Lane Poole’s Resource Investigations 1922 to 1935

Lane Poole’s PNG Forest Resource Investigations 1922 to 1935

Lane Poole’s work has previously been described in PNGAF Mag # 9 A of 15th March 2021 page 37 on. After his resignation from the Western Australian Service in 1921, he was commissioned by the Commonwealth in 1922 to report on the forest resources of Papua. This commission was extended to the Mandated Territory of New Guinea in 1923. In 1923 and 1924, Charles Lane Poole completed a forest resources survey of the Territories of Papua and New Guinea. In 1925, he published his report which recommended the establishment of a forest service.

Charles Lane Poole at Madang, 1924, showing the remains of a radio damaged in the raid at Kohu. Note his gaunt appearance after the rigours of his expedition to Mt Otto. Source: C. E. Lane Poole, Forest Resources (1925), facing p. 198, courtesy of the National Archives of Australia

In 1925, Lane Poole presented his Report Forest Resources of the Territories of Papua and New Guinea to Federal Parliament.

5In 1935, Lane Poole presented a report title 6Report on the Forests of the Goldfields of New Guinea: Together with recommendations regarding a forest policy for the whole Territory. The history of PNG Forestry is intrinsically linked to the development of the Bulolo Wau valleys gold fields and their natural stands of Araucarias. Readers need to refer to separate authors as James Sinclair7 who have described in detail the history of the Bulolo Wau goldfields. Lane Poole8 in his report on the forests of the goldfields of Bulolo Wau in 1935 stated: that the only asset that he could see to replace the wasting product, gold was timber. The region is purely a forest one, and its climate is decidedly a forest climate – in short proven forest country.

5 Cover page C E Lane Poole 1925 Report on Forest Resources of the Territories of Papua and New Guinea Government Printer Melbourne 209 pp. 6 Unpublished TS, 1935. NAA A11938/802. 7 James Sinclair 2019 ISBN 978-1-876561-15-4 “UP THE CREEK - Edie Creek and the Morobe Goldfields” Pictorial Press Corinda Qld. 8 Lane Poole, C.E., 1935. ‘Report on the Forests of the Goldfields of New Guinea: Together with Recommendations Regarding a Forest Policy for the Whole Territory.’ Unpublished TS, 1935. NAA.

In contrast to the emphasis placed on industry use – values by miners and government officials in the mining office, government forestry officials emphasise the potential for an industry and the wastefulness of the mining community. In his 1935 survey of timber in the Morobe goldfields, Lane Poole was concerned with value of timber and overly critical that the timber was not being used appropriately by mining companies. For example, cedar was used as an allpurpose resource when durability was necessary. He quoted the use of cedar for a water race when the cedar would have been put better to use in the production of fine cabinetry. Lane Poole as the then Commonwealth Inspector General of Forests for the colony charged with making recommendations on the use of the resources found in the colony, enforced a set of values that sought to match grain and strength with products. He argued that the mining community needed to better use the resources available to them. They were too wasteful, knowing nothing of timber’s value.

Cedar Bridge over Bulolo River above confluence with the Watut River before World War 2. Photo Credit Evan Shield.

Prior to WW2, little commercial interest was shown in PNG’s Forest Resources. Some Christian Missions and individual plantation owners held leases and operated some sawmills. In 1938, a fledgling forest service was established with appointment of Jim McAdam.

The advent of WW2, with Japan occupying a considerable proportion of PNG, created enormous problems of timber supply within PNG for the Allies as shipping from Australian States was unavailable due to the war effort. This forced the Allies into establishing an Australian Army Forest Survey Unit to locate timber supplies for the army’s defence efforts. At the same time, that Unit was also directed to exercise some control of sawmill operated by various Units of the American, Australian and New Zealand forces. This was especially because all timber supplies were being taken from traditional lands.