1 AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975
John Davidson (TPNG Forests 1962 1980) addressed the void in research on kamarere. John studied kamarere at Kerevat (June 1967 March 1969 and from October 1970 to January 1971) for which he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1972 from the Australian National University (Thesis titled “Variation, association and inheritance of morphological and wood characters in a tree improvement program for Eucalyptus deglupta Blume”
Editor R B McCarthy1 2022. Dick McCarthy District Forester TPNG 1963 1975. # 9B-5B4D3 of 18th Aug 2022 MANAGEMENT. Eminent TPNG Forester John Davidson TPNG Forests 1962-1980.
1
PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE
FOREST
. In March 1972 John transferred to the forest research station initially as head of the silviculture section and then head of the station before being appointed Foundation Professor of Forestry at UNITECH Lae in 1975.
LIFE AFTER PNG BRIEFLY PNGUT terminal study leave 1980-1981 in Australia (including 6mths Visiting Scientist, CSIRO Canberra), Brazil and other countries. Senior Forestry Officer (P5 L10) Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations 1982 1984. Forestry and Environment Consultant and Director, in Resource and Environmental Services and Eucalyptus and Forestry Services, two businesses operating out of Armidale NSW 1984-2005. Research Scientist, Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra 2005 2009. “Semi-retired” late 2009 to present.
WHAT DATE DID YOU LEAVE PNG? 4 February 1980.
DATE OF GRADUATION 8 March 1967 (would have been early November 1966 with BSc (Forestry), but under Australian Forestry School/Australian National University transition arrangements, undertook the inaugural Honours course from April 1966. This required an additional five months of full-time intense course work and language study, as well as completion of a mini thesis, all of which led to the award of BSc (Forestry) with First Class Honours being conferred on 13 April 1967).
2
DATE DEPARTMENTJOINED OF FORESTS PNG 11 March 1967, following Forestry Cadetship. (Actual Seniority Date in the TP&NG Public Service: 5 March 1962).
WHAT LOCALITIES DID YOU WORK IN? Bulolo (December1963 March 1964; March1972 December 1975) Brown River (January February 1965) Keravat (11 March 1967 March 1969; October 1970 January 1971) Lae (December 1975 4 February 1980).
NAME John Davidson YEAR OF BIRTH 1943 TPNG CADETSHIPFORESTRY Yes (for four years). March 1962-March 1964; March 1965-March 1967.
WHAT WAS OCCUPATION?YOUR Forest Officer Classes 1, 2, 3, 4 (All Forest Researchrelated posts in the Department of Forests) 11 March 1967 June 1976; Professor, Foundation Chairman and Head of the Department of Forestry July1976 December 1978, Dean Faculty of Natural Resources 1978, Pro Vice Chancellor 1979 February 1980 at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUT).
John is probably best known for his co authorship, with Ken Eldridge, Chris Harwood, and Gerrit van Wyk, of the book Eucalyptus Domestication and Breeding published by Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK. His other substantial writing and editing work has included: The State of Australia’s Forest Genetic Resources (with co authors from CSIRO and ABARES), a report by the Australian Government to the FAO 2012; Criterion summaries and case studies, and science editing of Australia’s State of the Forests Report 2013; writing Criterion and Thematic summaries for Victoria’s State of the Forests Report 2013, an article on E deglupta in The Forester August 2015 and a chapter on E. deglupta in the ACIAR publication Trees for Life in Oceania 2018. 2 Refer to Part C Appendix Seven for the complete story of John Davidson in his article “RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN”
John’s career in forestry spans more than 50 years. He gained his education around the time of the transition of forestry studies from the former Australian Forestry School at Yarralumla to the Australian National University in the mid-1960’s.
3
JOHN DAVIDSON2 BIOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPH (all photographs by John Davidson except where otherwise noted.)
