Tumut School Forest

8 October 1954 The Farmer and Settler 

The Tumut school forest already has yielded timber returning the school over£1000.

The current value of the growing timber is about £3000. 

The Minister for Conservation, Mr. Enticknap, said the Tumut school forest is a wonderful example of what children's enthusiasm coupled with community effort can achieve for a country school. 

He said the Tumut school forest, which dates back to 1926, but is now administered by a trust constituted under the School Forests Areas Act, 1936, is the most outstanding of the 21 school forests in the State. Future Development   

The trust comprises the school inspector, Mr. M.   M. Hagan, the headmaster, Mr. A. Wood, a grazier, Mr. T. Wilkinson, and a senior forester, Mr. R. Hammond. 

Half the revenue from the forest has been reserved for future development and the balance has been set aside for school amenities. 

Meanwhile, these moneys are earning bank interest for the school forest fund. 

The trust has decided to release the money for the school at the rate of £50 each year, and this procedure assures the school of a permanent income for a considerable number of years. 

For the present, the money is to be spent on technical and fiction books for the school library, which is being steadily built up and already is impressive in size. 

The minister said the idea underlying the school forests scheme is not merely to gain revenue but also to develop in young children an appreciation of the value of trees and forests. 

In rural areas, where the planting of more wood- lots and windbreaks is considered highly desirable, this is regarded as of particular importance. 

Mr. Enticknap said that in view of this and other considerations the trustees are considering clear felling the 12 acres of forest over a four-year period, and the undertaking of a complete reafforestation programme in which the young pupils will be actively engaged. 

If this plan proceeds, reafforestation will be made with Monterey pine which has proved so successful.