Land, Resource

Management and
Conservation from
Federation to 1970
NATION BUILDING

1901 POST World War 11

NATION BUILDING
After Federation, the new Constitution left environmental matters as State
responsibilities but the Commonwealth could override state decisions.
The Lands Department controlled the allocation of land for farming,
forestry and parks. Settlement generally took priority over forests and parks
were only established on land that was seen as useless for any other
purpose.
During this time, perceptions, uses and management practices continued as
before , but there were changes developing. (see class notes: relationships
with the land in the 20th century)
This period did see some changes in both government and the public
attitudes to the environment: the need to manage resources in a more
controlled manner through legislation and the development of organisations
and individuals whose focus was conservation of the environment.

Management of Resources
Forestry
1907 & 1910: The Forest Acts established a State Forests Department and declared a
relatively large amount of Crown Land as forest reserve. This meant that the Lands
department no longer had a monopoly on land allocation and management.
1911:the first interstate conference on forestry was held, emphasising the need for
permanent forest reserves and management authorities with statutory powers.
By 1914 Victoria had reserved about 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) as state forest
despite opposition from agriculturalists and the Lands Dept.
State plantations and state owned nurseries were established :
to raise seedling for plantations, because mining and land clearing had destabilised slopes
and removed topsoil AND large amounts of money was being spent on importing foreign
softwoods
1910: The School of Forestry at Creswick was opened to train cadets in forest
management. It ran in conjunction with the state nursery and plantations, aiming to
provide millions of trees annually. Twenty types of eucalypts were recognised as providing
good commercial timber. eg blue gum, red gum. Radiata Pine was planted in denuded forest
areas.

1912: Australian Forests League formed

1919: Forests Commission of Victoria established after
lobbying by the Australian Forests League . Plantations of
Radiata pine were greatly expanded by the Commission. Many
are sited on failed farmland in the Strzelecki Ranges.
Soldier settlement schemes resulted in more undeveloped
Crown Land being alienated for agriculture in Gippsland, the
Western plains and the Mallee. High failure rate was due to
farms being too small, on undrained swamps or land that was
too dry. Farmers tried to establish windbreaks of cypress and
pine for shade and shelter on cleared land. The first dust storm
in the Mallee was recorded as early as 1902.

1922: The Empire Forestry Association was formed to

develop a constructive forest policy to scientifically
conserve and prudently exploit forests for the mutual
benefit of the British Commonwealth.
By 1930 after dogged negotiations with the Lands Dept,
there were further increases in forest reserves. This
came with extensive road construction, mainly for
timber removal ,and fire protection access but it also
provided access for tourists. The forest tracks were
created by men in unemployment relief camps.

Bushfires of 1939 destroyed 6,172,500 acres (2.5 million

hectares) of mountain ash forest in Victoria. This,
together with a post war housing boom, created a
demand for timber from less accessible areas.
The virgin forests of alpine ash, peppermint and
messmates of the Alps were logged with the logging
tracks being cut into wilderness areas.
The 1939 Forest Act passed that extended the Forest
Commissions responsibility for fire protection to include
all N.Ps, state forests and surrounding lands for a
distance of 1 mile

1944:. Save the Forests Campaign was launched

During the depression overcropping of farmland led to
soil erosion and increasing dryland salinity. By the
1940s wind, gully and sheet erosion threatened
agricultural production across Victoria. Massive dust
storms occurred in 1930s and 40s. In 1944 in one dust
storm the Mallee lost an estimated 12 million tonnes of
topsoil

Water
Increased demand for water due to increase in population led to the
establishment of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission in
1905 and Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW). The
need to supply Victorians with water resulted in:
Diversion of rivers, Building of dams, levees and aqueducts, Reservoirs
and Artificial lakes (also used for recreation)
Protection of watersheds (forests) The reserving of catchment areas
caused conflict between the Minister for Forests and the MMBW. The
expanding timber industry wanted access to trees in catchment areas.
But the MMBW was able to point out the water purification problems of
other world cities, where logging and grazing led to extensive erosion
followed by siltation of dams. This, together with a typhoid outbreak
near Warburton, led to banning of human activities in Upper Yarra
catchment.