He has BSc and BSc (Forestry) (Honours) degrees, Schlich Medal, and PhD in forestry. His early career was in forest research at Keravat in Papua New Guinea (PNG) where he became interested in, and a specialist on, Eucalyptus deglupta. In the late 1960’s John took Lindsay Pryor on a tour of E. deglupta localities in PNG before the latter and Lawrie Johnson publishedtheirclassificationof the eucalypts in 1971, placing the species in its own series Degluptae
His later career has included: Officer in Charge Forest Research Station, Bulolo, PNG; Foundation Chairman, Professor and Head of Department of Forestry, elected Dean Faculty of Natural Resources, Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUT), Lae, PNG; Pro Vice Chancellor, PNGUT; Senior Forestry Officer, FAO; Partner, Principal and Managing Directorin two forestry andnatural resourcemanagementandplanning consultancybusinesses based in Armidale NSW Australia (Eucalyptus and Forestry Services (EFS), Resource and Environmental Services (RES)); Foundation Chairman International Union of Forest Research Organizations’ (IUFRO) Working Parties on eucalypts and member of several other IUFRO Working Parties; Member, Commission on Ecology (COE) of the (then) World Conservation Union (earlier and again now International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)) and Chairman and Co chairman of its Working Group on Tropical Moist Forests; Research Scientist, Land and Forest Sciences Programme, Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Canberra (now Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARES); Member of the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Interim Steering Committee for the Australian Life Cycle Inventory (AusLCI) Database Initiative and two of its Sub committees, AusLCI Data Collection Guidelines, and industry sector Working Group on Wood Products.
4 JOHN DAVIDSON’S SNAPSHOT OF CADET FORESTER TO FORESTRY ApplicationPROFESSORfor Forest Officer Cadetship 1961-1962
The Davidson Family home at Clybucca in late 1961 after being freshly painted by John. The 1949 flood reached the top of the verandah railings shown in this photograph. The Secretary Department of Territories’ letter 19/2/1962 approving John’s appointment as Cadet Forest Officer and first of seven pages of formal cadetship agreement. Source John Davidson
University of New England Armidale 1963 PNG 1963 1964 Vacation Forest Cadet TrainingAn ANA DC 6B “Skymaster”, a four engined propeller driven aircraft that operated the Sydney Brisbane Port Moresby-Lae return route in the early 1960’s.
Port Moresby 1963. Left Hotel Moresby called “the Bottom Pub.” Right Commonwealth Bank Corner.
John undertook his first two years science studies for a forestry degree at an Australian university. PNG 1962 1963 Vacation Forest Cadet Training
Port Moresby 1963. Main intersection with policeman on point duty directing traffic.
Ansett
5
John undertook cadetship field training with the NSW Forest Commision as cadets would be required to pay their air fares to and from PNG even though requirements of a full field year had been cancelled by Dept of Territoreies.
University of New England Armidale 1962
A publication (Bill Suttie address 1962 to the PNG Scientific Society) handed to John Davidson during his initial meeting with Bill Suttie Director of Forests at Konedobu Dec 1963. This was the first contemporary reading material John had seen on the forests and forestry of PNG. Bulolo1963 1964 Vacation Employment 1963
1963.Enroute Port Moresby to Bulolo via Wau. The sloping grass airstrip (left) and the township of Wau. Wau is some 35 km southeast of Bulolo. Bottom right of photo shows the narrow unsealed road descending into the Bulolo Gorge and then downstream to 1963Bulolo..The wide Bulolo Valley looking towards Bulolo township and airstrip in the middle distance. In the foreground are hoop and klinkii plantations with a thinning operation underway in one of the compartments on the right.
6
7
The Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd (CNGT) plywood mill at Bulolo in the 1960’s. Behind the mill to the left is a prominent Bulolo topographic feature called the Susus. In Pidgin English translated as a woman’s breasts. The large klinkii trees were not harvested because they contained too much metal shrapnel. Allied pilots on their way back from attacking Japanese positions around Lae and Salamaua used this easily identified feature for course correction, target practice and a safe place to jettison any undelivered bombs before climbing over the gap in the Owen Stanley Ranges on their return to bases in port Moresby during WW II.
8
9 AFS 1964 Commencement of last two years of forestry studies at the Australian Forestry School Canberra University of New England (UNE) 1964 Given John’s excellent botany results whilst an undergraduate at the University of New England 1962/1963, he was invited back to complete his studies for a B Sc in botany. John returned to UNE to complete his B Sc degree.
