Junior Forestry League – Tumut School Forest

The Tumut & Adelong Times

7 September 1926

The inaugural ceremony in connection with the Junior Forestry League's re-afforestation scheme was held on the School Forest area on Friday last. The whole of the students and senior pupils were present, also a fair number of adults. The various speakers were Mr. W. A. de Beuzeville (Senior Forester), Ald. J. Elphick (Mayor), Mr. H. H. Crouch, Mr. C. A. Teasdale (Principal of District School), Mr. F. Turnbull (assistant). The president of the P. & C. Association (Dr. Clouston) was unavoidably detained, but arrived in time to plant one of the first trees in the north-east corner of the plantation. The speakers dwelt on the national importance of the work about to be commenced. There was in N.S.Wales and in Australia generally a lack of a 'forest conscience,' which had resulted in many of our finest trees being ruthlessly destroyed. Now that the world was faced with a timber shortage, steps were being taken, in all countries to form scientific forests, where there would be a minimum of wastage of timber.

There were two classes of such forests:

(a) Forests where "natural rejuvenation" was practiced - that is, useless timbers were cut out and young trees allowed to grow from the seed already in the soil;

(b) re-afforestation where young trees were planted out by hand.

The School Forest will be of the latter type and the trees grown will be Pinus insignis, a quick-maturing type of pine which will give a return within twenty years. When the full twenty acres are planted, there will be some 15,000 trees in the School Forest.

At the conclusion of the ceremony the Principal of the District School called upon Mr. de Beuzeville, as the originator of the Junior Forestry movement, to plant the first tree. In doing so, Mr. de Beuzeville gave instruction to all the children in regard to the best methods of planting. Other speakers and the adults present each planted a tree in the first row. The children then took up the work and before the close of the afternoon 400 trees had been well and truly planted.

The League wishes to thank Mr. de Beuzeville for having worked so hard to secure the plot of land for practical work. The Forestry Dept. has been particularly generous in extending its fences to include the school area, and this has saved the P. and C. Assn. quite a large sum of money.

It is intended to continue planting for the next fortnight until the first two acres are completely covered. The remaining 18 acres will be plan ted within the next two planting seasons.