Foresters wanted

Victorian School of Forestry Uniform (blazer and tie), c.1953-1955

Green woollen blazer and silk tie both with gold and brown embroidery, school logo on right-hand pocket

Victorian School of Forestry 

Creswick Campus Historical Collection, University of Melbourne

Cat no. 1318

“The green jacket with gold-embroidered pocket, proudly worn, was a ticket for travel to places near and far.” Dr Jim Edgar (Victorian School of Forestry Principal 1978-1981).  

The Victorian School of Forestry was established to educate and train foresters; securing the future of Victoria’s forests following the environmental devastation caused by early settlement.

In 1842 the first family settled in Creswick and by 1854, following the discovery of gold, the town’s population had swelled to 20,000. Early settlers in their pursuit of wealth, considered forests to be obstacles to development. They used its timber to support mining ventures with one million tonnes of wood used as fuel in 1873 alone. With little government intervention, within two decades the mining boom had caused substantial environmental damage to the forests.

Responding to an increasingly damaged landscape, the State Forests Act was passed in 1876. John La Gerche was appointed as a forest bailiff in 1882, and was later directed to establish a nursery to plant new species as well as to revegetate the devastated forest. Yet, penalties for unlicensed cutting remained minimal and did not prevent illegal activity, while those appointed to manage state forests were inadequately trained. There was a real need for trained foresters to ensure Victoria’s forests were successfully protected. However, it was impractical to ship foresters from Europe as their expertise would be limited due to the unique conditions of the Australian terrain. Toward the end of the century, the Royal Commission on State Forests and Timber Resources expressed interest in creating forest schools within each state and in 1890, Conservator of Forests G. S. Perrin, insisted a school producing trained foresters be established. In 1901, Superintendent of State Plantations, John Johnstone, extended the nursery and plantation, setting the groundwork for the future school. After five failed attempts in 1870, 1879, 1881, 1887 and 1892, the Forests Act was eventually passed in 1907, and instigated rehabilitation plans for the devastated forests and formalised the requirement for skilled foresters.

The Victorian government purchased Dr John Tremearne’s former residence in Creswick in 1909, leading to the opening of the Victorian School of Forestry in 1910. The School quickly expanded following the purchase of the old Goldfields Hospital two years later. In 1914 the last of the gold mines closed and Creswick entered a new era where it became known for its leadership in forestry education.

Since its opening, the Victorian School of Forestry has welcomed students who have gone on to sustainably manage and conserve forests near and far. The Creswick campus upholds the memories of the students who have slept in its dormitories, studied long semesters and nurtured lasting friendships in their pursuit of becoming the next cohort of foresters.