10 PNG 1965 1966 Vacation Forest Cadet Training Brown River
After completing his B Sc studies at UNE and PNG forest cadet training at Brown river PNG, John returned to the Australian Forestry School Canberra to complete his forestry undergraduate studies. Whilst John had been absent, the AFS had been incorporated into the Australian National University as the Department of Forestry ANU. This meant that his degree would now be a B Sc in Forestry.
The forestry students immediately set about making a float for the upcoming 1964 Canberra Day procession depicting “Trojan Horse” represnting the Australian Forestry School, at the “gate” of the ANU.
11
Australian Forestry School 1965/66
12
13 Marriage December 1965 John and Gloria Davidson’s wedding at St Pauls Presbyterian Church 18 Dec 1965. Forestry School Activities
14
15 Keravat 1967
16 John and Gloria Davidson Keravat married quarters.
17
18
19 1969 PhD studies Canberra
Bulolo 1972 With the Research Stations at Dami (near Hoskins, West New Britain) and Baku (Gogol River, near Madang) operational, the designation of the Bulolo Forest Research Centre was changed to the Bulolo Forest Research Station in the Research Branch. New letterhead stationery for Bulolo below.
20
21
22
Of the expatriate men in the back row, left to right, are Ross Wylie, Peter Shanahan, Neville Howcroft, Jeff Fairlamb, Ian Barber, Jack Simpson, Lonnie Merrifield, and Barry Gray. The three expatriate women are Evelyn Grinstead, Pam Scraggs, Betty Nissen (holding her child). Photographer John Davidson.
23
Photograph 1973 is of the Entomology Section Bulolo. Expatriates are left to right: Ross Wylie, Lonnie Merrifield, Ian Barber, Peter Shanahan, and Barry Gray. The women are Pam Scraggs, Betty Nissen and Evelyn Grinstead. Photographer John Davidson.
.
Photograph mid 1970’s Forest Research Staff Bulolo. The first is of the whole group.
24 Photograph 1973. Silvicultural Section (minus John Davidson as he was the photographer) Neville Howcroft centre and then Jeff Fairlamb. Bulolo years.interveningcoverreducedactivitiesgardeningmorephotoComparedfarmetresKandiWindecimatedwhichcomparheadsInMillsection,BuildingsForestry1975.CollegemiddleCNGTbehindthem.thedistanceisHumpLAtmentswerebyfire1972.au1975.Mt(1,978elevationindistance.toin1973(p6)clearingandhaveforestoverthe12
3 In recent correspondence with Oscar Mamalai, sadly he reports that two of the four original PNG students Jack Noah and Joseph Ben are now deceased. Non PNG students were Sampson Gaviro who was from the Solomons and missing from the photo was Alec Chang from Fiji.
25 Unitech Lae 1974, 1975 to 1980 Prof John Davidson Source John Davidson Press Articles Post Courier April 1 of 1975 3 .
