This collection of historic forestry documents was put together by MW Carver, and we acquired a copy in May 2022. You will find some of the documents in the Carver Collection are duplicated by papers collected and made available before the "Papers" came into our possession.

"Carver’s papers, Forestry in Victoria 1838-1919 are considered by some historians as the authoritative source. Morris Carver was a clerk in the Forests Department where, in the late 1920s, he was given the task of destroying ‘inactive files’. This task may have led him to compile his history. He indexed reports, gazette references and other documents up to 1919 and provided an overview. He produced staff lists for 1908 and 1917, but did not include nursery and plantation staff as these staff were neither listed nor counted by the Public Service." ( See: VSF Origins, G Fahey)

What is available through this site are separate volumes which cover the entire collection. When you access the documents you will find a file called Carver Volume Index.pdf which has been extracted from the papers to help you find your way quickly. Volume E contains an extensive Index covering all Volumes but also, and perhaps more importantly, Carver's own summary of the documentation he has put together. It is a good place to start.

Access all Volumes

Some of the copying is of poor quality. Volume C mostly concerns the Royal Commission established in 1897. All fourteen Reports of the Commission are available separately, and in good quality within the folder linked below. They can also be accessed through the Public Land Forestry and Fire Section in the Site Library.

Royal Commission

Carver has information about Forestry people in both of Volumes A & E. That information has been extracted and collated as accurately as possible, and the collated information can be found in the Forestry People spreadsheet inside the Forests Staff-Pre FCV and Pre-FCV Staff- by Year tabs.

The availability of this digital copy of MW Carver’s five-volume set of "Forestry in Victoria 1838 - 1919" on this website has been made possible
thanks to the advocacy of Paul Barker and the management of Julie McCormack of the Public Records Office, Victoria.