AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975
PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 10A–1 Part 1 of 13th Jan 2024. TECHNICAL and TERTIARY TRAINING and its CONTRIBUTION to PNG FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT until 1975 PART ONE: ORIGIN (PNGAF MAG ISSUE #10-A Part 1)
1 Editor R B McCarthy 2024. QUENSLAND’S CONTRIBUTION to PNG’s SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT. 2
Queensland has greatly assisted the business of PNG Forestry in building a better PNG.
Wood is an increasingly strategic resource for tomorrow.
1930 Map TPNG, drawn and published by H.E.C. Robinson P/L Sydney.
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Dick McCarthy District Forester TPNG Forests 1963-1975. 1930 Map of the Territory of New Guinea administered by the Commonwealth of Australia under mandate from the League of Nations and Papua, a Territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. Map drawn and published by H.E.C. Robinson P/L George St Sydney 2
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TECHNICAL and TERTIARY TRAINING and its CONTRIBUTION to PNG FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT until 1975 PART ONE: ORIGIN (PNGAF MAG ISSUE #10-A Part 1) Initially there was no technical or tertiary training undertaken in forestry and allied disciplines within PNG. The first expatriate professional foresters appointed to the Department of Forests in PNG were graduates from the Australian Forestry School in Canberra in 1938. Coupled with the use of Western Australia forestry legislation by d’Espeissis in 1938, and McAdam in 1928, utilised Queensland rainforests, plantation forestry findings and forest management scenarios in establishing TPNG’s sustainable forest management regimes. Queensland rainforests and forest management documents below detail forest resource management, timber utilization research, extension activities and field management practices developed through research for native forest silviculture and softwood plantation silviculture which were applied in TPNG.
There was and still is a long standing and enormous wood trade between Australia and PNG, especially Queensland, encompassed within a sphere of similar forest types and forest products, bound by many existing long-term areas of mutual co-operation within the respective government and private sectors. • • • • • • •
Similar forest types and forest produce. Similar forest product markets. Similar forest plantation species. Similar forest industry standards. PNG serves as an economic woodshed for the Australian timber trade. In the past most forest investors were Australian. Similar timber treatment standards and building codes (where used) are based on Australian standards. 2
INITIAL APPOINTMENTS Surname
Positions
John d’Espeissis Jim McAdam William Aloysius Heather Don McIntosh Ted Gray Alec Hart David Boyd Nun (NSW)3 Joe Havel William Ritchie Suttie (Q) Kevin White Robin Morwood Frank Coppock Elliot Tuckwell John Godlee Ian Grundy Eric Hammermaster Des Harries Gerry Vickers Alan Cameron John Smith Neil Brightwell Alan White Leon Clifford Evan Shield John Lake Chris Borough Bob Bruce Rex Grattidge John Davidson Paul Ryan Rod Holesgrove Dick McCarthy Jim Belford Dave Num Bob Lyons Gary Archer Chris Done Ken Hart Ian Whyte
Forest Management 1st Director of Forests Kerevat ENB 3rd Director of Forests Forest Management Forest Management Chief Div of Silvic Inaug Principal BFC 2nd Director of Forests Asst Director Forests Academic prize BFC Forest Management Forest Management Fourth principal BFC Forest Management Forest Management Forest Management Forest Management Forest Research Lect forest man Forest Management Forest Management 2nd principal BFC Lect forest man Forest Management Lect forest man Forest Management Forest Management 1stFor Prof UNITECH Forest Management Forest Management Lect forest man Forest Management Forest Management Forest Management Lect forest man Forest Management Lect forest man Lect forest man
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Year Appointment 1938 1938 1947 1952 1952 1952 1955 1955 1956 1957 1957 1958 1958 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1962 1962 1963 1963 1964 1966 1966 1966 1967 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1968 1969 1969 1969 1969
AFS 1932/33 1932/33 1943/44 1950/51 1950/51 1950/51 1944/45 1953/54 1931/32 1950/51 1955/56 1956/57 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59 1959/60 1959/60 1960/61 1960/61 1961/62 1961/62 1962/63 1964/65 1964/65 1964/65 1965/66 1965/66 1965/66 1966/67 1966/67 1966/67 1966/67 1967/67 1967/68 1967/68 1967/68
Year graduation 1934 1934 1945 1952 1952 1952 1946 1955 1933 1952 1957 1958 1958 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1962 1962 1963 1963 1964 1966 1966 1966 1967 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1968 1969 1969 1969 1963
THE AUSTRALIAN FORESTRY SCHOOL YARRALUMLA ACT The Australian Forestry School was established as part of the Commonwealth Forestry Bureau as a national scheme to train foresters at the university level. It was based in the University of Adelaide and led by Norman Jolly for its first year in 1926. It moved to its new building in Canberra in 1927 and was led by Charles Edward Lane Poole as Acting Principal until 1944. The school provided two years of study of forestry subjects for students who had completed two years of study in their state universities. After the Second World War, enrolments increased under the direction of Maxwell Jacobs. It closed in 1964 and the Department of Forestry at the Australian National University opened in 1965. The school was adjacent to what are now known as the Westbourne Woods Arboretum and the Yarralumla Nursery, which had been established in 1913 by Charles Weston, the Federal Capital Commission's first officer-in-charge of the Afforestation Branch. These areas served as outdoor laboratories for some of the Forestry School students' studies and there was an annual camp to extend practical training in a different state each year.
