Building a National Parks Service for Victoria 1958 – 1975
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Building a National Parks Service for Victoria 1958 – 1975 L. H. Smith Norman Bay, at the mouth of Tidal River, looking back to Mt Oberon, where the cover photo was taken, and showing many campers enjoying their holiday. Acknowledgements The publishers wish to acknowledge the assistance of Evelyn Feller in the production of this book, and of Don Saunders, Director of National Parks 1979-1994, in checking the text and captions. Author: Dr Leonard Hart Smith (1910-2004) Editors: Michael Howes, additional editing by Chris Smyth Design: John Sampson, Ecotype Photos: All photos, except where mentioned, are by Dr Leonard Hart Smith. A selection from his extensive 35mm slide collection has been scanned for use in this book. Note: This book is not complete. Dr Len Smith intended to revise it further and add chapters about the other Victorian national parks created during his time as director,1958-1975, but was unable to complete this work. We have published the book as it was written, with only minor corrections. Dr Len Smith was a keen photographer and took thousands of black and white photographs and colour slides. All photos in this book, unless otherwise credited, were taken by Dr Smith. Cover photo: Wilsons Promontory National Park 1973. Hikers at summit of Mt Oberon with Tidal River Campground, Norman Bay, Pillar Point and Tongue Point in background. Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions in this publication are those of the author, the late Dr Leonard Hart Smith, Director of National Parks in Victoria 1958-1975. The Victorian National Parks Association does not necessarily support or endorse such opinions or conclusions, and takes no responsibility for any errors of fact or any opinions or conclusions. © 2016 Copyright for this publication remains with Helen Kosky, John Hart-Smith and Neil Hart-Smith. 2 2 Contents Preface ..............................................................................................................................................4 Chapter 1 The creation of a National Parks Authority ......................................................................8 Chapter 2 The National Parks Act 1956 .........................................................................................16 Chapter 3 The National Parks Authority .........................................................................................22 Chapter 4 Learning the trade .........................................................................................................30 Chapter 5 Committees of Management .........................................................................................36 Chapter 6 Water for visitors to national parks ................................................................................48 Chapter 7 LP gas in national parks ................................................................................................56 Chapter 8 Vermin control ................................................................................................................60 Chapter 9 Fire protection in national parks ....................................................................................68 Chapter 10 Walking tracks .............................................................................................................76 Chapter 11 Roads within & leading to national parks ....................................................................84 Chapter 12 National park rangers ..................................................................................................90 Chapter 13 Garbage collection & disposal ....................................................................................96 Chapter 14 The Yanakie Run ........................................................................................................100 Chapter 15 The Battle for Mount Oberon: SEC power .................................................................108 Chapter 16 Mallacoota Inlet National Park ...................................................................................116 Chapter 17 Mt Buffalo National Park ............................................................................................122 Chapter 18 Private enterprise in national parks ...........................................................................128 Chapter 19 Mt Buffalo National Park: developments at Cresta ...................................................140 Chapter 20 The status of national parks in the government service ...........................................150 Chapter 21 Ranger issues ............................................................................................................158 Chapter 22 Port Campbell National Park .....................................................................................164 Chapter 23 The head hunters .......................................................................................................170 Chapter 24 Battles for survival......................................................................................................180 Chapter 25 Plans for reorganisation .............................................................................................188 Chapter 26 The rock painters of Refuge Cove.............................................................................200 Chapter 27 The Organ Pipes National Park .................................................................................208 Chapter 28 Some statistics ...........................................................................................................212 3 Preface Dr John Hart-Smith ach Christmas time for many years before he became EDirector of National Parks for Victoria, my father Dr Leonard Hart Smith drove his family – my mother, my brother and sister, and myself – for a camping holiday at Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory National Park (known to Victorians as ‘the Prom’). Our first visit was in 1949. After he had been appointed to his new post, we all went back again each Christmas for several years, and later with grandchildren too. By then, some of us were too old to live in tents, so we stayed in various lodges. There were many more lodg- es by that time than the few officers’ buildings left by the Commandos who trained there during World War II. Significantly, we were not the only families who went back year after year; the Prom had (and still has) a special allure. Those Christmas holidays were wonderful times, never to be forgotten. By the time I was 12, my father had walked me to the top of every moun- tain and to every bay and cove in the Dr Leonard Hart Smith OAM (1910–2004), Director of National Parks for Victoria 1958-1975. southern half of the Prom – and to the Photo taken about 1960. Lighthouse and back. there would be landscape and wild- necessarily focuses on the Prom. In those days, there were few tracks; life attractions in abundance to make That is where most of the support we had to follow wombat trails when people want to visit them. services were needed, since that is we could and bash through the scrub where most of the visitors went. when we couldn’t. He knew the park There had to be roads and tracks, like the back of his hand. The Prom camp sites, water, food, electricity, It would seem to be appropriate to that exists today is far more acces- sanitation, garbage collection, fire close by reminding readers of the sible to a much greater number of protection, rangers and other staff two aspects of my father’s assign- people. to look after the parks, and a whole ment with the National Parks Au- host of things that most people take thority. He didn’t choose them; an This is not a manuscript about the for granted and expect to be fixed enlightened government of the day scenic beauties of Victoria’s various whenever something goes awry. This assigned them. Neither involved ex- national parks, or of the animals and is the legacy he and his colleagues ploitation on behalf of private enter- birds that abound there. Instead, it left for future generations. prise or special interest groups. deals with the behind-the-scenes ac- tivities that enabled so many visitors My father’s manuscript covers many One was to facilitate tourists and to enjoy the parks, and ensured that of Victoria’s national parks, but researchers alike to visit, learn from, 4 PREFACE Victoria’s National Parks Service was less than 20 years old when Prince Phillip (left) visited Wilsons Promontory NP with Dr Smith in March 1973. Rangers at right are the late Steve Watkins, and Jeff Davies. and enjoy the beauty, the flora and manuscript tells the story of how that and benefit from – and they did, and the fauna in the parks. The second philosophy drove the development still do! But for how much longer? was to preserve those assets, so of the collective individual national that our children and grandchildren parks in Victoria into a coordinated could also enjoy them. My father’s enterprise that everyone could enjoy 5 Helen Kosky (nee Hart-Smith) ictorians love their national parks. They understand that the Vparks belong to all people for all time. Following the passing of the National Parks Act in the Victorian Parliament in 1956, the first Director of National Parks for Victoria, Philip Crosbie Morrison, was appointed in May 1957. My father was appointed in 1958, following Crosbie Morrison’s untimely death in March that year. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1975, serving under Liberal and Country (National) Party governments. Before he retired