Jack Clarke - Yarram Overseer

“They don’t make them like they used to!”
I Hastings

Many of us will have particular amusing (and perhaps not so amusing) memories and anecdotes about experiences and people we came across during our careers with the Forests Commission. My first posting after completing VSF studies was to the Yarram District in 1970. Ken Sheldon was the District Forester, with John Booth, Forester and Jack Clarke and John Blythman as Forest Overseers. I assisted John, Jack and John on a range of programs, the Strzelecki re-forestation program, the PX plantation program, timber harvesting supervision and the fuel reduction program.

This particular anecdote concerns Jack Clarke, his dry wry sense of humour, fuel reduction and the Army. Jack had also mentioned to me that he was a returned Army serviceman from WW II – remember this.

One morning Jack said …”Come on young fella, it’s a good day for a bit of fuel reduction burning out in the Mullundung Forest”. Mullundung Forest was predominantly a Yellow Stringybark forest with some Banksia and bracken fern understory and Swamp Gum along the few watercourses and depressions, and was generally flat to gentle undulating country.

Various parts of the Army used the Mullundung Forest for Army exercises and normally we had advanced notice of when and where the exercises would be – not this time! So Jack and I started burning, taking turns with the drip torch and bringing the utility along the road. The burn was trickling back into the bracken fern understory quite steadily, and suddenly out onto the road popped soldiers fully geared with packs and SLRs with all their face camouflage markings.

I turned to Jack and said … “Look at this”. Jack, the returned Army service man, had a silly grin on his face and replied … “Oh, they don’t make them like they used to. Fancy a little bit of fire flushing them out!"

 

Ian Hastings

Ian graduated from the Victorian School of Forestry in 1969 and the University of Melbourne in 1973 with a BScFor (Hons).

After FCV field postings to the Yarram District (1970- 1971), working on the Strzelecki re-forestation program, and to the Niagaroon (Taggerty) District (mid 1973 - 1974) with responsibility for the alpine ash regeneration program, Ian transferrred to the Fisheries & Wildlife Division undertaking roles with wildlife reserves management, wildlife conservation policy and planning including representing F&W Div on several LCC land use study working groups.

Whilst with F&W Div, Ian gained study leave and completed a course work MSc at the University of California, Berkeley in 1980 majoring in wildlife and vegetation management and ecology.

With the creation of the Dept of Conservation, Forests & Lands, Ian was appointed as Ass't Regional Manager, Resource Conservation, firstly with Traralgon Region (later to become Central Gippsland Region) and then with Yarram Region. Responsibilities included biodiversity conservation, pest plant & animal management, soil conservation and salinity control, catchment management and fisheries management.After promotion to Regional Manager, Colac, another major Departmental reorganisation resulted in Ian undertaking various roles with biodiversity conservation, fisheries management, catchment management and water resources management across south west Victoria, including Departmental representative for several years on the Board of the Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority. After retirement in 2012, Ian served another 4 year term as a Board Director with the GHCMA.

Ian Hastings

Ian graduated from the Victorian School of Forestry in 1969 and the University of Melbourne in 1973 with a BScFor (Hons).

After FCV field postings to the Yarram District (1970- 1971), working on the Strzelecki re-forestation program, and to the Niagaroon (Taggerty) District (mid 1973 - 1974) with responsibility for the alpine ash regeneration program, Ian transferrred to the Fisheries & Wildlife Division undertaking roles with wildlife reserves management, wildlife conservation policy and planning including representing F&W Div on several LCC land use study working groups.

Whilst with F&W Div, Ian gained study leave and completed a course work MSc at the University of California, Berkeley in 1980 majoring in wildlife and vegetation management and ecology.

With the creation of the Dept of Conservation, Forests & Lands, Ian was appointed as Ass't Regional Manager, Resource Conservation, firstly with Traralgon Region (later to become Central Gippsland Region) and then with Yarram Region. Responsibilities included biodiversity conservation, pest plant & animal management, soil conservation and salinity control, catchment management and fisheries management.After promotion to Regional Manager, Colac, another major Departmental reorganisation resulted in Ian undertaking various roles with biodiversity conservation, fisheries management, catchment management and water resources management across south west Victoria, including Departmental representative for several years on the Board of the Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority. After retirement in 2012, Ian served another 4 year term as a Board Director with the GHCMA.