There were pluses and minuses to this process and to some extent it caused social changes that are still felt today.
So it turned out that most of the Herbert Forest staff found themselves out of a job come 31 March 1987. There is no easy way through this type of thing and people were forced to redirect their lives.
As for the forest, it became an SOE under the banner of Timberlands Ltd. and they were required to post a return to government. The Herbert Forest people of course were watchful and critical of how the forest was managed, especially regarding early clearfelling and replanting with low stock numbers. Locally it was perceived to be our forest because it was our effort that made it what it was.
When the next change occurred, I was overseas and so did not witness what occurred but it seemed the Timberlands model was not working well maybe because the transition from government department to corporate was too much of a leap for some to get their head around.
As a Maori claim settlement, Herbert Forest was handed to the local tribe, Nai Tahu who sold it on to the American company, Blakely Pacific.
It is difficult to explain Maori claims or to compensate for past wrongs and I am no expert on such matters. But it is true that the original land buyer forged Maori sale agreement and pocketed money he was supposed to hand over- and I think government believed the money was handed over. I'm glad it is not my job to sort that one out after some 150 years!
Blakely Pacific have a good reputation and locally they are proving to be good corporate citizens and the eagle eyes of the ex-forest workers agree that their husbandry of the forest is very good. Locally there is general belief that the forest is now in good hands.
Over the years expressions of interest were put to me regarding a reunion of the old Herbert Forest people and it seemed appropriate to me, to hold a gathering on the 25th anniversary of the demise of the New Zealand Forest Service.
So between some of us, it has been decided to hold the gathering a the old forest HQ site in what was the wet weather shelter on 25th February from around 11:00am.
I asked Blakely Pacific for permission to tour the forest and my contact, Barry Wells came with an old photo album and offered to meet the cost of catering and a bus tour through the forest, saying that it is Blakely Pacific's pleasure to support an event honoring the legacy that they are now managing.
I appreciate this offer and those words.
I do not have a lot of photos from those old days but below are some from the album Barry loaned me:
Very early on - Bert Moir, --, Herb Welsh, Laurie Hore, Artie Bennett, --, Gib Green.
Probably at smoko time.
I only know Artie Bennett on the left, Gib Green in front and Bert Moir on the right. The old 'lemon squeezer' hat at the rear is ex-army. It is likely this photo is around 1950.
Erection of the 4 Bay Garage - built from large gauge Rimu timber and very sturdy.
G.T. Gillies were famous in Oamaru as a local engineering firm and a local car garage/service station. Old George Gillies purchased many GMC vehicles ex-war and sold off parts and refurbished vehicles.
They had also this GMC with a crane that was hired to lift the trusses and walls of the 4 Bay Garage into place.
Albert Stringer tops a newly erected scrub fence. It was very difficult to establish amenity plantings at the HQ site because of a lack of water so to mitigate this we provided shelter from the SW winds that tended to dry out the soils. It was an effective way of protecting young plants.
The scrub was Manuka and Kanuka from the forest.
A more recent portrait of Albert Hugh Stringer, long time office clerk and gardener at Herbert Forest.
The Beehive Bluffs before they were covered with vegetation. The area on top was planted in all sorts of other species - as a park and to take advantage of the views. We were required to spend 2% of our vote on amenities in those days but this was not really an appropriate thing to do with today's values in mind.
On the skyline the trees are Kanuka.
Controlled burn on Diamond Hill. This was part of a trial to what spray regime was most effective on gorse and the seedling response after burning.
This was a good back burn that left a clean planting site.
A controlled burn below Road 19. Again a slow back burn across the face made a nice clean planting site.
This area was burn much earlier by one of the controlled burns that became uncontrolled and while we fought it, it burnt itself out when it could not cross the next gulley because of the native bush that acted as a firebreak.
A portrait of the one and only Colin Bartrum. He did not like photos being taken of him and it is a victory that I have this!
Colin was a Leading Hand on the forest.
Robin May, contractor harvesting export logs from Cpt 13.
I oversaw the implementation of harvesting on the forest, drawing up the logging plans for several years ahead.
Stephen Gibson was the first to be awarded a contract but later lost it to Robin May, which was one of the fights that I had to concede.
Cpt 24 with Queens Road to the right. This was to be my first controlled burn and quite a tricky one too because it was completely surrounded by forest.
It went well but I did have concerns when the fire rushed uphill toward the road - lesson learned; fire races uphill but does not burn cleanly. But it does lose its power at the top - a good place to fight it from.
