250 



suggestions that 540 acres of Government Farm and other lands in 

 the Onkaparinga, 3,250 acres in the vicinity of Mount Crawford, and 

 1,200 acres in various places should be set apart for our objects. 

 In August Dr. Cockburn intimated that his Government approved 

 of the reservation of the farm as a National Park. This followed 

 upon the Public Service Commission report, but the Cockburn 

 Government retiring it was necessary to organize another deputa- 

 tion. Mr. Alderman Bullock carried a motion in the City Council, 

 and subsequently Mr. T. Worsnop (Town Clerk), acting with us, 

 prepared a Bill vesting the whole area in trustees as a National 

 Park. This measure was intrusted to the Hon. S. Tomkinson, 

 but was not introduced owing to a technical question raised by 

 the President. This deputation obtained an intimation from Mr. 

 Playford that he was willing to set aside 1,700 acres, reserving 

 300 acres for workingmen's blocks. Our final effort in 1891 ob- 

 tained Mr. Playford's promise, and the Act was assented' to on 

 December 19, 1891. 



This Act provides for twelve Commissioners — seven ex Officio 

 and five appointed by the Government — and that of these ap- 

 pointees the two who attended the fewest meetings during the 

 previous twelve months retire and the Government appoint two 

 more. In practice this is a dead-letter., and although we have 

 repeatedly endeavoured since my resignation in 1905 to obtain the 

 appointment of two naturalists, so far we have failed, and two 

 recent occurrences illustrate the harm resulting from the absence 

 of expert guidance. 



In 1909 our Committee learnt with much surprise and regret 

 that firearms were habitually allowed in the Park, and in answer 

 to remonstrances we were officially informed that ''rabbits in- 

 creased enormously; the shooting of rabbits had been permitted 

 to approved persons, market-gardeners and others, on condition 

 that the birds were not interfered with, and suggesting that city 

 lads always had been a source of trouble to the Park, the railway 

 line affording them every facility of shooting in the park and 

 escaping along the line again before being caught." Two. serious 

 blunders are here evident ; allowing rabbits to increase so greatly 

 and disturbing a sanctuary for birds. 



Again the latest report of the Commissioners says that "pro- 

 vision has been made for kangaroos by fencing in a small area 

 of 40 acres abutting on Long Gully and near the reservoir, and that 

 it was thought about £500 (! !) would cover the cost of fencing; 

 but after the boundaries had been surveyed it was known that 

 the above estimate would be exceeded owing to the rough hilly 

 nature of the' ground necessitating continual changes of grade, 

 and the irregular shape of the piece of country selected consider- 

 ably lengthening the line of fencing." The ground is uhsuited 

 for the purpose. It is a damp cold locality and altogether too 

 rugged, for kangaroos (except the Euro, now nearly extinct, and 

 the great dark wallaroo of New England) always prefer plain 

 country, and how a flying doe can exhibit her marvellous speed 

 in such a locality I do not in the least understand. The Upper 

 Park is an ideal site, and very little further expense would have 

 fenced in about 700 acres, affording ample room for emus, kan- 

 garoos, wallaby, bandicoot, etc., and have also protected that 

 portion from the larrikin. I repeatedly endeavoured to get this 

 done, but without success. 



These details as to our part in the Park history have been ren- 

 dered necessary by repeated assertions at variance with facts. 



