PNGAF MAG ISSUE # 9B-5B4G7 of 24th Dec 2023. Eminent friend PNGAF Forestry Bill Gottstein.

AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975

PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 9B-5B4G7 of 24th Dec 2023 FOREST MANAGEMENT. Eminent Friend PNGAF Forestry, Bill Gottstein Editor R B McCarthy1 Bulolo Wau Forest Area and Bill Gottstein Interactions.

Bill Gottstein Araucaria hunsteinii (klinki pine) occurs scattered throughout the mountains of PNG. Source 1975 CSIRO Aust Land Research Series # 35.

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District Forester Bulolo Wau 1973/74.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS “FORWOOD” Introduction Background to Bulolo Wau Forest Area PNG People of the forest Background to Bulolo Wau Forest Area Industrial Development CNGT Bulolo Plymill CNGT/PNGFP Sawmill Life Bulolo Wau 1960/1970’s Bulolo Wau Forest Logging Systems Roading Bridges Felling Snigging Log landing Log transport Debarking sawmill Plymill Peeler log yard Transport Finished Product Lae Bulolo Wau Plantation Development Background Bill Gottstein & CSIRO Bill Gottstein’s Unfortunate Death Gottstein Trust Activities

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WHY? Because of the source of high-quality peeler logs.

Superb stem of Araucaria hunsteinii green klinki pine Bulolo.

Photo credit Neville Howcroft.

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“FORWOOD” Although in the early 1950’s Bulolo Plymill personnel were trained in Canada/USA, these endeavours did not continue.

Over time, Bulolo Plymill became dependent on research and technical assistance from CSIRO’s plywood section.

From 1956 till 1971, Bill Gottstein’s plywood group worked together to elucidate the principles that underlie the manufacture of plywood today. Before the CSIRO restructuring in 1971, the Forest Products Division was the only laboratory where you could get answers to every question on utilisation, end use, growth, manufacturing, wood chemistry, wood structure, glues, veneers, plywood, particleboard, drying and preservation.

It was in this arena that Bill Gottstein became associated with the Bulolo Plymill. In March 1971, Bill Gottstein was killed instantly by a ricocheting tree whilst photographing a tree felling operation in the Bulolo Wau area to ascertain shear on plywood logs.

To honour his beneficiary, CSIRO established the Joseph William Memorial Trust Fund, known as the Gottstein Trust, a unique national educational trust fund that began in 1971. It promotes the development of Australia’s wood products and forestry industry through the pursuit of excellence in people, processes, and products. The Trust call for applications and interview candidates each year for the Gottstein Fellowships, Scholarships and Skill Development grants.

In the first 50 years nearly $1.4 million has been granted to individuals to pursue their projects or study or skill development. 151 Fellowships have been awarded – most entailed an overseas study tour. Many Gottstein Fellows went on to become leaders in prominent industry organisations and in research. Fellowship project reports can be downloaded from the website. https://gottsteintrust.org/ The Gottstein Trust also provides scholarships for people studying and provides skill development grants as well as running two short courses and field trips every year.

In the future, it is hoped personnel from the Bulolo Wau Forest area participate in Gottstein Trust activities.

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INTRODUCTION The history of PNG Forestry is intrinsically linked to the development of the Bulolo Wau valleys gold fields and their natural stands of Araucarias. This area is what Bill Gottstein became involved with. Readers need to refer to separate authors as James Sinclair2 who have described in detail the history of the Bulolo Wau goldfields. PNG Forest Products today3, evolved from Bulolo Gold Dredging Limited4 that commenced operations in large scale alluvial mining in 1932.

The Bulolo region was at the time one of the largest gold fields in the world. A total of 7 dredges scoured the valley floor, dredging thousands of tons of high-grade gold bearing ore.

The Bulolo region, originally land locked and only accessible by air transport, comprised magnificent Araucaria peeler log forests of hoop and klinki, a complete mining town powered by hydro power, the wastefulness of the mining community, the impact of WW2, and an Australian Royal commission over who would have the rights to process the timber stands.