Windthrow damage after the 1980 Southwest gales. To try and understand the dynamics of windthrow, a plane was hired and I took oblique photos. This meant we had to take the door off the plane - all the way from Hilderthorpe! I was wrapped in my Swandri, but it was a freezing trip!
Cpt 41 windthrow damage after the 1975 NW gales. This photo is taken from the boundary with Tom Coleman's farm. He called it Tuscon Valley.
The trees were tall and pruned to 32' with thin spacing. I stood by them as they smashed like matchsticks that night, Aug 1.
A warm, moonlit night.
Cpt 54 windthrow after the SW storm of 16.3.80. District Ranger Jack Barber on the left and OiC Alf Milligan on the right.
After thinning the stand is vulnerable to powerful winds.
The track is actually the one that went into the mine office/hut on Diamond Hill. Mick Hill used it when he had a permit to cut Manuka firewood on the point overlooking the Larch (now logged).
Dorothy, the old Galleon grader was purchased by Waitaki Transport.
Bert Moir drove this machine to maintain the forest roads and on various construction jobs.
She came back to the forest when Waitaki Transport won a contract to lay gravel on some of the roads.
The CRU was the 'Central Roading Unit' based at Conical Hills, where where was a large NZFS workshop. We used to call them the 'Roading Gang' but that term became unpopular when motorcycle gangs made the word 'gang' to become associated with unlawful elements.
These guys travelled up on a Monday and back on a Friday which made me question the efficiency of the expensive machinery.
The annual Forestry/Sawmill cricket match, February 1979.
Alf looks to be holding - handing over the trophy which means we lost. The margin would have been small :p
Always a good picnic day out and social gathering.
Couches Road from Breakneck Road. Looking at Cpt 24. The macrocarpas on the ridge were felled, but had been a hedge around Nat Stephenson's house. These trees had been markers for Moeraki fishermen.
Hat Day! Denis Moody, Lester Robb, Darryl Wright, Ian (Kakanui) Beck, Len Capill, Phil (Snow) Wilkie, Phil (Bert) Thompson, Mel Jamieson, Alf Milligan.
In front - Nick Nicholidis, Dave Caldwell.
I will post this blog now because there are a lot of photos and will continue.....
So it turned out that most of the Herbert Forest staff found themselves out of a job come 31 March 1987. There is no easy way through this type of thing and people were forced to redirect their lives.
As for the forest, it became an SOE under the banner of Timberlands Ltd. and they were required to post a return to government. The Herbert Forest people of course were watchful and critical of how the forest was managed, especially regarding early clearfelling and replanting with low stock numbers. Locally it was perceived to be our forest because it was our effort that made it what it was.
When the next change occurred, I was overseas and so did not witness what occurred but it seemed the Timberlands model was not working well maybe because the transition from government department to corporate was too much of a leap for some to get their head around.
As a Maori claim settlement, Herbert Forest was handed to the local tribe, Nai Tahu who sold it on to the American company, Blakely Pacific.
It is difficult to explain Maori claims or to compensate for past wrongs and I am no expert on such matters. But it is true that the original land buyer forged Maori sale agreement and pocketed money he was supposed to hand over- and I think government believed the money was handed over. I'm glad it is not my job to sort that one out after some 150 years!
Blakely Pacific have a good reputation and locally they are proving to be good corporate citizens and the eagle eyes of the ex-forest workers agree that their husbandry of the forest is very good. Locally there is general belief that the forest is now in good hands.
Over the years expressions of interest were put to me regarding a reunion of the old Herbert Forest people and it seemed appropriate to me, to hold a gathering on the 25th anniversary of the demise of the New Zealand Forest Service.
So between some of us, it has been decided to hold the gathering a the old forest HQ site in what was the wet weather shelter on 25th February from around 11:00am.
I asked Blakely Pacific for permission to tour the forest and my contact, Barry Wells came with an old photo album and offered to meet the cost of catering and a bus tour through the forest, saying that it is Blakely Pacific's pleasure to support an event honoring the legacy that they are now managing.
I appreciate this offer and those words.
I do not have a lot of photos from those old days but below are some from the album Barry loaned me:
Very early on - Bert Moir, --, Herb Welsh, Laurie Hore, Artie Bennett, --, Gib Green.Probably at smoko time.
I only know Artie Bennett on the left, Gib Green in front and Bert Moir on the right. The old 'lemon squeezer' hat at the rear is ex-army. It is likely this photo is around 1950.
