Forests Department (Western Australia)


The Forests Department was a department of the Government of Western Australia created in 1919 under Conservator of Forests Charles Lane Poole, that was responsible for implementing the State's Forests Act legislation and regulations.
The Forests Department was incorporated all together with and the on 21 March 1985 forming the Department of Conservation and Land Management.

Status (at dissolution - 21 March 1985)Forests Department. Western Australia: Annual report, 1 July 1984 to 21 March 1985.

Forest policies covered by the Forests Department involved the following management objectives:
The Department had also several tree nurseries to help with these objectives in Hamel, Manjimup, Narrogin, Broome and Karratha for a total seedling production of 7 307 000 in 1985.
The Forests Department had management responsibilities in:
Some of the most severe West Australian wildfires, in chronological order, that the Department had to suppress:
FireLocationArea burned
DateHuman fatalitiesLivestock death/Properties damaged
1958 Easter block wildfireWestern AustraliaUnknown2 January 19584 FD firefighters working on foot.
1961 Western Australian wildfiresWestern Australia1,800,000 haJanuary – March 19610160 homes, town of Dwellingup destroyed.
1963 Shannon River prescribed burning Western AustraliaUnknown8 January 19632 FD crews igniting
1978 Western Australian wildfiresWestern Australia114,000 ha4 April 197826 buildings

Preceding agencies

Earlier forms of forest management in Western Australia were under:
Around 1968, The Forests Department then was in full control of its destiny as mentioned by a former forester and General Manager of Department of Conservation and Land Management: "We were more akin to an old Army regiment, with our regimental headquarters in Perth and our divisional centres in the field, our long traditions and powerful culture. Back then, the Forests Department was largely independent of Treasury, we recruited and trained our own field staff, had our own gangs of forest workmen, purchased and maintained our own vehicles, fabricated our own fire equipment, made our own maps, had our own private telephone system which spanned the entire South West, and even had our own settlements, complete with streets of houses and blocks of single men's hut."
The Department maintained and coordinated a range of specialist equipment and emergency response vehicles. This included pumpers and tankers and other equipment relating to operations involving fire spotting and firefighting.
In 1984-85, the Forests Department’s fleet of 9 Piper Super Cub aircraft was flown for approximately 5 600 hours to provide aerial surveillance of the State Forest and nearby Crown Lands and private properties.
Four lookout towers were used to maintain a continuous watch on important pine plantations, whilst another 20 towers were maintained as a back-up to spotter aircraft.