26 ACRONYMS AAD Australian Antarctic Division ACT Australian Capital Territory ACIAR Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research ACLMP AusAid funded World Bank Land Mobilisation program. ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific States ADB Asian Development Bank AEC Administrators Executive Committee AFAP Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia & the Pacific Ltd. ADB African Development Bank AFLEGT African Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade AFPNG Association of Foresters of PNG AFS Australian Forestry School AFTA Asean Free Trade Area AIF Australian Infantry Forces AMF Australian Military Forces ANBG Australian National Botanical Gardens ANGAU Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit ANU Australian National University APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation APMF Australian Paper Manufacturers Forestry Pty Ltd APPM Australia Paper and Pulp Manufacturers ARD Afforestation, Reforestation and avoided Deforestation ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations ASIO Australian Security Intelligence Organisation ASOPA Australian School of Pacific Administration ATIBT Association Technique Internationale des Bois Tropicaux ATL Accelerated Tariff Liberalization ATO African Timber Organization AusAID Australian Aid Agency BA basal area BCOF British Commonwealth Occupational Force 1945 52 BDV Brussels Definition of Value “Beer Time” Any time. BFC Bulolo Forestry College BGD Bulolo Gold Dredging Company BNGD British New Guinea Development (Company Limited) BUC Bulolo University College C Commonwealth cm centimetre CALM Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CDM Clean Development Mechanism CEFACT United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business CEPT Common Effective Preferential Tariff
DIY Do it yourself DPI Department of Primary Industry DOF Department of Forests
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CIFOR Centre for International Forestry Research
DASF Dept of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries DBH/ dbh Diameter at breast height
DIES Department of Information and Extension Services
EMAS Eco Management and Audit Scheme of European Union EMS Environmental Management System
ENB East New Britain Province. e.g. For example ENGO Environmental Non governmental Organisation Etc et cetera (more of the same) EU European Union EVSL Early Voluntary Liberalisation FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation
C&I Criteria and Indicators
CFE Community forestry enterprise CGTM Cintra for Global Trade Model CIF cost, insurance, freight
CPF Collaborative Partnership on Forests
EC European Commission ECA Export credit agency ECE Economic Commission for Europe
C & I Criteria and indicators
CNGT Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Bulolo CO2 carbon dioxide
EFI European Forest Institute
C&L Certification and Labelling CSD Commission on Sustainable Development (United Nations) CTE Committee on Trade and Environment
DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
COC chain of custody COP Conference of Parties
EIA Environmental Investigation Agency
CRE Commander Royal Engineers
CFA Commonwealth Forestry Association
CHAH Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria
27
DEPT Department
CRE CRE is a term inherited by RAE from RE and is the term for the Commanding Officer of a RAE unit which is headed by a Lt Col. Although the officer is called the CRE the name is also used for the name of his unit.
DSB Dispute Settlement Body
E.g., CRE Aust Forestry Group or 1(NG Forests).
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council of the United Nations EEA European Economic Area
CERFLOR Certificate of Origin of Forest Raw Material, Brazil
28 F &TB Forest and Timber Bureau Canberra FIM Forest Information System FMA Forest Management Agreement FPRC Forest Products Research Centre Hohola FRA Forest Resource Assessment FRG Forest Red Gum FRI Forest Research Institute Lae Forkol Bulolo Forestry College FSP/PNG Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific FCCC See UNFCCC FD Forest department FDI Foreign direct investment FIELD The Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development FLEGT Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade FLEG Forest Law Enforcement and Governance FLONAS National Forest logging concessions, Brazil FOB free on board FSC Forest Stewardship Council FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas GAB Girth above buttress Gbhob Girth breast height over bark Gubab Girth under bark above buttress GIS Geographic Information Systems G8 Group of Eight (leading economies) GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GFTN Global Forest and Trade Network GFPM Global Forest Products Model GHG greenhouse gas GIS Geographical information system GMO genetically modified organism GNP Gross National Product GPA Plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement GSP Generalized System of Preferences GTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit ha hectare IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IEA International Energy Agency IFA Institute of Foresters of Australia IFY International Year of the Forest IADB Inter American Development Bank IBAMA Amazon Environmental Institute, Brazil ICA International Commodity Agreement ICCI International Conference on C&I for Sustainable Forest Management IDB Inter American Development Bank IEA International Environmental Agreement IEC International Electrical Commission IFC International Finance Corporation