Lane Poole5 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. Lane Poole was concerned with the value of timber and overly critical that the timber was not being used appropriately by mining companies.

E.g., red cedar was used as an all-purpose resource when durability was necessary.

Evan Shield demonstrated this point with a photograph of a bridge made from red cedar6 over the Bulolo River above the confluence with the Watut River before World War 2.

Photo Credit Evan Shield.

As the mining operation scaled down, the plywood factory and sawmill were constructed by Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd7 (CNGT) in 1954. In collaboration with the then Australian government, the Hoop and Klinki Pine plantations were established as part of a large-scale post-mining reforestation program by the TPNG Departments of Forests.

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James Sinclair 2019 ISBN 978-1-876561-15-4 “UP THE CREEK - Edie Creek and the Morobe Goldfields” Pictorial Press Corinda Qld. 3 PNG Forest Products evolved from CNGT. 4 Bulolo Gold Dredging Company was formed to mine gold in Bulolo in 1932. Its shareholding included Placer of Canada and Levin etc of Australia.

5 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 6 Evan Shield Personal Comm 21/4/2020 “the misuse of timber species referred to by Lane Poole in 1935”.

7 CNGT – Commonwealth -New Guinea Timbers Limited plywood factory in Bulolo was formed by an agreement between the Commonwealth Government and Bulolo Gold Dredging Limited. The 1,300,000 Australian pound mill opened in 1954 to produce high grade plywood (approx. 30 million square feet annually on a 3/16th inch basis).

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BACKGROUND TO BULOLO WAU FOREST AREA PNG Most of the accessible forest lies within the altitudinal range of 640 metres and 1800 metres with some forests more than 2400 metres in the Kandi – Upper Wau area. Pyric grasslands are extensive in the lower valley areas and extend to about 1800 metres near Wau. Ecologically most of the vegetation appears to reflect the impact of past human activities, broad belts of successional grassland and forests occur to the limit of habitation which is around 1500 metres.

The lower-level rain forest hardwood associations from 640 metres are dominated by Terminalia, Dracontomelum, Pometia, Cedrela, Vitex, Salmalia and Antiaris.

The zone between 900 metres and 1350 metres is heavily forested with somewhat segregated stands of emergent klinki (Araucaria hunsteinii) and hoop (A. cunninghamii) the former tending to occupy deeper soils. The mid-mountain hardwood association is the range in which the Araucarias reach maximum development are associated with species as Lauraceae, Meliaceae, Geijera, Poutteria, Firmiana. and Argydrodendron.

Above 1300 metres and extending to 2500 metres, there is a strong development of the Fagaceae and Podocarpus forest with scattered Canarium, Elmerillia and Syzygium.

The beech forest occurs above 2500 metres with Nothofagus spp, associated with several conifers including Phyllocladus, Papuacedrus and Podocarpus spp.

Natural Klinki Pine Predominated Forest Watut.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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1960’s Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd (CNGT) plywood mill at Bulolo.

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 klinki 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. Photo credit John Davidson.

Su Su’s” from Bulolo airstrip.

Photo credit Ian Whyte.

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Opening Natural Forest.

Photo credit R Lockyer.

Klinki Pine.

Photo credit N Howcroft.

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People of the Forest

Kukukuku head-hunters in the klinki pine forest of the Watut Valley. (Photo taken in 1969 during the Australian Film Unit filming of the documentary Forest without Spears, on the Bulolo/Watut Divide). Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

Kukukuku Tribesmen. End of the road in the Watut. Photo credit PNGAA. 8

BACKGROUND TO BULOLO WAU FOREST AREA INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT8 In 1923/24 Lane Poole Australian Commonwealth Government Forestry Adviser, estimated the Bulolo Wau stands to hold some 500 million super feet of timber together with some 50 million super feet of cedar.

Due to the difficult terrain, no road access, and adequate supplies of Queensland hoop he thought exploitation would be uneconomic for many years.

Substantial quantities of hoop/klinkii flitches were exported from Bulolo to Australia to produce battery separator veneer. Source Department of Territories 1959.

