II. TOXICIDAD DE ALGUNOS ANTIMICROBIANOS QUÍMICOS
3. NITRITOS Y NITRATOS
After a long period of stasis, there was a phase of growth in the reserve system beginning in the late 1930s. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Scenery Preservation Board (SPB) had scant financial resources to manage the reserves under its control and the preservation of the natural environment took a low priority against pressing social and economic issues heightened by the Great Depression. However, as Tasmania began to emerge from the worst years of the depression, policies implemented by the Labor Government led by Premier Ogilvie and changes in the membership of the SPB brought renewed interest in the creation of reserves.
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Ogilvie instituted a works program that involved the large scale construction of new roads around the State.1 The injection of funds into public works was primarily designed to generate employment, but also brought new opportunities for the expansion of the State's natural resource based industries, typically forestry: mining and hydro-electric developments. It was during this period that the pinnacle road to Mt Wellington and a link road between the east and west coasts of the State were built.
Expansion of the Reserve System
Hartz Mountains
Included in the public works program was the a llocation of approximately £30 000 for the construction of a road to Hartz Mountains in the far south-east of the State.2 The rugged alpine peaks, lakes and forested slopes of Hartz Mountains were well known for their
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scenic majesty. During the early decades of the century, the area had featured among Beattie's photographic depictions of the State's natural scenic attractions (Plate 3.1).
Plate 3.1: Hartz Mountain and Lake Emily. Photographer: John Watt Beattie. Source: The Beattie S tudio (private collection).
In 1938, a proposal was made to the SPB by the Public Works Department that the Hartz Mountains area be proclaimed a scenic reserve.3 The SPB agreed that in view of the fact that £30 000 was being expended on the Hartz Mountains road and that this would open up a
' .. scenic asset, the area should be reserved.4
Colin Pitt (Chairman of the SPB, Secretary for Lands and Surveyor General) met with Allan Knight (Director of Public Works) and a representative of the Forestry Department to discuss the matter. All
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parties had interests in the creation of a scenic reserve at Hartz Mountains at this time. The proposed reserve encompassed largely high altitude mountainous territory and the Hartz road would vastly improve access for the Forestry Dep artment to southern forest resources.
Government expenditure on the road provided an opportunity for the SPB to secure a scenic reserve, with little outlay from its own limited resources. However, Pitt also harboured some concerns about the potential damage to natural values that could result from opening up the area. He recommended to the Director of Public Works that before the construction of the Hartz Mountains road proceeded, an area of approximately 20 000 acres (8 094 hectares) at the terminus of the road including Hartz Mountains peaks and lakes, be reserved, and in addition, 20 chains (400 metres) on either side of the road.5 The roadside reserve was included as Pitt was aware of the common practice of timber cutters of leaving fires burning, which frequently led to widespread damage to forests and scenery.
