly. We all huddled in a room together as the house started to collapse around us. Eventually, we made it out and climbed into our four-wheel drive, which was certainly sturdier. By morning, the scene was surreal—you couldn’t even see where the houses had been.

After the cyclone, we had a short stay in Canberra because Dad worked for the government, but it was only about six months. Then, we moved to Alice Springs for the next five years. Alice Springs still holds a special place in my heart. There’s a connection I feel with that place, and I love visiting whenever I can. It’s one of those places that could’ve easily been home too.

We left Alice Springs when I was about nine. The town was close to a major American space base, and with the Cold War going on, my parents got uneasy about the potential risks. They didn’t want to stick around and decided it was time for a change. So, they bought a property out in Jiggi with the idea of becoming self-sufficient hippies. For about six months, that’s exactly what we did, but eventually, they ended up getting jobs in Lismore.

When I was younger, I wanted to work in agricultural science. My grandfather was in agricultural science, working with crops and pastures, and he had a big influence on me. He’d always show me his projects, giving me guidance and sparking my interest in the field. It seemed like a natural path to follow, growing things and understanding how the land worked, thanks to the time I spent with him.

I started my schooling at Jiggi Primary School, moved on to Richmond River High School, and then eventually headed to the University of Queensland. I spent four years there studying agricultural sciences, specialising in plant breeding and phylogenetics. It was a fascinating field, and those years really solidified my interest in agriculture, taking what I was passionate about as a kid and turning it into a career. 

One of the standout experiences during my time at university was in my fourth year, working on a practical project in phylogenetics. We were tasked with inserting a Firefly gene into a tobacco plant and that was back in 1991, which I’m sure you could imagine the restrictions! But despite the challenges, it was an incredible moment to see the process unfold. 

During uni, I supported myself by taking on a few different jobs. One of the main ones was providing technical support for students working on research projects. It was a good way to stay involved in the academic side of things while earning some money. On the side, I also did gardening, which was a nice break from the lab and lecture halls. I’d take care of the university's plants, watering experimental plants in the labs and greenhouses.

When I found myself low on cash, I didn't want to call my parents for help, so I ended up busking with my didgeridoo. My plan was to head to Greece during the summer, pick up a job, and earn more money from busking. I travelled through the Greek islands, hopping from ferry to ferry, and eventually made my way to the Island of Paros just when Summer tourist season set in. There, a woman heard me playing the didgeridoo and, in perfect English, told me she enjoyed my music. She mentioned that her boyfriend also played music and invited me to play with him, and I ended up joining his band.

I played all through the summer tourist season with them and went from rags to riches. It was an incredible turnaround. During this time, we met a percussionist from New York City named Simba. He joined us for a few gigs in Greece before heading back to New York. Shortly after, we crossed paths with an Italian guy, Gaetano, who invited us to come to Italy. He promised to take care of all the arrangements, which sounded like another exciting adventure in the making.

The travel was exactly what I had been looking for—immersing myself in a new environment and gaining fresh perspectives was crucial during that formative period. We lived in Sicily and continued with the band for another six months. However, as time went on, the group dynamics became strained with too many big egos clashing. The breakup happened during an interview with TeleSicilia, and that was the last I saw of Phil.

However, one day, I woke up and realised the direction I was headed in and I started to reconsider my situation. I resolved to pursue a PhD, and exactly two years after I started the adventure, I booked a ticket home.

After about ten years away from Lismore, I purchased a 100-acre block in Jiggi from my parents, who had subdivided the original 150-acre property. I moved back to the area, reconnecting with the beautiful property. Even better, my mother lives on one of the smaller blocks my parents subdivided, and she is my direct neighbour. 

I then began working at Southern Cross University as a part-time research fellow, while consulting to Byron Shire Council to develop a concept design for constructed wetlands for the West Byron Sewage Treatment Plant. My proposal was to regenerate a 24-hectare degraded peat wetland for effluent reuse, acid sulphate soil management, wetland regeneration, and carbon capture. 

(The 7.5-hectare Cedar Grove Constructed Wetland in Logan Shire, South East Qld, which treats effluent from the wastewater treatment plant before it is released into Logan River.)