The discovery of gold at Koranga Creek near Wau by William “Shark eye” Park in 1922 led to the development of the Wau Bulolo Valleys for gold mining with roads, townships, and airstrips. The Bulolo region was at the time one of the largest gold fields in the world. A total of 7 dredges scoured the valley floor, dredging thousands of tons of high-grade gold bearing ore. Before World War 2, Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd9, undertook highly profitable gold dredging operations in the Bulolo Valley.

Bulolo Gold Dredge (1960).

Photo Credit PNGAA.

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Ryan P 1972 General Editor Encyclopaedia of Papua New Guinea Vol 2 L-Z p 912-914 Melbourne University Press in association with University of Papua and New Guinea. ISBN 0522840256.

9 Bulolo Gold Dredging Company (BGD) was formed to mine gold in Bulolo in 1932. Its shareholding included Placer of Canada and Levin etc of Australia.

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Pattern of gold dredges working the Bulolo Valley.

Source BGD Ltd.

A road between Wau and Bulolo was built in the 1930’s. During WW2, the road was extended

by Army Engineers to Lae.

Source. Gary Archer - TAIM BIPO. A selection of old photographs from PNG by Michael Coutts.

Lane Poole10 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 it is proven forest country.

Australian interests in the Bulolo Wau timber stands continued during WW2. In an attempt to enter the area before its competitors, the Queensland timber firm of Hancock and Gore Ltd agreed in 1944 and 1945 to buy the rights to 200 million super feet of Bulolo Timber. In 1949, a royal commission found amongst other things, that legally at that time there were no such rights.

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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

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Ruths Turia’s PhD thesis: Cannot See the Land for the Trees. The forest management dilemma in Papua New Guinea. This thesis examined the role of customary landowners in the application of forest policies in the Australian colonial administration and the postcolonial state of the independent nation of Papua New Guinea. In particular, it examined the ways these policies have sought to reconcile the goal of sustainable forest management with the country’s customary land tenure systems. theend Bulolo section theMcAdam thesis, Ruth the Hancock and Gore matter as athat AtInthe of the war, of JB MM,Turia headmentions of the TPNG Forest Dept recommended brief example of be a number investors trying to getof access to theand Bulolo Valley concession should grantedof byexternal private tender so that erection a sawmill a Plymill would rights immediately after WW2. Apparently, McAdam and Canberra had so many betimber assured. applications that McAdam could not process them so McAdam proposed a restrictive policy that any timber rights should go to local PNG firms. The Government agreed. The Australian Government formed a new company comprising the Commonwealth and Bulolo Gold Dredging which was then called Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers.

Fearful of competition from PNG, Australian timber interests through the Australian Plywood Manufacturers Association put forward proposals for a joint Australian government manufacturer undertaking to cut timber and ship the logs to Australia on a profit-sharing basis.

The Australian government set up the Plywood Advisory Panel in June 1946, to advise it on the establishment of an enterprise and the related difficulties of the reconstruction of the Bulolo Wau road. The panel was also to consider whether adjustments of Australian tariffs would be desirable if pacification of Australian trade unions would be required and to see whether New Guinea’s status as a trust territory would impose limitations on such an enterprise.

The panel reported in March 1947 that it favoured development of the timber by a composite company, 51 percent of whose capital would be owned by the Australian government and 49 percent by a consortium of Australian timber interests. This report and a later departmental recommendation for public tenders were both unacceptable to the government.

By October 1947, McAdam supported by E J Ward as Minister for External Territories, proposed that the government and one experienced private company exploit the timber, and this was the solution later adopted by the Australian government under Heads of Agreement approved in Dec 1950.

Source. Trove Townsville Daily Bulletin Qld Fri 22 Dec 1950 page 1.

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CNGT BULOLO PLYMILL The Australian Government and BGD agreed to form Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd. Criticism of the agreement was vocal and continuing especially from Queensland timber interests who deplored BGD’s participation but the firm’s local experience, the availability of its plant, and its decision to retrain exiting gold mining staff in the United States for timer operations, were potent arguments in its favour.

Technical investigations continued from 1950 to 1952. Plywood was to be exported to the highpriced American market and to the expanding Australian market if suitable entry arrangements could be arranged for the latter.

