Leon Smith interviewed by Gregg Borschmann in the People's forest oral history project [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 1441644
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Smith, Leon Wallace, 1914-1996, interviewee
- Online Version:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research, personal copies and public use.
- Description:
-
- 1994
- 3 digital audio tapes (ca. 270 min.)
- Series:
- People's forest oral history project.
- Summary:
-
Smith, a logging contractor, speaks of the conservation of forest resources being a controversial issue as early as 1955 when loggers met in Innisfail (Qld) to discuss the sustainability of the timber industry. The matter was unresolved. Smith explains how in an effort to achieve what foresters called "comprehensive utilisation" and extend the life of the resources and saw milling industry by the 1970s more than 140 different species were on the compulsory logging list. Smith recalls how he worked on experimental timber plots, planting whatever species local Forestry nurseries would supply. From 1957 onwards he had planted more than 30,000 trees. Smith was an advocate of forest regeneration long before community awareness of the issues surfaced.
Smith was a vocal participant in the well publicised battle centred at Ravenshoe (Qld) in 1987 for World Heritage listing of native rainforests. Smith speaks of later being shunned for compromise proposals he put forward which may have kept alive a much smaller rainforest timber industry. In 1988 logging on public lands in Australia's wet tropics was banned. This was the first time anywhere in the world that a tropical rainforest logging industry was shut down for conservation reasons.
- Notes:
-
- Recorded on May 7 & 19, 1994 in Ravenshoe, Qld.
- Also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-217027163
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Corrected transcript (typescript, 92 leaves) and timed summary available.
- Subject:
-
- Smith, Leon Wallace, 1914-1996 -- Interviews
- Loggers -- Queensland -- Social conditions -- 20th century
- Loggers -- Queensland -- Economic conditions -- 20th century
- Loggers -- Queensland -- Interviews
- Forest conservation -- Queensland
- Conservation of natural resources -- Queensland -- Citizen participation
- Logging -- Environmental aspects -- Queensland
- Occupation:
- Loggers
- Other authors/contributors:
- Borschmann, Gregg (Gregg John), 1955-, interviewer
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the People's forest oral history project.
This collection contains 93 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2064 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 1994
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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