Overview Following the decision in 1937 to appoint a Chief Forester to TPNG, development of the PNG forest tree plantation estate began after Jim McAdam2 commenced duties in 1938 as TPNG’s Chief Forester. 3
The TPNG Department of Forests plantation policy was to develop forest plantations of indigenous and exotic species in selected areas from the late 1930’s, interrupted due to WW2 1939-1945, following the concept that permanent centres of population and existing industry, required a perpetual supply of raw materials. This policy recognized that plantation forests were seen as complementary to natural forests, never able to replace all the values associated with the natural forests, but where appropriately developed, helping to divert some of the pressures away from them. The Department of Forests through its Division of Silviculture established two sections – Forest Research (a forthcoming PNGAF magazine will address forest plantation research in more detail) and Forest Plantation Management. In Forest Research, the Department employed research foresters such as Joe Havel, Kevin White, Alan Cameron, John Davidson, David Lamb, John Smith, Bob Thistlethwaite, and Leon Clifford. Entomologists as Barry Gray, Ross Wylie, Brenton Charles Peters. Scientists included Marianne and Egon Horak, and Senior Technical Research Officers as Neville Howcroft. In Forest Plantation Management, the Department employed foresters as plantation managers such as Dave Dunn, John Godlee, Des Harries, Ian Grundy, Bob Bruce, Ken Hart, Rod Holesgrove, Robin Morwood, Elliot Tuckwell, Alan White, Dick McCarthy, Chris Done and Joe Havel. Senior Technical officers included Alan Frazer, Ted and Norma Collis, Jack Hadden, Cliff Southwell, Robert Cattanach and Frank Vickery. A constant factor in PNG’s forest tree plantation development program from 1965 through to the current day, has been Neville Howcroft OBE who must be given special recognition for his professionalism and relentless devotion to forest tree plantation development in PNG. Neville Howcroft at presentation of final Balsa Project ITTO meeting Japan with Dick McCarthy PNGFIA & Diki Kari NFS. Photo credit N Howcroft.
Early research into Klinkii Pine silviculture was undertaken by Joe Havel which was completed by 1959 and published in 1965. Similarly, Joe Havel did extensive research into the ecological studies of the PNG Araucaria forests.
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PNGAF Magazine Issue # 3 of 30th Oct 2020 – Jim McAdam first Director TPNG Forests. FAO UNASYLVA.
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