McAdam recommended a maximum annual cut of 10 million super feet for the first ten years of operation and BGD insisted that all of this be made available for milling.

The New Guinea Timber Agreement Act (No 40 of 1952) was passed by the Australian government in June 1952.

Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd11 was then established as a private company to develop timber resources in the Bulolo valley. The Australian Government and BGD each contributed half of the issued capital of A$3 million, but the Australian Government retained a controlling interest.

A board of directors of two Australian government nominees and two BGD nominees were to formulate general policy and appoint a commercial management.

Section 14 of the Act permitted the Australian government to refund duty paid on non-waterproof ply imported into Australia. The administration of the territory was to continue to receive royalties under existing forestry legislation plus 40 cents per 100 super feet on certain varieties cut.

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CNGT – Commonwealth -New Guinea Timbers Limited plywood factory in Bulolo was formed by an agreement between the Commonwealth Government and Bulolo Gold Dredging Limited. The 1,300,000 Australian pound mill opened in 1954 to produce high grade plywood (approx. 30 million square feet annually on a 3/16th inch basis).

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The building of the mill commenced in March 1953, and it was officially opened by the Minister for Territories Mr Paul Hasluck in January 1954. The mill covered four acres, containing efficient and modern equipment. It had a capacity of 40 million square feet of 3/16 inch ply per annum, which was substantially more than the original authorised cut of 10 million super feet of peeler logs.

CNGT Plywood Mill Overview Bulolo Source PNGAA.

As the mining operation scaled down, the plywood factory and sawmill were constructed by Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd (CNGT) in 1954. In collaboration with the then government, the Hoop and Klinki Pine plantations were established as part of a large-scale post-mining reforestation program based on forest management plans of restricted cutting of the natural conifer stands whilst the plantations were developed by the Department of Forests.

In 1955, in its first full year of operation, the mill processed 14 million super feet of logs to produce 27.6 million square feet of 3/16 inch ply. CNGT made a profit of A$339,380.00 and declared a 5 % dividend in 1956.

Now, BGD faced with reduced gold mining activity, sought timber resources outside the Bulolo area to overcome the limitations on timber supply. They purchased South Pacific Lumber Co Ltd in Lae. From the timber concession in Trans Busu, they cut veneer which was transported to Bulolo and used as core for the better quality klinkii veneer.

Sales of Bulolo ply have been mainly to Australia. In 1965-66 New Guinea supplied 18 million of the 49 million square feet of ply 3/16 inch (and under) imported into Australia.

The sales of plywood to the USA were never realised, primarily because CNGT was unable to meet quality standards.

PNG Forest Products today evolved from BGD and CNGT. For the past 70 years the company has been involved in the conversion of both hardwood and plantation resource to high value end products. PNG Forest Products today. https://pngfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PNGFP-Portfolio-2.pdf

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Photo Credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning 2021.

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Peeling logs for Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Plymill 1960.

Photo credit PNGAA.

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Ply production.

Source Australian Information Service 1950’s.

Interior view of the Commonwealth-New Guinea Timbers Limited (CNGT) plywood factory at Bulolo.

Source Department of Territories 1959.

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CNGT/PNGFP SAWMILL

Sawing logs CNGT 1960.

Photo credit PNGAA.

Sawing klinki log. CNGT Bulolo 1970.

Source New Horizons.

PNGFP Sawmill 2004.

Photo credit Dick McCarthy.

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LIFE BULOLO WAU 1960/1970’S Renowned forest author Ross Lockyer’s book Cannibals, Crocodiles and Cassowaries published in November 2019, details life as it was in the forest industry town of Bulolo in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Ross retired to the Bay of Islands in the Far North of New Zealand with his wife Lestari some 20 years ago.

He spent his entire working life living and working in the forestry and logging industries in remote locations in Asia and the Pacific (Papua New Guinea, Indonesian West Papua, Borneo, Sumatra, Burma & elsewhere in SE Asia). Over the last few years, he has written 5 books. The first book was the book on PNG, the second is about growing up in rural NZ and Forest Ranger Training in New Zealand in the 1950 - 60s.