Erection of the 4 Bay Garage - built from large gauge Rimu timber and very sturdy.
G.T. Gillies were famous in Oamaru as a local engineering firm and a local car garage/service station. Old George Gillies purchased many GMC vehicles ex-war and sold off parts and refurbished vehicles.They had also this GMC with a crane that was hired to lift the trusses and walls of the 4 Bay Garage into place.
Albert Stringer tops a newly erected scrub fence. It was very difficult to establish amenity plantings at the HQ site because of a lack of water so to mitigate this we provided shelter from the SW winds that tended to dry out the soils. It was an effective way of protecting young plants.The scrub was Manuka and Kanuka from the forest.
A more recent portrait of Albert Hugh Stringer, long time office clerk and gardener at Herbert Forest.
The Beehive Bluffs before they were covered with vegetation. The area on top was planted in all sorts of other species - as a park and to take advantage of the views. We were required to spend 2% of our vote on amenities in those days but this was not really an appropriate thing to do with today's values in mind.On the skyline the trees are Kanuka.
Controlled burn on Diamond Hill. This was part of a trial to what spray regime was most effective on gorse and the seedling response after burning.This was a good back burn that left a clean planting site.
A controlled burn below Road 19. Again a slow back burn across the face made a nice clean planting site.This area was burn much earlier by one of the controlled burns that became uncontrolled and while we fought it, it burnt itself out when it could not cross the next gulley because of the native bush that acted as a firebreak.
A portrait of the one and only Colin Bartrum. He did not like photos being taken of him and it is a victory that I have this!Colin was a Leading Hand on the forest.
Robin May, contractor harvesting export logs from Cpt 13.I oversaw the implementation of harvesting on the forest, drawing up the logging plans for several years ahead.
Stephen Gibson was the first to be awarded a contract but later lost it to Robin May, which was one of the fights that I had to concede.
Cpt 24 with Queens Road to the right. This was to be my first controlled burn and quite a tricky one too because it was completely surrounded by forest.It went well but I did have concerns when the fire rushed uphill toward the road - lesson learned; fire races uphill but does not burn cleanly. But it does lose its power at the top - a good place to fight it from.
Windthrow damage after the 1980 Southwest gales. To try and understand the dynamics of windthrow, a plane was hired and I took oblique photos. This meant we had to take the door off the plane - all the way from Hilderthorpe! I was wrapped in my Swandri, but it was a freezing trip!
Cpt 41 windthrow damage after the 1975 NW gales. This photo is taken from the boundary with Tom Coleman's farm. He called it Tuscon Valley.The trees were tall and pruned to 32' with thin spacing. I stood by them as they smashed like matchsticks that night, Aug 1.
A warm, moonlit night.
Cpt 54 windthrow after the SW storm of 16.3.80. District Ranger Jack Barber on the left and OiC Alf Milligan on the right.After thinning the stand is vulnerable to powerful winds.
The track is actually the one that went into the mine office/hut on Diamond Hill. Mick Hill used it when he had a permit to cut Manuka firewood on the point overlooking the Larch (now logged).
Dorothy, the old Galleon grader was purchased by Waitaki Transport.Bert Moir drove this machine to maintain the forest roads and on various construction jobs.
She came back to the forest when Waitaki Transport won a contract to lay gravel on some of the roads.
The CRU was the 'Central Roading Unit' based at Conical Hills, where where was a large NZFS workshop. We used to call them the 'Roading Gang' but that term became unpopular when motorcycle gangs made the word 'gang' to become associated with unlawful elements.These guys travelled up on a Monday and back on a Friday which made me question the efficiency of the expensive machinery.
The annual Forestry/Sawmill cricket match, February 1979.Alf looks to be holding - handing over the trophy which means we lost. The margin would have been small :p
Always a good picnic day out and social gathering.
Couches Road from Breakneck Road. Looking at Cpt 24. The macrocarpas on the ridge were felled, but had been a hedge around Nat Stephenson's house. These trees had been markers for Moeraki fishermen.
Hat Day! Denis Moody, Lester Robb, Darryl Wright, Ian (Kakanui) Beck, Len Capill, Phil (Snow) Wilkie, Phil (Bert) Thompson, Mel Jamieson, Alf Milligan.In front - Nick Nicholidis, Dave Caldwell.
I will post this blog now because there are a lot of photos and will continue.....
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