A Brief History of News Outhw Ales' Nativef Orests
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Walk Safely - Walk With a Club .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Magazine of the Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs (NSW) Inc ISSN 0313 2684 Summer issue - November 1998 Volume 24 No 2 http://www.bushwalking.org.au AA BA BBRIEFRIEFRIEF HISTORHISTORHISTORYYY OFOFOF NNNEWEWEW S SSOUTHOUTHOUTH W WWALESALESALES’’ N’ NNAAATIVETIVETIVE F FFORESTSORESTSORESTS John Macris Conservation Officer This was going to be an and also the Illawarra rainforests near update article on the Carr present day Wollongong. In Kevin Mills’ Government’s proposed excellent book on the rainforests of this world class forest reserve area, he recounts historical references to system, which people people making the overnight journey would have possibly read from Sydney to Wollongong, to witness with passing interest. the unique jungle like vegetation of the However, faced with the coastal plain. Despite this aesthetic task of getting readers of EEEXPXPXPANDINGANDINGANDING S SSETTLEMENT appeal, no one seriously pursued the idea this to realise the LLLASTASTAST CENTURENTURENTURYYY of preserving any area of the rainforest as 1 a park, so that the only remaining traces The Bushwalker magnitude of the current As white settlement radiated out from Sydney, the demand was foremost are now to be found along narrow strips situation, it is clear that for cleared land for pasture and cropping. of rock outcrop where clearing was some history needs to be Some of the prominent casualties of this impeded. recounted. push were the lowland and tableland Tableland hardwood forests and the woodlands of the central west were DDDEFENDING THETHETHE O OOLDLDLD rainforests. Between Lismore and the also reduced by clearing to scattered GGGROWTHROWTHROWTH C CCONCEPT remnants here and there. There have been some lay The main country spared from historians and even the odd dissident early clearing was, not surprisingly, the scientist, who push the view that the steep and less accessible areas of the forest areas of New South Wales have Eastern Escarpment and Great Dividing developed as something of a ‘weed like’ Range. While many of these rugged areas growth since European occupation and still felt the impact of cedar cutters, low that prior to that time, the landscape was levels of stock grazing and perhaps typified by vast open grasslands and fossicking, they retained most of their woodlands - a completely human natural assets through the turn of the managed environment. Hence, people century. argue, clear felling forests and ringbarking trees on grazing land is merely fixing things up to how they SSSTTTAAATETETE F FFORESTSORESTSORESTS ANDANDAND should be. NNNAAATIONALTIONALTIONAL P PPARKSARKSARKS Most of us now hopefully know These two entities, both lands of that in fact there are stands of trees in the the Crown, began to be gazetted from late remaining undisturbed refuges which last century with the first State Forest predate European settlement in age, by at Old Growth Forest being on the Richmond Range in the far least a century, if not several. Botanists north of the State and the first National such as Benson and Redpath (1997) and coast, the 750 square kilometre Big Scrub Park on the Hacking River south of Mills (1995) have examined the writings rainforest was cleared with such vigour Sydney - now called Royal. What may be of early explorers, from which it is clear and determination that there is only 0.13 clear in view of the above history of that dense forests of tall eucalypt and of one percent remaining today. A agricultural and grazing predominance rainforests were to be found readily along similar situation took place on the over the tablelands, western and coastal the eastern escarpment and seaboard. Comboyne Plateau west of Taree, the plains, is that other land uses such as Roberston Plateau above the Illawarra forestry and conservation, were relegated Continued on page 8 ......................