The PU1Jlic Works Department had an obvious interest in the proposal as it was likely to secure continued funding for the road. The Hartz Mountains area was promoted through the press as a tourist attraction awqiting development. A Special Correspondent to the
Mercury
wrote of the area:In lavishness of scenic attraction the Hartz makes a particular appeal to tourists, with its extensive and beautiful stretches of plain, its rugged escarpments, and hidden lakes. At present, however, it is accessible only by pack-horse or by foot. It is an area calling loudly for development. 6
With no apparent objections to the reservation, the Hartz Mountains National Park was proclaimed in May, 1939, with boundaries following those recommended by Pitt. However, on June 10, 1939, Premier Ogilvie collapsed and died suddenly in Melbourne, leaving the future of his public works plans, including the Hartz road, uncertain. Considerable debate took place in the Legislative Council in which opponents to the road described it as a "road to nowhere" and a waste of
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money. In reply, Dr Lewis, supporter of earlier reserve proposals in the State, said that, " .. .if the Hartz road leads to nowhere, then nowhere is an amazingly attractive place'',7
Lewis attempted to appeal to economic interests by arguing that the Hartz road would provide access to unrealised timber wealth in the Picton Valley and the mineral country beyond, and that Hartz was probably, " ... the best pocket collection of tourist attractions in the State".s In an attempt to reconcile the cost of the road, he suggested a toll could be charged per car to make the road pay, and that if completed, tourists would stay longer in the State and spend more money. The road would be " ... a rarity, and rarities are fine sources of revenue to the countries that possess them II .9
The optimism espoused by Lewis was not enough to convince the Government that expenditure of this magnitude was justified. The Legislative Council refused to pass the Bill that would provide for completion of the road. Pitt despondently exclaimed that the Hartz Mountains reserve was now of little value, given there was no likeliho
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d of the road being built.10 While Pitt did appear to have genuine concerns about scenery and nature preservation, his comment revealed both personal disappointment and a view that reserves were largely perceived at this time as scenic tourist assets, requiring access and development. In the years ahead, completion of the Hartz road remained firmly on the agenda of the SPB, but it was to be an item that ultimately brought the integrity of the reserve under threat.Roadside and Riparian Reserves
During the 1930s, Pitt and Knight took an interest in rejuvenating the SPB . l l Both were involved in the development of new roads and travelled extensively around the State, witnessing first hand the results of opening access to remote country. Pitt (Plate 3.2) raised concerns about the damage to scenery along these new roads as a result of forestry
activities.
These observations sparked Pitt to propose a roadside reserve along the West Coast Road (Lyell Highway) . The Forestry Department had
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granted timber leases to the Mt Lyell Company adjacent to the road in 1932. The Mt Lyell Company was engaged in extensive timber cutting to fuel the machines of its mining operations, based in the west coast town of Queenstown. Pitt had been drawing attention to the damage along the road from 1933. Fires had swept over large parts of the country and posed a major threat to scenic values.12
Plate 3.2: Colin Pitt (Surveyor-General), while working as Chief
Engineer on the West Coast Road, 1933. Source: Archives Office of Tasmania.
Through the personal efforts of Pitt, the SPB was able to establish a reserve of 18 000 acres (7 447 hectares) along the Lyell Highway in 1938. Two further roadside reserves were created along the Queenstown Zeehan Road and the Bass Highway between Smithton and Marrawah, in the north-west.13
The SPB also recommended the creation of reserves along the Gordon and Pieman Rivers on Tasmania's west coast. These were large,
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accessible rivers of high scenic attraction holding stands , of unique !:Iuon pine. The Gordon River had been promoted for reservation by Beattie in the early years of the century, with the backing of the Royal Society (refer to Chapter 2). It was a river of immense scenic beauty offering potential for tourism, but threatened by continued timber extraction. The possibility of reserving these rivers was ultimately made easier by improved access to the west coast, the efforts of Pitt, and the support for tourism by Premier Ogilvie. Riparian reserves were established along the Gordon and Pieman Rivers, of 6 200 acres (2 565 hectares) and 8 215 acres (3 399 hectares) respectively, in 1938.
While there is evidence to suggest that Pitt was genuine in his response to the widespread damage being incurred to the natural environment, the motives behind his reserve proposals are complicated by other agendas. In their aim to revitalise the SPB, Pitt and Knight had interests in increasing the level of government funding allocated to the Board. The SPB was so starved of funds that it had even approved the sale of timber from Mt Field National Park to raise money for park ' improvements' .1 5
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Pitt and Knight also had interests in the continued development of the state road network through their offices in the Lands and Works Dep,artments, through which membership to the SPB was automatic. However, while their institutional allegiances and personal goals may have provided incentives for the expansion of the reserve system, the appeals made by Pitt for roadside and other reserves provide evidence that scenery and nature preservation were also significant motives. Government support was no doubt aided by the idea that these new reserves would protect scenic resources for the motoring tourist and offer financial rewards.