When the wetland option was chosen, I organised a meeting with the University and Council to discuss research partnerships. I was tasked with the role of preparing a grant application from the Australian Research Council, which was successful, leading me to a 3-year Postdoctoral Fellowship and the role of Wetland Manager responsible for overseeing the planting and establishment of 750,000 paperbark trees.

My curiosity led me to study various aspects of wastewater management, and the innovative environment of Southern Cross University in the early 2000s allowed me to explore further afield. I became aware that many sewage treatment plants discharged sewage effluent into local watercourses, causing damage to the aquatic ecosystems.

Since effluent contains water and nutrients, it made more sense to consider it to be a valuable resource, so I prepared a research proposal to irrigate fast-growing crops to mop up effluent and produce an economic product. I issued press releases to raise public awareness and attract the attention of potential research partners, however, it turned out that sewage and wastewater wasn’t a particularly appealing topic, and the project only made it to page 54 of an environmental magazine. I realised I needed a more effective approach. 

At the time, the NSW Government was considering amending The Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act to allow scientific research on low-THC hemp and I had one of those light-bulb moments – irrigating hemp with effluent would certainly attract a lot of attention. I applied for a license and ended up receiving the second-ever license granted in NSW for growing hemp. Navigating the process was a challenge, given the extensive 50-page bureaucracy and the surrounding paranoia that came from the restrictions. 

I then embarked on a Mop Crop project during my first year, which required a fair bit of publicity. I needed to get the local council on board, secure research funding, and issue a press release. At that time, I was running my hemp business and had announced that we would be conducting scientific trials with hemp.

(Getting publicity for the Mop Crop)

When I announced to the newspaper that I was growing hemp as a fibre crop, focusing on irrigation and fibre cultivation, the interest was immediate. We conducted the first test crop at Jiggi, which garnered significant attention and involvement from the local council. In 2005, the newspapers even reported that I grew 100 times more hemp than all the hippies combined in Nimbin.

We embarked on some impressive mop crop projects, using them to clean the water before it seeped back into the ground. Through this hands-on research, I got deeply involved with the practical benefits of hemp, despite its historically tight restrictions. I also began exploring the history of hemp prohibition and noticed an anomaly: this area had a reputation for recreational cannabis use, yet hemp, which is less harmful than alcohol, faced such severe restrictions.

Hemp used to be a massive economic player too. It’s fascinating to see how integral it was—each ship was stacked with tons of hemp products, from canvas and rope to hemp seed oil and paper. Wars were actually fought over the supply of hemp and not for the drug aspect. 

I was one of the pioneers in the hemp industry, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how far it’s come. I pushed hard against the outdated prohibition laws, especially during the NSW inquiry, and was pleasantly surprised by the lack of strong opposition. In my experience, it’s rare to encounter someone who is adamantly against hemp. The parliamentary inquiry into the adult use of cannabis and the changes in laws around medical cannabis have been significant steps forward. It’s been a journey of advocacy and progress, and it’s gratifying to see the shift towards greater acceptance and legalisation.

After wrapping up my time as a Postdoctoral Fellow, I was pulling in substantial funds and gaining a lot of publicity. Despite this, I felt unfulfilled and stretched too thin. In 2004, I decided to shift gears and started a company, Ecotechnology Australia, which we later rebranded as Ecoteam. The focus was on natural solutions for environmental challenges, and we quickly grew, operating a fleet of ten cars.

(The Ecoteam Water Operations Team Attending the 2010 Naidoc Week celebration)

I wasn’t too concerned about the business side of things—I had a comfortable academic position as an Associate Professor, but I wanted to do something more hands-on and substantial. This led me to the Cedar Grove Environmental Centre, where we’re tackling wastewater treatment for the Logan River. The centre is an ongoing project with significant developments, including a 7.5-hectare wetland, with plans to expand by an additional 4.2 hectares.

Our work was put to the test during the 2022 floods, but our water quality remained impeccable. We adhere to strict licensing requirements and consistently meet Queensland's water quality standards. Transforming an old, degraded cow paddock into a high-level ecosystem has been incredibly rewarding.

Our efforts extend beyond just environmental work. We’re actively involved in the ATSI community, managing wastewater and drinking water systems. About a quarter of our employees are Aboriginal, reflecting our commitment to being part of and supporting the community. Our work also includes managing waste-treatment systems in correctional centres and handling asbestos remediation.

