The Zealous Conservator A Life of Charles Lane Poole Also published by University of Western Australia Press for the Charles and Joy Staples South West Region Publications Fund: A Tribute to the Group Settlers Western Australia as it is Today, 1906 Philip E. M. Blond Leopoldo Zunini, Royal Consul of Italy For Their Own Good edited and translated by Anna Haebich Richard Bosworth and Margot Melia Dearest Isabella The South West from Dawn till Dusk Prue Joske Rob Olver Portraits of the South West Contested Country B. K. de Garis Patricia Crawford and Ian Crawford A Guide to Sources for the History of Orchard and Mill: The Story of Bill Lee, South Western Australia South-West Pioneer compiled by Ronald Richards Lyn Adams Jardee: The Mill That Cheated Time Richard Spencer: Napoleonic War Naval Doreen Owens Hero and Australian Pioneer Blacklegs: The Scottish Colliery Strike Gwen Chessell of 1911 A Story to Tell Bill Latter Laurel Nannup Barefoot in the Creek Alexander Collie: Colonial Surgeon, L. C. Burton Naturalist and Explorer Ritualist on a Tricycle: Frederick Goldsmith, Gwen Chessell Church, Nationalism and Society in Western Australia Colin Holden The Charles and Joy Staples South West Region Publications Fund was established in 1984 on the basis of a generous donation to The University of Western Australia by Charles and Joy Staples. The purpose of the Fund was to make the results of research on the South West region of Western Australia widely available so as to assist the people of the South West region and those in government and private organisations concerned with South West projects to appreciate the needs and possibilities of the region in the widest possible historical perspective. The Fund is administered by a committee whose aims are to make possible the publication (either by full or part funding), by University of Western Australia Press, of research in any discipline relevant to the South West region. The Zealous Conservator A Life of Charles Lane Poole John Dargavel University of Western Australia Press The Charles and Joy Staples South West Region Publications Fund First published in 2008 by University of Western Australia Press Crawley, Western Australia 6009 www.uwapress.uwa.edu.au for the Charles and Joy Staples South West Region Publications Fund This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher. Copyright © John Dargavel 2008 The moral right of the author has been asserted. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Dargavel, John. The zealous conservator: a life of Charles Lane Poole. 1st edition. ISBN 978 1 921401 14 5 (pbk.). Lane-Poole, C. E. (Charles Edward), 1885–1970. Foresters —A ustralia — Biography. Forresters —A frica — Biography. Conservationists —A ustralia — Biography. Conservationists —A frica — Biography. Forest conservation —A ustralia. Forest conservation —A frica. Forest management —A ustralia. Forest management —A frica. 634.9092 Cover photograph. Charles Lane Poole with desert kurrajong tree (Brachychiton gregorii), Kunanalling, Goldfields region, September 1917. (WA Dept of Environment and Conservation, Forests Department Image Collection) Consultant editor: Roger Bourke, Perth Designed by Anna Maley-Fadgyas, Perth In memory of Charlotte Ruth ‘Charles’ Burston (née Lane Poole) 23 October 1913 – 14 July 2007 CCoonnTTeennTTss List of illustrations ix Introduction xi 1 A Wedding 1 2 Separation 12 3 Demarcation 22 4 Achievement 43 5 Dismay 63 6 Assessment 78 7 Exploration 94 8 Design 108 9 Advance 124 10 Stagnation 140 11 Conflict 153 12 Waning 170 13 A Renewal and an End 178 Reflection 194 Notes 205 Bibliography 231 Index 239 vii ILLUsTRATIons Chapel of St Columba’s College, Dublin 2 Ruth Pollexfen, c. 1906 5 Class of 1906, L’École Nationale des Eaux et Forêts, Nancy 10 District Officer’s house at Woodbush Forest, c. 1909 17 Map of Sierra Leone 24 Conservator’s Headquarters at Heddles Cottage outside Freetown, c. 1912 28 ‘Smart Alec’ the python 29 Njombo-wuli (Amphimas pterocarpoides) tree with unknown Forest Ranger, Sierra Leone 31 Ruth Lane Poole and baby Charlotte, 1913 37 Map of South-west Western Australia, c. 1916 45 Interstate Forestry Conference, Perth, 1917 47 Karri forest, Pemberton, Western Australia 48 Whittakers sawmill at Greenbushes, 1918 49 Charles Lane Poole with desert kurrajong tree (Brachychiton gregorii), Kunanalling, Goldfields region, September 1917 57 John Scaddan, c. 1913 64 Jarrah forest 66 ix Illustrations Hewing railway sleepers, c. 1919 67 Sir James Mitchell, c. 1931 70 Tuart forest 74 Map of Papua and New Guinea showing Charles Lane Poole’s journeys, 1921–24 82 Forest assessment party at ilimo tree (Octomeles sumatra) 84 Charles Lane Poole at Lake Embi 87 Senator Walter Kingsmill, 1922 96 Cutting out a canoe from a log of ilimo 100 Charles Lane Poole with remains of wireless set damaged at Kohu, 1923 105 Map of Australian Territories, 1925 111 Charles Lane Poole on the Huon River, Tasmania, 1925 115 Armchair for Government House, design and finished chair 121 Drawing Room at Government House, 1927 122 The Governor-General, Lord Stonehaven, delivering an address at the opening of the Australian Forestry School, 24 November 1927 125 Entrance Hall to the Australian Forestry School 135 1928 Empire Forestry Conference delegates at the Australian Forestry School 137 Australian Forestry School, staff and students, 1931 148 E. H. F. Swain, 1929 155 Charles Lane Poole in his office at the Australian Forestry School, c. 1930 163 Opening of the Mt Franklin Chalet, 2 July 1937 165 Charles Lane Poole at the opening of the Norman Jolly Memorial Grove, Moonpar Forest, northern New South Wales, 1957 188 x