Mt Barrow
While reserves were being established in the south and west of the State, there was also agitation to develop a scenic reserve in the north east. In April, 1940, a road that was then the highest in Tasmania was opened to the summit of Mt Barrow (Plate 3.3). The construction of the
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Mt Barrow road was a direct result of political p ressure put on the government by a sub-committee of the Launceston 50 000 League.l6
Plate 3.3: The opening of the Mt Barrow Road by Maj or Davies,
Minister for Lands, 13 April 1940. Photographer: Fred Smithies. Source:
. Archives Office of Tasmania.
The object of the Launceston 50 000 League was to advance the growth and prosperity of specifically Launceston and also Tasmania in general
3: Roads, Hounds and Dams (it is debated whether the 50 000 referred to an aim of increasing greater Launceston's population to 50 000, or for a membership of 50 000). One of the founding members of the League and Chair of the sub-committee responsible for the Mt Barrow Road was Fred Smithies (refer to Chapter 2).17
The official move to create a scenic reserve at Mt Barrow came from the Tasmanian Government Tourist Bureau. 1 8 Smithies, who was a member of the SPB and friends with Emmett (Director of the Tasmanian Government Tourist Bureau), was likely to have had a strong hand in supporting this proposal, backed by the Launceston 50 000 League. The SPB had made some earlier attempts to establish a reserve at Mt Barrow, but these were resisted by local game hunters. However, with a new road, tourists could now reach the summit with ease " ... and thus be provided with a view equal to that from Mt Wellington. "1 9
While Mt Barrow was promoted solely as a tourist destination, offering impressive scenic vistas, its proposed reservation may have also been rel�ted
to
an historical context of north-south rivalry. At this time, the distribution of reserves favoured the south of the State. The reference to Mt Wellington by Emmett, the efforts of Smithies and the Lau{lceston 50 000 League (which was largely concerned with development in the north), and the support of the northern-based Tourist Bureau are also suggestive of a desire to address this imbalance by promoting reserves in the north. With the backing of interested authorities, claiming the benefits of this reserve for tourism, and the influence of Smithies on the Board, Mt Barrow was proclaimed a Scenic Reserve of 1 134 acres (469 hectares) in 1940.Frenchmans Cap
Not all reserve proposals came either directly or indirectly from the SPB or other interested authorities during this period. In July 1940, the SPB received a letter from a dairy farmer, Ray Livingston, requesting that a reserve be established at Frenchmans Cap in Tasmania's wild and mountainous west.20 The Livingston brothers operated a dairy farm in the Hobart suburb of Sandy Bay and this seemingly odd source for a
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reserve proposal stemmed from Ray Livingston's keen interest in bushwalking. His appeal for the protection of Frenchmans Cap was motivated by the extensive landscape devastation he had witnessed in the area. The immense scenic beauty and native vegetation around the Cap were being destroyed by fires deliberately lit by hunters.21
In support of his reserve proposal, Livingston offered to make a considerable contribution towards construction of a hut on the Cap at Lake Tahune to accommodate bushwalkers. This generous offer did not influence the SPB, which was initially opposed to the Frenchmans Cap reserve idea due to the inaccessibility of the area. However, Livingston's proposal sparked the Board to request Government funding for cutting a track to the Cap from the existing Jane River track. If funding was forthcoming, the Board resolved to consider proclaiming the area a scenic reserve.22 Some of the members of the SPB, including Knight, Pitt and Smithies, were personally aware of the scenic attractiveness of Frenchmans Cap, which was visible from the new West Coast Road. Smithies was among the first to ascend Frenchmans Cap, making an unsuccessful attempt in 1928 and a second in 1931
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when he' reached the summit (Plate 3.4).23 While Ministerial approval was sought for track funding, Livingston continued to put pressure on the Board.