Water cont
Some major dams constructed were: 1920: Maroondah
and OShannessy dams; 1927: Eildon dam; 1934: Hume
Dam on the Upper Murray
The State Electricity Commission (SEC) was also
involved in the states rivers. It has left a legacy of
roads, dams and huts in the high country after
construction of the Kiewa Hydroelectric scheme in late
1930s: Rocky Valley and Pretty Valley dams stored
water collected from Bogong High Plains and channelled
it to a series of power stations.

National Parks & Reserves

The declaration of a number of national parks and
reserves in the early 1900s was due to pressure and
battles from groups and individuals to reserve areas of
unspoilt land for recreation and to protect flora and
fauna. There was no real general public awareness of
the need to preserve the natural environment in a
proper system of national parks.
From 1905 to 1909 five new national parks had been
reserved: Bulga, Tarra Valley, Wyperfeld, Wingan and
Mallacoota Inlets plus Extra acreage at Mt Buffalo and
the permanent reservation of Wilsons Promontory

Early Perceptions of parks :There was still a view that

parks were areas that had no agricultural value but
could be promoted as tourist attractions. The National
Parks Association was formed to act as a watchdog for
existing parks but it also had the aim of reserving large
samples of land of little commercial value as national
parks
Opposition to some parks being reserved parks came
from graziers and miners.

Management of these areas:

Was by locally appointed management committees composed of unpaid
volunteers
No money was allocated by the Lands Dept for upkeep of the parks.
Money was obtained by management committees leasing grazing land and
selling timber- thereby damaging the natural features they were trying to
protect. (still apparent today)
Visitor facilities were constructed: eg, walking tracks, bridges and picnic areas.
Only 4 parks had rangers or caretakers
Wilsons Promontory was seen as a sanctuary for wildlife so the committee of
management introduced a number of birds and animals. No thought was given
to the possible effect of these introductions. A vermin proof fence as erected to
prevent entry of rabbits and foxes but also to keep introduced animals from
escaping.

1935: Saw the start of the Alpine National Park battle: the
aim being to have alpine areas of Crown Land reserved as there
was major concern about the development of the high country
and the environmental effects of grazing and logging.

Interest in nature was developed through monthly magazine

publications such as Wildlife, launched in 1938 and edited by
naturalist and FNCV president, Crosbie Morrison. Morrisons
radio broadcasts, originally undertaken to publicise the
magazine, related to nature and wildlife conservation became
popular and ran for 20 years. There were also radio broadcasts
relating to the Save The Forests Campaign in the 1940s.

During the Depression and World War 2 environmental issues

took a back seat. This was partly due to declining membership of
outdoor recreation groups, with car ownership increasing and
weekend driving trips seen as preferable to bushwalking..

During the depression overcropping of farmland had led to soil

erosion and increasing dryland salinity. By the 1940s wind, gully
and sheet erosion threatened agricultural production across
Victoria. Massive dust storms occurred in 1930s and 40s. In 1944 in
one dust storm the Mallee lost an estimated 12 million tonnes of
topsoil. Farmers and government recognised the need to tackle the
immense problems of soil erosion and deterioration of water
quality.

POST WAR TO 1970

Post war military alliances, together with progress in science
and technology and increasing demands for the earths
resources, marked the beginning of an era of development
and massive exploitation of Australias natural resources.

Discoveries of uranium, oil, bauxite and other minerals,

particularly in the far north (seen by governments as no
mans land), hailed the influx of foreign companies whose
motives were purely to exploit for financial returns. Successive
governments supported not only continued pastoralism and
agriculture, but also, from 1949 to 1970, opened Australia up
to virtually unrestricted foreign investment.

Further War Service Land Settlement schemes were

set up by both State and Commonwealth governments
and massive immigration was encouraged. Many
immigrants were used as cheap labour for large scale
economic expansion, such as the Snowy Mountains
Hydro- Electric Scheme in 1949. This was seen as a
symbol of great progress and development with mans
dominance over nature being celebrated. Engineers
proclaimed it as the coming of a technological
utopia. It involved the construction of tunnels, dams,
power stations and the diversion of water for inland
irrigation.

Towards the end of the war, in response to land degradation

concerns, the Commonwealth government instigated reports
relating to land utilisation.
These resulted in the establishment , in 1950, of: :
the Land Utilisation Advisory Council: concerned with land
allocation for farming, forests development, water resources,
national parks and reserves and erosion control, and
the Soil Conservation Authority formed They used improved
farming practices and engineering solutions to arrest soil erosion
from 1950 1980. Research into the effects of erosion by the SCA
also led to limits on sheep and cattle grazing on the Bogong High
Plains and an end to deliberate burning of grasslands.

