74 



THE FOUNDATION OF THE NATIONAL PARK. 



By Olive E. Loed, 



Hon. Secretary National Park Board. 



[Received 2nd September, 1918. Read 14th October, 1918.] 



As in years to oomo the National Park will probably 

 be of coinsiderable interesti to natural history students, a 

 brief resume of its foundation may be considered worthy 

 of placing on record. 



Several attempts have been made in the past to' secure 

 a sanctuary for the fauna and flora of Tasmania, but these 

 have not been a. success. In one instance, however, a 

 reserve was proclaimed of the Freycinet Peninsula, on 

 the East Coast, but, owing to' the fact that it was easily 

 accessible from the sea, and that no provision was made 

 for a permanent ranger, the fauna wasi soon reduced. 

 When the T'asmanian Field Naturalists' Club held its 

 Easter Camp at Wineglass Bay in 1908 (i) certain of the 

 Marsupialia were plentiful, but on visiting the locality 

 six years later (2) very few representatives of this order 

 could; be seen. 



Several years ago Mr. W. C'rooke drew attention to 

 the advisability of forming a reserve at Mount Field. 

 Meetings and deputations were organised, and a. special 

 association, known as the National Park Association, was 

 formed, in order tO' support, the plan for a National Park. 

 The bodies who were proiminently represented in the 

 movement were the Royal Society of Tasmania, the 

 Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club, the University of 

 Tasmania, the Hobart City Council, the Fisheries Com- 

 missioners, the New Norfolk Council, and the A.N.A. 



After protracted negotiations the then Minister of 

 Lands (Hon. E. Mulcahy) agreed to a reserve of 500 acres 

 being set aside near the Russell Falls. This did not give 

 satisfaction to the proimoters, and a change of Govern- 

 ment gave an opportunity for further negotiations. The 

 •otitcome of these was that the Minister of Lands at that 

 time (Hon. J. Belton) agreed to- the reservation of an area 

 of 27,000 acres for a National Park. The area proclaimed 

 embraces practically the whole of the Mount Field Range, 



(1) Tas. Field Nat. Club. Easter Camp Report, 1908. 



(2) Id. 1914. 



