David Attenborough: A lifetime dedicated to our planet

The renowned voice of the natural world, Sir David Attenborough, has reached a remarkable milestone of 100 years on Earth; the planet he has built a legacy delivering to screens across the world. Throughout his career, Attenborough’s work has elevated the Earth’s ecosystems in a way his audiences understand and relate to, depicting wildlife through immersive stories that blend education and entertainment.  

Memorable works 

His TV debut in 1954, Zoo Quest signalled the charm with which Attenborough would go on to communicate the treasures of the planet’s wildlife. From the beginning, he explored the world with respect, curiosity, and a contagious delight, setting the stage for his landmark series in 1979, Life on Earth. 

This series would combine scientific exploration with up close footage in a way viewers had previously never witnessed, revolutionising how humans understood wildlife. The countless species caught on camera across 40 countries weren’t simply distant strangers—but our neighbours in the world, sharing one planet as home. His voice stood out as that of a friend to viewers, sharing his interesting encounters with various animals.  

If you asked somebody what scene comes to mind from this series, it’s the image of the naturalist in Rwanda among a family of mountain gorillas. A then 41-year-old Attenborough is seen grinning with delight as a young gorilla lays comfortably atop him. An adult gorilla grabs Attenborough’s head and twists it to look into his eyes, an act that feels intimately human. “It’s very unfair that man should have chosen the gorilla to symbolise all that is aggressive and violent, when that’s the one thing the gorilla is not, and that we are,” he says to the viewer.  

Climate efforts 

Attenborough has long been at the vanguard of climate conservation and wildlife preservation. In later years, as the devastation has grown clearer, his messaging has been more direct: to protect what is left. His 2017 documentary Blue Planet II highlights the catastrophic impact of plastic pollution on the ocean and its inhabitants. It captures stunning imagery of marine life, before contrasting it with the unfortunate reality: the oceans and beaches which make up these creatures’ homes are littered with waste. Attenborough narrates the plights of one such animal, the short-finned pilot whale as a family mourns the death of a newborn calf. It was likely poisoned by the mother’s own milk, contaminated with plastic particles. From the ocean’s deepest depths to the icy ends of the globe, Attenborough’s following documentaries continued to depict the beauties as well as the tragedies of a natural world in need of protection.  

Now, Attenborough returns home to London in Wild Isles exhibiting that the wonders of nature are closer than expected. In a city that is familiar to many, he unveils wildlife that is rarely seen, a hallmark of his style.

Head to ABC iview for a selection of David Attenborough’s documentaries.