29 IFF Intergovernmental Forum on Forests IHPA International Hardwood Products Association IIED International Institute for Environment and Development IMF International Monetary Fund INGO International Non Governmental Organisations IPC Integrated Programme for Commodities IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPF Intergovernmental Panel on Forests ISO International Organization for Standardisation ITC International Trade Centre ITTA International Tropical Timber Agreement ITTC International Tropical Timber Council ITTO International Tropical Timber Organization IUCN The World Conservation Union IWPA International Wood Products Association JICA Japanese International Cooperation Agency L of N League of Nations LRRS Land Resource Soils Survey (branch of CSIRO) LCA Life Cycle Analysis LEEC London Economic and Environmental Centre LEI Indonesian Ecolabelling Institute LULUCF Land Use, Land Use Change and Forests m3 cubic metre MCCAF McCarthy & Associates (Forestry) Pty. Ltd. MHA Member of House of Assembly PNG MM Military Medal MUS Malayan Uniform System MEA Multilateral Environmental Agreement MFN Most Favoured Nation MIGA Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency MOU Memorandum of Understanding MTTC Malaysian Timber Certification Council n.a. not available NAA National Archives Australia NARI National Agriculture Research Institute NB New Britain NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement NGO Non Governmental Organisation NHLA National Hardwood Lumber Association NRRP Natural Resources and Rights Program NT National Treatment NTB non tariff barrier NTCC National Timber Certification Council NTFP non timber forest product NTM non tariff measures NWFP non wood forest product NDS Northern District Sawmills NFCAP PNG National Forestry and Conservation Action Plan NGM New Guinea Mainland no. number
30 NG New Guinea NGF New Guinea Forces (relates to plant collection of Lae Herbarium) NGIB New Guinea Infantry Battalion NGI New Guinea Islands NGO Non Government Organisation NGVR New Guinea Volunteer Rifles NZ New Zealand NSW New South Wales NTSC National Tree Seed Centre PNG Bulolo OECD Organization for Economic Co operation and Development OTO Office of Trade and Investment Ombudsman OIC Officer in Charge OISCA Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International Japan. OTML Ok Tedi Mining Ltd P or p page PEFC Pan European Forest Certification Scheme PIB Papuan Infantry Battalion PIR Pacific Islands Regiment PNG Papua New Guinea PNGAA Papua New Guinea Australia Association PNGAF Papua New Guinea Australian Foresters Magazine Series PNGFA Papua New Guinea Forest Authority PNGFIA PNG Forest Industries Association PNGRIS Papua New Guinea Resource Information System PNGUT PNG University of Technology POM Port Moresby P&C Principles and Criteria PEFC Pan-European Forest Certification Framework PGA Plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement PPM production and processing method PPP Polluter Pays Principle (other meaning Purchasing Power Parity) QLD Queensland QF Queensland Forestry RAE Royal Australian Engineers/Australian Army RPC Royal Papuan Constabulary RRA Rapid Resource Appraisal RIIA Royal Institute of International Affairs RIL reduced impact logging RFE Russia Far East RTA Regional Trade Agreement RWE roundwood equivalent SAP structural adjustment programme SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures SFM Sustainable Forest Management SGS Société General de Surveillance SMS Selective Management System Malaysia SP South Pacific SPWP Secondary Processed Wood Products sq m square metres
UNEP United Nations Environment Program
WTO World Trade Organization
Unasylva
UPNG University of Papua New Guinea
TA Area Timber Authority Timber
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
TRP
31 TAG Trade Advisory Group of ITTO TSS Tropical Shelterwood System TBT Technical Barriers to Trade TFF Tropical Forest Foundation TFRK traditional forest related knowledge TNC Transnational corporation TRAINS Trade Basic Indicators of UNCTAD TREM trade related environmental measures TRIM Trade Related Investment Measures TRIP Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
UNI University
WA
UK United Kingdom United Nations Journal of FAO of UN
WB
UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
TA
UNFF United Nations Forum on Forests US, USTR Office of the US Trade Representative
WSSD World Summit for Sustainable Development
UNESCO United Nations Economic and Social Council
VSF Victorian School of Forestry Western Australia World Bank
TUBL Territory United Brewery
UNRE University of Natural Resources and Environment
Rights Purchase Vol volume
UNFCCC Framework Convention on Climate Change of United Nations
UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
TPNG Territory of Papua and New Guinea
UNCSD United Nations Committee on Sustainable Development
WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre
UQ University of Queensland US United States USA United States of America USD United States dollar
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNE University of New England
UNE University of New England Armidale NSW
Ltd
Timber
WCO World Customs Organisation
UNCCD United Nations Programme to Combat Desertification
WWF World Wide Fund for Nature
UNITECH University of Technology Lae PNG
UN
32