Save the Forests

M McKinty

“ In the terrible forest fires of 1939, seventy-one persons lost their lives in Victoria, sixty-nine mills were burnt, whole townships were destroyed ; houses, bridges, tram-ways and machinery were burned to the ground.  Water storage in one reservoir alone was reduced by 1000 acre feet, due to siltation caused by forest fires.  Again in 1944, fifty persons lost their lives through forest and grass fires.

These tragic events brought about a meeting in 1944 of a group of Melbourne citizens who were alarmed at the situation.  From this meeting sprang the organization known as the "Save the Forests" Campaign. ” [A. Ker – see below]

The 'Save the Forests' campaign received input from a wide range of Government and private organisations.

In March of 1944, the Campaign Council published the booklet - 'Victorian Forest Facts' - to make available "factual information regarding the salient features of the Forestry situation in Victoria."

Roger Smith provided a collection of pamphlets about the Campaign that were held by his father, Frank Smith, who, in 1946, was the organisation's 'Field Officer'.

Mal McKinty

Malcolm graduated from the VSF in 1965 and achieved a Master of Environmental Science in 1992.

His postings with the Forests Commission have been in hardwood forest management in Nowa Nowa (briefly), Bendoc, Lal Lal (briefly) and Orbost; then as Assistant District Forester at Toolangi and Mansfield. From late 1978 to 1994 he was a Senior Research Officer with the Land Conservation Council and towards the end of that period took secondments with the Land Protection Division and the Forest Environment Section. From 1994 to 1998 he was Senior Planner with Forest Management Planning. Early retirement allowed him to take a two-year position (under the auspices of Australian Volunteers International) at the Bulolo University College (Forestry School) in Papua New Guinea as the Senior Technical Instructor for fire protection and forest management. Back in Victoria in 2000 he undertook contract work for a few years writing policy and reports and editing material for various Government agencies; and land-use studies for a private company. And he owns a Subaru Forester.

Mal McKinty

Malcolm graduated from the VSF in 1965 and achieved a Master of Environmental Science in 1992.

His postings with the Forests Commission have been in hardwood forest management in Nowa Nowa (briefly), Bendoc, Lal Lal (briefly) and Orbost; then as Assistant District Forester at Toolangi and Mansfield. From late 1978 to 1994 he was a Senior Research Officer with the Land Conservation Council and towards the end of that period took secondments with the Land Protection Division and the Forest Environment Section. From 1994 to 1998 he was Senior Planner with Forest Management Planning. Early retirement allowed him to take a two-year position (under the auspices of Australian Volunteers International) at the Bulolo University College (Forestry School) in Papua New Guinea as the Senior Technical Instructor for fire protection and forest management. Back in Victoria in 2000 he undertook contract work for a few years writing policy and reports and editing material for various Government agencies; and land-use studies for a private company. And he owns a Subaru Forester.