The others are about Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan), West Papua (Irian Jaya), Burma, Sumatra and Asia and the Pacific. Website: rosslockyer.co.nz Bulolo Township Bulolo No 1 Store and Post Office 1965.

Photo credit Ian Smith.

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1965 No 1 freezer.

Photo credit Ian Smith.

Anglican Church Bulolo 1965.

Photo credit Ian Smith.

Dam for water supply 1965 and water race to supply water to township and service hydro power manufacturing facilities. Source Ian Smith.

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Bulolo Golf Course Photo credit Ian Smith.

Pine Lodge Hotel Bulolo. Main building with reception, dining room, lounges, and bars.

Photo credit John Davidson 1963.

Pine Lodge Hotel Bulolo with motel style accommodation comprising pairs of units with under cover car parking in the middle of each pair.

Photo credit John Davidson 1963.

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Pine Lodge Hotel Haus Win Bar and Lounge. A feature of the Hotel was the extensive use of decorative plywood and timber flooring of several local tree species. Here the wall behind the bar was New Guinea Walnut (Dracontomelun mangiferum).

Photo credit John Davidson 1963.

Bulolo Forestry College Bulolo.

Photo Credit Murray Day Dept of Forests PNG 1972.

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BULOLO WAU FOREST LOGGING SYSTEMS SOURCE: Renowned Forest Author Ross Lockyer.

ROADING Klinki pine stump blasting.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

Dept of Forests’ Jack Hadden opening road way Jack Hadden commenced work with the Dept. of Forests in Lae in the early 1960’s. He was then sent to Forestry Bulolo as a bulldozer operator where he became Officer in Charge of Roads and Bridges for the large reforestation project.

Photo credit R Lockyer.

CNGT Roading dozer with Pine Lodge Hotel Sun Umbrella safety Canopy.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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BRIDGES

Jensens Bridge Bulolo Valley. Photo credit Evan Shield.

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The longest bridge in the Territory, 1690 feet long spans the Markham River near Lae. Completed in 1955, it made possible the passage of heavy motor transport between Lae and the gold and timber producing area of Bulolo and Wau. Source. Department of Territories 1959

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FELLING Kinoi, one of CNGT’s oldest and most senior and skilled crosscutters, felling a klinki pine. Kinoi was a Sepik elder.

Watut – Bulolo Ridge, 1969.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

Kinoi felling a klinki pine on the Bulolo – Watut ridge.

CNGT logging operations.

1969.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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SNIGGING Source: Annual Report to the UN re New Guinea.

Photo credit Ian Smith.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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LOG LANDING Empire Forestry Conference 1955.

Source CFA.

Source: Dept of Territories 1955.

1960’s log landing. Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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Photo credit Ian Smith.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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Loading hoop and klinki pine for plywood factory Bulolo 1965.

Photo credit Kathleen Vellacott-Jones. Uni of Queensland Repository.

Log loading 1970.

Photo credit Ian Smith.

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LOG TRANSPORT Transporting Logs Bulolo 1962.

Photo credit PNGAA.

Photo credit PNGAA.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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DEBARKING SAWMILL .

Photo credit PNGAA.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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PLYMILL PEELER LOG YARD

Unloading Logs Bulolo Ply Mill.

Photo credit PNGAA.

Photo credit PNGAA.

Photo credit PNGAA. 31

TRANSPORT FINISHED PLYWOOD PRODUCT BULOLO TO LAE

CNGT roading crew preparing lunch. Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

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BULOLO WAU PLANTATION DEVELOPMENT Jim McAdam’s early plantation work from 1938.

Wau: Anderson’s Plot (Hoop Pine planted c.1940) surrounded by 1950’s plantations.

Photo Credit Des Harries.

Bulolo Forestry Office.

Photo credit Ian Smith.

Cone Collection Garaina.

Photo credit Neville Howcroft.

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Bulolo stand out seedling nursery.

Photo credit PNGAA.

Bulolo Valley Photo credit John Davidson.

Bulolo Plantation Establishment.

Photo credit Cliff Southwell.