Australian Forestry School 1928 Source National Archives of Australia A3560:4665
Australian Forestry School 1955 Yarralumla National Archives of Australia
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Forestry House 2012 (Photo Credit John Pratt)
Australian Forestry School 2013 photo credit Dick Passauer
Photo from LT Carron (2000) First AFS class at Adelaide University in 1926 Front row L-R: PA Crivelli, AJS Adams, Professor NW Jolly, EL Westbrook, GW Nunn. Second row: AJ Milesi, AH Crane, WFC Pohlman, AR Trist, MA Rankin, AJ Owens. Third row: FM Bailey, AO Lawrence, LS Hudson, CRG Venville, GH MacLean. Back row: L Beale, AJK Thomas
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Front row L-R: Lecturer A Rule, Senior Lecturer CE Carter, Acting Principal C LanePoole, Senior Lecturer HR Gray, R Kappler, M Lindley. Second row: RH Doggrel, AGW Anderson, KP McGrath, FS Incoll, RH Luke, JH Barling, J Cheel. Back row: DA Lane, WR Suttie, SG Jennings, DAN Cromer. Source: Photo from LT Carron (2000) The 1930 and 1931 classes in 1931 in Canberra.
1962 final year, Evan Shield first right second row. Photo Credit Roger Underwood.
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1962-year, Reunion 2012. Evan Shield first right second row. Front row (L-R): Frank Batini, Phil Cheney, Roger Underwood, John Keating Centre row: Jack Bradshaw, Wally Carter, Ian Gordon, Colin Hankins, Don Gilmour, Evan Shield. Rear: John Wardle, Ken Moxon, Peter Stanton, Jerry Leech, John Pratt, Bill Nielsen, John McColl, Geoff Stocker. Photo Credit R Underwood.
Photo John Davidson. 1966 Staff and students Department of Forestry ANU in front of the Australian Forestry School Building, Yarralumla. Academic Staff: Dr E P Bachelard, Mr W C Boughton, Mr L T Carron, Dr D Colless, Dr R G Florence, Mr N Hall, Mr CD Hamilton, Dr W D Heather, Mr A G McArthur, Mr K P McGrath, Professor J D Ovington, Mr E D Parkes, Dr P Rudman, Dr M T Tanton, Mr D Lamb. Non-Academic Staff: Mrs V A Boughton, Mrs O M Brierly, Mr C Clements, Mr J A Coley, Mrs J Crawford, Mrs B Driver, Mrs J Fenton, Mrs M Harmey, Mrs T Hill, Mrs C Hogg, Mrs A James, Miss J Johnson, Mr I G McArthur, Mr R Paton, Mrs M E Reid, Mr D L Wilson, Mr A Wood. 7
Source John Davidson. Fourth Year Students, Department of Forestry ANU 1966 in front of the Forestry School Building. John is in the back row on the right, Rod Holesgrove is in second row standing on the right, Paul Ryan is in the first row standing, fifth in from the left.
Source: Dick Passauer 1966 final year attendees at April 2013 reunion.
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Source Dick McCarthy: Fourth Year Students Department of Forestry ANU 1967 in front of the Forestry School Building. Dick McCarthy back row fifth from left; front row third from left Dave Num and Jim Belford front row seventh from left. Source Dick Passauer 1967 final year attendees at April 2013 reunion,
1967 final year (L-R): Front Row John Wood, Ross Smith, Dick Passauer, Michael Cooper, Brian Cumberland, Paula Reid, Dave Num; James Dale; Joe Stellar, Back Row L to R; Don Hobson, Dick McCarthy, Peter Harper, Tony Howe, Dennis Mutton, Brian Salter, John Riggs, John Van Pelt. Photo Credit Dick Passeur.