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................Walk Safely - Walk With a Club CCOMMITTEE M MEMBERS T THEHEHE B BUSHWUSHWUSHWALKERALKERALKER CCC M MM ContributionsContributionsContributions, letters to the President - Jim Callaway (02) 9520-7081 Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue officer - editor, original cartoons and sugges- (H) (02) 9219-4379 (W) Keith Maxwell (02) 9622-0049 Pager The Sydney Bush Walkers tions are welcome. They should be 016020 #277321 sent to the address below. Except for Mount Druitt Bushwalking Club short notes or letters, all contributions Vice President - Alex Tucker (02) [email protected] 94514028 National Parks Association should be accompanied with text file Conservation Officer - John Macris (02) on three and a half inch floppy disk in Treasurer - Maurice Smith (02) 9587- 9526-7363 (H)National Parks Association IBM format or E-Mail. 6325 Sutherland Bushwalking Club [email protected] Advertising rates are available [email protected] on request.Ring John Clarke on (02) Tracks and Access officer - 9744-1916 Secretary - Prudence Tucker (02)9451- Alex Tucker (02) 9451-4028 DistributionDistributionDistribution is through 4028 email [email protected] National Parks Association affiliated clubs, major retail outlets, National Parks Association council information centres and Magazine Editor & Communications national park offices. Address allallAddress Training officer - Nuri Chorvat 0242- Officer Colin Wood, Tel (02)4625-0916 H correspondence to The Editor, The 296746 (H) 0242-757850 (W) 0419608561 Bankstown Bushwalking WEA Illawarra Ramblers Club. [email protected] Bushwalker Bushwalkers NSW PO [email protected] Box 2090 GPO Sydney 1043. E-mail [email protected] 2 The Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW Inc repre- IIINNN TTTHHHISISIS IIISSSSUESUESUE sents approximately 67clubs with a total membership around 10,000 Brief History of NSW National Parks................................................1 bushwalkers. Formed in 1932, the Confederation provides a united voice The Bushwalker Along The Track (Tracks & Access)..................................................3 on conservation and other issues, runs training courses for members, and provides for the public a free wilder- The Eden Forest Agreement..............................................................4 ness search and rescue service. People interested in joining a bushwalking What the Government has Promised the Eden Timber Industry.....5 club are invited to write to the Secretary Bushwalkers NSW at the above address for information on Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue News..............................................7 clubs in their area. Or web site http:// www.bushwalking.org.au Transportation For Bushwalkers (Advertisment)..........................10 Printed on recycled paper Annual Bushwalkers Bushdance....................................................11 by MLC Power- house Design More Records For Peter Treseder....................................................12 TheBushwalker is the magazine of the Confederation of Bushwalking Bushwalker’s Milestones.................................................................12 Clubs NSW Inc. It's published quarterly. The aim of the magazine is to provide articles and Letters to the Editor.........................................................................13 information of interest to the members of clubs affiliated with the Confederation and Bushwalkers Escalade 99A Festival of Mountain Adventure...............................15 generally. Any opinions expressed by individual authors do not always represent the official views of the Confederation. Walk Safely - Walk With a Club .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. A AALONGLONGLONG T TTHEHEHE T TTRACKRACKRACK manage the risks to walkers in this high letters be written urging the adoption of country by restricting the numbers. I Spencers Creek as, at least, an official have not heard of any intention to alternative preventing this traverse, but it is possible The letters should be addressed to that the AALC maymaymay follow Tasmania’s maymay The Regional Manager lead in setting up a Permit system. Alex Tucker Tracks & Access Officer For the present , the official AAWT National Parks and Wildlife Service goes from Dead Horse Gap on the Alpine AAAUSTRALIAN A AALPSLPSLPS Kosciuszko Region. Way, to the summit of Kosciuszko, back Kosciuszko Road WWWALKINGALKINGALKING T TTRACKRACKRACK to Charlottes Pass and down the JINDABYNE 2627 (AA(AA(AAWT)WT)WT) Kosciuszko Road to Smiggin Holes and and the Link Road to Guthega Power Station. The Convenor AAWT Strategy In the issue of August 1997, I The Schlink Pass firetrail is then followed Working group made a brief mention of the AAWT and its to Whites River Hut, to rejoin the Main c/o ACT Parks and Conservation Service Management Strategy Working Group,. Range traverse described by Siseman. Namadgi National Park Chris Roper of the Canberra Bushwalking It is, of course arguable that the Club is Confederation’s representative. CANBERRA ACT 2600 risk of being injured by a car on the I wish to suggest a further option.