The Depression and the War also meant that little further progress in
national park development until 1946. This heralded the first real
modern surge of interest in conservation. It was partly triggered off
by publicity over the deterioration of Wilsons Promontory caused by
the extensive 1939 fires and the use of the Prom as a training ground by
the army commandos.

Studies by the FNCV also showed illustrated the sorry plight of National
Parks management committees reliance on funds from grazing leases
and sale of firewood and wattle bark. Their report, together with
reports from the Town and Country Planning Association in 1949 and the
Parliamentary State Development Committee in 1951, recognised a
need for a proper National Parks Act and administrative authority..

The increase of interest in environment and

conservation also led to the formation of groups such
as the National Trust and National Resources
Conservation League (NRCL) in 1951.This latter group
arose out of the 1944 Save the Forests campaign which
emphasised the inseparable trinity of water, forests
and soil and aimed to foster the conservation of
natural resources with emphasis on public education
and practical support for tree planting activities.

1952 saw the release of Myxomatosis by the CSIRO to reduce the plague
rabbit populations. Formerly arsenic and strychnine had been used with
1080 poison bait also used by CSIRO after 1950.
In this same year Prime Minister Robert Menzies offered Australia as a site
for nuclear testing. The radioactive contamination, from the seven British
bombs detonated at Maralinga, still remains today with the widespread
area continuing to be fenced and guarded.

1952 the Victorian National Parks Association was formed. Its aim was to
act as a voice for all conservation societies in the matter of land
reservation and national parks and to push for the development of a
National Parks Authority that would have the legislative power to govern,
protect and fund existing parks and promote the formation of new parks.

The tourist surge in Victoria with the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games was used
by national parks campaigners as a powerful catalyst in pushing for the
establishment of a parks Act and Authority.
In 1956:The National Parks Bill was passed and a central National Parks
Authority created. This was a significant step forward in the history of Victorias
National Parks.
It was initially difficult to persuade members of parliament to pass the bill due
to these factors:
a perception that peoples interests would be threatened by tying up land in national Parks.
some believed spending money on N.Ps was money down the drain
as tourism wasnt yet a huge industry, diverting money to ensure protection of beautiful areas
was not seen as a high priority
preservation of habitat was not seen as important
a view that reserving remote and fairly inaccessible areas would only benefit a few bug
hunters and bushwalkers in the community
a fear of having land managed by bug hunters, rather than business men.

Management of National Parks

changed in that:
The NPA negotiated to take control of pre-existing committees of management and to establish
committees of management where none existed. All committees were under the control of the
NPA
Appointment of full and part time rangers was a high priority. On site housing was provided for
rangers in some parks but was not common.
Popular parks obtained money from visitor car parking
Greater visitation increased the need for: water supply, toilet blocks, rubbish bins, walking
tracks, camping areas, picnicking facilities and brochures: all at a cost.
Other problems included dealing with vandalism, theft of plants and animals, dumping of
rubbish and stolen cars, illegal removal of timber, shooting of animals, illegal grazing and
wandering stock
Greater water supplies were needed: ponds, dams, storage tanks and bores constructed.
Safety became an issue: greater presence of rangers required. Plus education of the public
about dangers
Vermin and weed control included: fencing, 1080 poison, warren fumigation

After this great post war surge of interest, progress

became the emphasis of most State governments for the
next 15 years. This is reflected in the fact that in 1956
National parks covered 0.4% of Victoria and this had
only increased to 0.9% by 1970. Also Victorias Premier,
Henry Bolte had little regard for conservation. He did at
one stage say: We care about water pollution, but it
isnt as important as a $100 million industry

The prosperity of the 1950s and 60s depended on Australias

capacity to import capital and export resources. Land, minerals,
rivers, forests and wildlife were all seen as resources there to be used
by developers, preferably foreign ones. Postwar economic growth
fuelled by a surge of foreign investment, particularly in the mining
sector, along with rapid technological development, caused
progress to intrude into new and once remote places across the
continent.
Discoveries of uranium, oil, bauxite and other minerals, particularly
in the far north ( seen by governments as no mans land),hailed the
influx of foreign companies whose motives were purely to exploit for
financial returns. Successive governments supported not only
continued pastoralism and agriculture, but also, from 1949 to 1970,
opened Australia up to virtually unrestricted foreign investment.