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Planting a klinki pine seedling.

Photo credit Ross Lockyer.

Grazing trials for improved forest pastures – Hoop Pine Fire break with pasture species and levels of improvement and grazing recovery trialled.

Photo credit N Howcroft.

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BACKGROUND BILL GOTTSTEIN CSIRO Career

Source Gottstein Trust 25th May 2017 The Australian Forest History Society Newsletter # 72 of October 2017 reported that Australia’s plywood scientists were an amazingly resourceful and inventive group. Kevin Lyngcoln, a former CEO of the Plywood Association of Australia recalled his days working at CSIRO Forest Products Melbourne. In 1956 he joined Bill Gottstein’s newly formed plywood investigation section. Bill Gottstein was regarded as giant of plywood technology. This plywood group for the next 15 years, worked together to elucidate the principles that underlie the manufacture of plywood today. The plywood association funded several projects for the group.

Before the CSIRO restructuring in 1971, the Forest Products Division was the only laboratory where you could get answers to every question on utilisation, end use, growth, manufacturing, wood chemistry, wood structure, glues, veneers, plywood, particleboard, drying and preservation.

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The senior officers of the Division of Forest Products CSIRO 1971.

Source. Bill Balodis.

Examples of Bill Gottstein’s work included.

Plomley K. F., Gottstein J.W., & Hillis W.F. 1964. Tannin-formaldehyde adhesives for wood. I Mangrove tannin Adhesives. Aust J. appl. Sci. 15, 171-82.

Plomley K. F., and Gottstein J.W. 1968 Studies of Phenol Formaldehyde Adhesives 1.

CSIRO.

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Bill Gottstein’s unfortunate death in 1971 in Bulolo In 1971 Bill Gottstein was tragically killed in Bulolo filming the felling of hoop and klinkii natural stands to assess the damage being caused to stems for peeling for plywood manufacture.

Bill Gottstein’s Early History Bill Gottstein was born in Ipswich on 3rd Nov 1911.

Schooling included East Brisbane State School and then Brisbane Boys Grammer School where he completed the Junior Certificate.

At aged 15, he joined the Queensland Forest Service as a Cadet Forest Officer. His first mentor was Charles J Watson.

He then completed the Queensland Senior Certificate by evening studies. Some years later he enrolled as a part-time student and graduated Bachelor of Science in 1940 with chemistry as his major subject. With death of his father, Bill had to assist in running the family engineering business while still employed with the Queensland Forest Service.

In April 1941 he was seconded to the Engineering Department of the University of Queensland.

In March 1944, he was seconded to the Division of Forest Products seasoning section. He joined CSIR on a permanent basis in 1946.

Full details re Bill Gottstein are described in the following link. https://gottsteintrust.org/about-us/bill-gottstein

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Gottstein Trust Activities

The Gottstein Memorial Trust focuses on people involved in growing and using timber.

The learning opportunities that are supported by the Trust help to advance Australia’s forest products industry. The Trust encourages the pursuit of excellence through people, improving processes and improving products. Grants can be made each year for: 39

Gottstein Fellowship – a grant which usually covers an overseas study tour to investigate a specific topic and bring back new ideas, learnings, and insights.

Gottstein Scholarship – a grant for undergraduates or postgraduate students who are undertaking either a bachelor’s degree, graduate diploma, master’s degree or PhD in a forest science or wood science field.

Gottstein Industry Award – a grant for applicants at any level, to help them improve their professional skills and advance their career prospects.

Gottstein Wood Science Course & the Forest Science Course – are two “crash courses” for non-experts in each field. One type of course is held each year.

Examples of Australian Gottstein Forest Industry Fellowships

I was awarded a Gottstein Forest Industry fellowship to visit those countries which have the greatest concentrations of fast-grown plantations (those with an MAI exceeding 12-15m3/ha and grown on short rotations), especially eucalypts to review economics of wood production in terms of cost and growth rates. Visits included Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, and South Africa. The emphasis was on the implications for the Australian Forest industry in terms of productivities and economics. Report presented 1993. I think we have arrived there in 2024.

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