Leading the establishment of Australia’s first forestry organisation: some lessons for today’s leaders in forest management

Abstract

South Australia was the first British colony in Australia to legislate for a forest service. It established a Forest Board in 1875 that subsequently became the first Woods and Forests Department in 1882. This was an innovation in the Australian colonies and a first for the independent colonies of the British Commonwealth. George Goyder, the colony’s surveyor-general, and head of the Lands Department, played a critical role in the creation of these organisations. This paper presents a case study analysis of the leadership of this innovation, based on historical research. The results demonstrate the importance of leadership and capacity to bring systems thinking into the development of institu..