Ian Kiernan has died at the age of 78.

The former builder and Sydney yachtsman became one of Australia’s most well-known environmentalists after he founded Clean Up Australia in 1989.

He was diagnosed with cancer in July last year. Kiernan is survived by his wife Judy and two daughters Sally and Pip.

In a statement, Clean Up Australia said Kiernan had “fought valiantly”.

“While we will deeply miss Ian’s guidance and humour, it was his greatest wish that the work he inspired continues,” the statement read.

“Ian believed that Clean Up belongs to the millions of volunteers who have taken to their streets, beaches, parks, bushland and waterways to remove the rubbish that is bothering them.

“More recently this has extended to the thousands who take actions such as saying no to a plastic bag at the checkout, refusing a single-use item, or who join us via our social media campaigns.”

The prime minister paid tribute to Ian Kiernan, thanking him for all he had done for the country. Photograph: Fairfax Media/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

Born on 4 October 1940, Kiernan grew up in Sydney and was educated at Scots College and the Armidale School in northern New South Wales.

A keen sailor, after returning from an around-the-world trip Kiernan was struck by the amount of rubbish he had seen choking the world’s oceans.

On his return he founded Clean Up Sydney Harbour in 1989. It eventually grew into the Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World campaigns.

“Ian Kiernan is recognised worldwide as the founder of Clean Up Australia, which began 30 years ago as Clean Up Sydney Harbour. In the following year his ‘simple idea’ went national before taking on the world in 1993 under the banner of Clean Up the World. Today more than 30 million people globally participate in their own local clean ups,” the statement read.

Prime minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to his legacy, saying his passion for oceans and coast struck a chord with all Australians.

“The thing I think Ian did more than anything else was just tap us all on the shoulder and say ‘Hey, we’ve got to take care of this, this is our responsibility’,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

“For that, Ian, I want to say thank you. I want to say thank you for what you’ve done for our country.

“To his friends and to his family and to his loved ones, we express our deepest sympathies and our condolences.”

Last year his name was among other worthy Australians in the running to be emblazoned on the side of a Sydney ferry.

But in a move that stunned the public, New South Wales transport minister Andrew Constance made a “captain’s call” and opted instead for Ferry McFerryface.

FOI documents showed Kiernan’s name had received the most public votes in a naming competition that cost taxpayers $100,000. Following the news Kiernan blasted the transport minister.

“He’s made a balls-up of it,” Kiernan said at the time.

with agencies