One of the key strengths of our approach is our ability to adapt and provide solutions during disasters like droughts, fires, and floods. Currently, we’re drafting a 100-year business plan, aiming to set-up an entity that can withstand extreme climate disruptions and be beneficial for future generations, including great-grandchildren.

Our future children are incredibly precious—they're essentially our future, and without them, there isn’t much of a future. But the reality they’re facing is pretty daunting. We’re seeing more extreme climate events like floods, droughts, and fires, and they’re hitting harder and more frequently. Even here in Australia, where we’re relatively privileged, we’re starting to feel the effects and realise our vulnerabilities. Climate scientists warn that the issues we face now are just a warm-up compared to what future generations will deal with.

Resources like fresh water, clean air, and fertile soil are becoming harder to come by and are degrading the quality of life for those less fortunate. The damage to ecosystems caused by humans is already showing up in billion-dollar insurance claims, rising death tolls, and increasing pollution. The resources we waste now—biodiversity, clean water, fertile soil, and clean air—won’t be available for our grandchildren.

This is why companies that are founded on the best qualities of humanity and develop a different set of ethics are so important and what I have strived to do. We want to create True Wealth, benefiting everyone involved, respecting the environment and prioritising the health of our planet and the future of our children. Companies like these have the potential to guide us toward a more positive future.

Ecoteam was conceived with the philosophy of “working as a team to create True Wealth by nurturing the environment and inspiring Community.” True Wealth is about benefiting the community and the environment, and it brings dividends like happiness, health, and optimism. The most valuable aspects of True Wealth are our future generations and the continued health of all life forms. Those who experience True Wealth feel a deep gratitude for life and hope for the future.

True Leadership is also a key principle. A True Leader inspires their community without seeking personal gain or adulation. In a healthy community, everyone is a leader, and collective strength leads to better solutions than a single boss could provide. True Generosity is another important value, where giving and receiving are aimed at creating True Wealth. When practised within a community, True Generosity ensures that everyone’s needs are met.

As custodians of the young Ecoteam, we’re responsible for teaching it the ethics and skills it needs to thrive in an uncertain future. Despite the challenges we face, like floods, fires, and pandemics, Ecoteam’s focus on being useful has helped it persevere. Climate scientists predict even more challenges ahead, but this also presents a huge opportunity for Ecoteam’s growth.

While we won’t be around to see the future our children face, if we get things right and Ecoteam continues to follow the path of ethics and resilience, it will be there for our great-grandchildren.

On the home front, my wife, who is the Managing Director of Ecoteam and an engineer, and I are raising five kids. Our children range from 14 to their mid-20s, and it’s a busy but fulfilling life.

Outside of work, I’ve got a few interests that keep me busy and engaged. I still play the didgeridoo and am part of the Jiggi Veranda Band, which is more of a social club than a formal band.

I’ve always had a fascination with Australia’s history and with over 3,000 generations of people having lived here, it’s fascinating to think about the artifacts that might be found in backyards around Lismore. It’s fascinating to uncover these pieces of history, which, while exceptional, seem to be more common than one might think. I have a bit of an obsession with these things, and it’s become one of my passions.

The most rewarding part of my career has been doing work that truly makes a difference. I find it incredibly fulfilling to collaborate with Aboriginal communities and to work alongside colleagues who share the same ethics and respect for what we do. Even now, I look forward to going to work every day.

Our workplace culture is a big part of that satisfaction. We have a flexible environment where if someone wakes up sick, they can take a day off without hassle. There’s no rigid hierarchy here—everyone is encouraged to lead and contribute equally. This structure helps foster a sense of community and shared purpose, which I believe is the true measure of success and wealth in our work.

From my career, I've learned some pretty down-to-earth lessons. As a scientist, I’ve come to appreciate the way life’s challenges can be like waste—they might seem unpleasant, but they often turn into valuable resources. It’s all about crystallising wisdom from experience. Sometimes, you just have to accept that ‘stuff happens,’ and while it might seem like a mess, it can actually turn into something useful and beneficial, just like how waste can become a great fertiliser.

Looking ahead, I plan to keep embracing the grand adventure of life in all its forms. I love what I do and don’t see myself retiring anytime soon. I’m the custodian of a beautiful piece of land in Jiggi and have a few exciting projects on the horizon. I’m finishing up an office refurbishment and will be moving my house there, so there's a lot to look forward to.