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AUSTRALIAN TPNG FORESTRY CADETSHIP SCHEME4 1948 to 1963 After the Second World War, a cadetship scheme was undertaken by the Australian Department of Territories to train Australian Forest Scientists to ensure sufficient professional staff for the purposes of creating a functional Forest Department for TPNG
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Surname
Positions
TPNG Cadetship 1948 1946 1946 Qld 1953 1952 1953 1953 1954 1955 1955 1955 1955 1956 1956 1956 1960 1960 1958 1958 1960 1960
Edward Charles Gordon Gray (NG) Alexander John Hart (NG) Donald Henry McIntosh (NG6) Kevin Joseph White (Q) Jaroslav Joseph Havel (WA)7 Robin Bilbrough Morwood (NG) Frank Harry Coppock (NG) Elliot Carby Tuckwell (NG) John Godlee (NG)8 Ian Grundy (NG) Eric Hammermaster (Q/NG) Des Harries (NG) Gerry Vickers (NG) Alan Cameron (Q)9 John Smith (NG) Brian O’Hagen (NG) Neil Brightwell (NSW) Alan White (NG) Leon Clifford (NSW)10 Evan Shield (NG) John Lake (NG) Ian Currie (NG) 4
AFS 1950/51 1950/51 1950/51 1950/51 1953/54 1955/56 1956/57 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59 1958/59 1959/60 1959/60 1959/60 1960/61 1960/61 1961/62 1961/62 1962/63 1963/64
Year graduation 1952 1952 1952 1952 1955 1957 1958 1958 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1961 1962 1962 1963 1963 1964 1965
The appointments of Australian TPNG Forestry Cadets were summarized in LT Carron’s book in 2000 titled “A brief history of the Australian Forestry School (AFS). 5 Cadet Forest Officer pamphlet courtesy Des Harries 2019. 6 Don McIntosh Third Director of Forests PNG. 7 Joe Havel First Principal Bulolo Forestry College. 8 Fourth Principal Bulolo Forestry College. 9 Alan Cameron Schlich 1960. 10 Leon Clifford Second Principal Bulolo Forestry College
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John Harrison (NG) Medi vac out Last field year 1961 1964/65 Chris Borough (NG) Field year for cadets 1960 1964/65 Bob Bruce (NG) no field year 1961 1964/65 Rex Grattidge (NG) no field year 1961 1964/65 11 John Davidson (NG) 1962 1965/66 Paul Ryan (NG) 1962 1965/66 Rod Holesgrove (NG) 1963 1965/66 Jim Belford (C) 1966 1966/67 Dick McCarthy (NG) 1963 1966/67 Dave Num (C) 1965 1966/67 R G Lyons (NG) 1965 1966/67 Gary Archer (NG) 1966 1967/68 Chris Done (NG) 1966 1967/68 Ken Hart (NG) 1963 1967/68 Ian Whyte (C) 1966 1967/68 Footnotes TPNG Territory of Papua New Guinea; NG New Guinea, Q – Queensland. WA – Western Australia; NSW New South Wales; C Commonwealth AFS Australian Forestry School; BFC - Bulolo Forestry College
1966 1966 1966 1966 1967 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1968 1969 1969 1969 1969
Chris Borough per com 21/10/18 John Harrison completed his forestry degree in 1965 but did not go back to TPNG after graduation. During his field year in 1963 he was bitten by a Papuan black snake near Brown River. After graduation he joined the Division of Wood Technology NSW Forestry Commission. Des Harries per com19/9/18 Brian O’Hagen had to leave TPNG due to a health issue related to malaria. He became a soil science lecturer at the Gatton Agricultural College. Note in Les Carron’s AFS list his surname spelt incorrectly i.e. 2THagen instead of O’Hagen. Joe Havel/Roger Underwood per com Alec Hart returned to his home state of Western Australia in 1957 after five years in TPNG, the last few years being at Kerevat. Evan Shield per com 11/9/18 John Lake returned to Tasmania as his wife suffered in PNG from the tropical conditions. He worked with Kauri Timber Company and then went to Private Forestry Tasmania. Gary Archer per com 21/6/19 Ian Currie after serving one stint in PNG was so horrified with tropical life that he paid off his bond and fled. He oversaw one of ACT’s pine forests when I did vacation work there during my degree. Chris Borough per com 2 Aug 2021 Chris Borough was the last cadet to have undertaken a field year.
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John Davidson Schlich Medal 1966; First Forestry Professor UNITECH.
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