Early in 1941, the Board was granted £100 for track works and a sub committee was appointed to recommend boundaries for the Frenchmans Cap reserve. The SPB approved the recommendations and area of 23 600 acres (9 550 hectares) centred around the Cap was reserved in May, 1941 (Frenchmans Cap National Park) . Interest in creating this national park was stimulated by an individual with a personal interest in the natural environment and was motivated by the landscape damage incurred at the hands of hunters. Tragically while preparing for a trip, Livingston was kicked by his horse and killed only one year after the reserve was proclaimed. His ashes were spread on top of Frenchmans Cap and the hut at Lake Tahune, later completed by the Hobart Walking Club, was named 'The Livingston Hut'.24
In 1951, the Deputy Surveyor-General suggested a considerable southerly extension to the reserve (15 000 acres) to conform with
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natural boundaries.25 However, the Mines Department objected, and only a small addition was made along the eastern boundary to conform with the Loddon and South Loddon Rivers.26 This increased the area of Frenchmans Cap National Park to 25 240 acres (10 215 hectares) - Figure 3.1.
Plate 3.4: Frenchmans Cap (top right). Fred Smithies expedition. Source: Archives Office of Tasmania.
Ben Lomond
After a burst of activity during the late 1930s/ early 1940s, there was little growth in the reserve system until the post-war years. The economic . and moral obligations of a nation at war took centre stage. Even the SPB made a contribution to the war effort. Timber siezed by police from a man caught felling trees in Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park was donated by the Board for patriotic purposes, such as making crutches.27
N
i
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Marakoopa Cave Devils C RADLE Gullet M O U N TAI N - LAKE ST CLA I R f;! F R E N CH M A NS CAP
Figure 3.1: Frenchmans Cap National Park. Source: National Parks and Wildlife Service, c1970. Tasmania's National Parks and Historic Sites. National
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Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania (brochure).
In .the post-war years, there was renewed interest in outdoor recreational activities, the popularity of which had been steadily growing throughout the century. Amongst these, Tasmania's alpine environments offered opportunities for the pursuit of winter sports. Prior to the Second World War, the State's only accessible and developed snowfields were in Mt Field National Park (Plate 3.5). However, there was also strong interest in the development of skiing in the north of the State, organised through the Northern Tasmanian Alpine C lub, established in 1929 . Smithies was among those instrumental in the formation of this club, an action which is thought to have been linked with the Launceston 50 000 League.28
The Alpine Club investigated a number of areas in the north of the State for their potential for the development of winter sports, principally areas in the Western Tiers. However, the alpine plateau of Ben Lomond in the north-east was ultimately chosen as the most
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suitable site to establish ski fields, party due to its p roximity to Launceston. During the 1930s, members of the Alpine C
l
ub devoted much of their time and energy into developing the plateau, including the provision of huts. for accommodation and beginning the construction of an access road. All of this work was done voluntarily and much of it by hand.29Plate 3.5: Skiing party, Mt Field National Park. Photographer: John Watt Beattie. Source: The Beattie Studio (private collection).
With the area partially developed by the Club, the SPB became interested in Ben Lomond as a possible tourist resort. In 1946, the Board proposed that the area be proclaimed a large scenic reserve and plans . were submitted to the Northern Tasmanian Alpine Club for comment. The proposed boundaries of the reserve would follow those of the fauna reserve previously established under the Animals and Birds Protection Act. 30
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The Alpine Club was adamantly opposed to the proposal, considering it neither necessary nor desirable. In its reply to the SPB, the Club voiced objections to the reserve on grounds that appear in contradiction to the known interests in reserve creation of some of its members, principally Smithies. The Club wrote:
The main attractions (above the tree-line) are, in winter, the beauty of the extensive snowfields and the excellent ski-ing conditions, and, in summer, the wide distant views, the lakes near the southern end, and the great cliffs that buttress the mountain. All of these are indestructable.
As regards the lower slopes, it is thought that the open eucalypt forest offers little to warrant its preservation. Moreover, it is understood that there are large areas of potential milling timber which the Forestry Commission intends to open to exploitation. Incidentally, such action might help to provide road access which is really the great need at present...
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It 'is thought, that, if the area were made a Reserve, serious limitations
might thereby be imposed on the full development of the mountain as a