States competed to offer their forests to foreign

countries for woodchips as foresters saw this as an
opportunity to convert Australias unproductive forests
into productive ones. By the early 1970s plans for
woodchipping covered of Australias total forest
areas and of all publicly owned coastal forest.
Long term government loans to the states encouraged
the clearing of natural woodlands and forests for pine
plantations, By 1970 the forest services were
celebrating their planting of the one millionth acre of
exotic species.

The 1960s saw a. rekindling of the environmental

movement and concern for environmental legislation This
was largely sparked by pollution problems in Western cities and
the publication, in 1962, of Rachel Carsons Silent Spring. ,a
book dealing with the far reaching effects of pesticide use.
In Australia, A.J Marshall published a book in 1966, The Great
Extermination, that dealt with the destruction of Australias
fauna and the first nation-wide conservation body, The
Australian Conservation Foundation was formed in 1965.
Photographs brought back by lunar missions served to make
people aware that the earths resources were indeed finite and
were a significant contribution to the conservation movement.

Public consciousness of environmental degradation and threats to the

environment grew throughout the 1960s through issues such as land
development schemes, mining of beach sands, the flooding of Lake Pedder
for hydroelectricity generation, preservation of the Great Barrier Reef and
noise, air and water pollution.

Australians began protesting against the destruction and selling off of

native forests while the forest industry used propaganda to suggest that
forest destruction actually produced better forests.
Individuals banded together to challenge the Australian development
ethos whereby the Queensland government continued to grant oil
exploration leases covering most of the Great Barrier Reef, despite
heightened awareness of the catastrophic dangers of off shore drilling. It
was finally union action that forced suspension of operations on the Reef.

A critical issue in Victoria was the proposed clearance of the Little Desert west
of Horsham, in the late 1960s, for agriculture. A protracted fight, which was
really the first big conservation battle in Victoria, was fought between
conservationists, arguing for preservation of the area, and Premier Bolte, whose
belief was that life was a constant war against nature.
As part of the battle, the Save our Bushland Action Committee was formed,
combining the VNPA, FNCV and the NRCL, and held a well attended mass meeting
at the Melbourne town hall. Resolutions to abandon the proposed subdivision were
then presented to the Government. . Despite this and reports from agricultural
scientists and economists stating that the land was unsuited to farming and likely
to be unprofitable, the Minister for Lands, Sir William McDonald, was intent on the
development going ahead.
After considerable political pressure, a strong campaign by the conservationists
supported by The Age newspaper, and a Legislative Council inquiry, the
development plans were dropped and the Little Desert National Park was
created

The Little Desert Campaign (1963 1969) was of great

significance in attracting young people to the
environmental movement and the resolution, in
favour of conservation, marked a turning point in
Australian history. It was the first time in a direct
confrontation with developers that nature lovers had
won.
This campaign illustrated the significant changes in the
perceptions of the land, uses and management practices
and their impacts during this time.

By the end of the 1960s, Australians were personally

acquainted with the environmentally degrading
consequences of development. Vast expanses of
suburbanisation and its associated noise, dirt, pollution and
visual ugliness resulted from land speculation and
complacency. In response, public opposition to freeways, highrise public housing, overbuilding and environmental pollution
increased.
People s conceptions were also changing. Now bushland was
viewed as public land, free of agriculture, whereas in the past
times of Henry Lawson, the bush was Australias pastoral
frontier. For one generation bush bashing meant heroism,
for the next vandalism.

In response to the furore of the Little Desert, the

government realised the need for a better means of
appraising Crown Land and the Land Conservation Council
was established in 1970.
The LCC, which comprised representatives from a broad
range of interests, was to investigate and make
recommendations to the Minister for Conservation on the
balanced use of public land throughout the state based on
its own review and submissions from interested groups and
individuals. Victoria was way ahead of other states in this
area and remained the envy of public land authorities in
the rest of Australia.

In 1970 the National Parks Act was passed and the NPA became
the National Parks Service. The duties of the NPS were:
conserving ecosystems, re establishing native vegetation,
protecting landscapes and cultural features, fire protection ,
providing for recreation, control and eradication of pest species,
environmental education and research for investigation.
The 1970s marked the emergence of both militant
environmental groups who launched campaigns against a
range of threats and the development of international and
national concerns and strategies. These then marked another
stage in the changing perceptions and uses of, and
management practices and impacts on the Australian
environment.