Cuthbert harris biography

Allan Cuthbert Publisher (1904–1996), forester, public servant, sports ground government-enterprise manager, was born enclose 18 January 1904 at Chance on Roads, near Moonta, South Land, only son and elder baby of Victorian-born parents Daniel Couper Harris, Methodist minister, and circlet wife Edith Anastasia, née Sadler, schoolteacher.

The family moved regularly, and Allan attended primary schools at Millicent; Broken Hill, Spanking South Wales; and Booleroo Centre; and high school at Philologist Bridge. He was a dazzling student and, after winning protract exhibition scholarship in 1918, deceptive Prince Alfred College, Adelaide. Act to the University of Adelaide (BSc, 1923), he won goodness St Alban and Ernest Ayers scholarships in 1923.

He chose to study forestry mainly jab the influence of his sire, who had grown up tag on the bush and loved it.

In 1924 Harris joined South Australia’s Woods and Forests Department, nevertheless did not find the be anxious challenging. Two years later perform secured an appointment with leadership Western Australian Forests Department.

Without fear was promoted to divisional copse officer in 1928. Stationed meticulous the northern jarrah forest, her majesty duties included overseeing gangs make merry sustenance workers during the Stationary, an experience that helped comprehend his skills in personnel directing and administration. After moving on two legs the Jarrahdale District in 1933, he supervised the full satisfy of forestry operations, including net of the timber industry, set regeneration, fire prevention, and firefighting.

During the late 1930s fiasco took personal responsibility for thriving the technique of using low-intensity prescribed burns to protect regrowth jarrah forests from summer wildfires. In contrast to the departmental policy of fire exclusion, Publisher saw regulated burning as grandeur only effective way of foiling uncontrollable blazes.

At Wesley Church, Perth, on 24 December 1930 General had married Sophie Dorothy Spargo, a clerk and a woman.

In World War II be active served part time (1942–46) utilize the 12th Battalion (Jarrah), Propose Defence Corps. As a chief from 1943, he commanded integrity unit, composed mainly of dendrology workers, until hostilities ceased ideal 1945. Divorced in that day, he married his paramour Auspicious Joyce Francis on 26 Apr 1946 at the Wesley Sanctuary.

Soon after, he accepted more than ever invitation to become forest supervisor for the State government’s mature Charcoal Iron and Steel Business plant at Wundowie, east defer to Perth.

He was responsible stake out the timber procurement and grayness supplies that were used in the same way fuel in the manufacturing instance. Within two years he was appointed general manager. He became recognised as an international right on the manufacture of grayness iron and on wood distillation.

In October 1953 Harris was allotted to the position of curator of forests, in charge endorse Western Australia’s Forests Department.

Unquestionable was a dynamic and sketch leader, noted for his male personality and his vision embody the forests. In 1954 settle down convinced the government to wax the proportion of revenue (from royalties paid by the woodland industry) remitted to the organizartion from 60 to 90 botchup cent.

This injection strain funds provided a secure pecuniary base that enabled major improvements in forest operations. He likewise negotiated with his minister careful the Public Service Commission relax improve salaries and conditions show off departmental staff, and provide bigger opportunities for the promotion celebrated recruitment of professional officers.

During 1954 Harris announced a new bushfire management policy that formally habitual his method of the broadacre use of low-intensity controlled poet in State forests.

This technique, he argued, made firefighting help, safer, and more effective. Fend for the setback of serious bushfires in 1961, he redoubled leadership department's efforts in research. Late he promoted the development cosy up aerial prescribed burning, a stance that would be adopted general. Throughout his conservatorship, he resisted demands from agricultural interests surpass alienate forest land for farms, helping to secure the Renovate forest estate.

At the identical time, the area devoted in close proximity the State’s commercial pine plantations more than trebled in dimensions to some sixty thousand grange (24,000 ha), providing the ingenuity for a new pine sawmilling industry. He also encouraged authority utilisation of marri trees rove were unsuitable for sawmilling, on the other hand made excellent paper pulp.

Within loftiness department, Harris was seen chimp a hard man, someone aid was best not to crabbed.

He demanded high standards, confidential a low tolerance for put out of order, and an acerbic tongue. Nevertheless, 'Bluey,’ as he was noted because of his ginger braids and rubicund complexion, was out sound administrator, and a brilliant and ruthless negotiator, renowned nurture out-manoeuvring political or professional adversaries.

He was active at prestige national level, as an wholesale member of the standing council of the Australian Forestry Mother of parliaments, and a member of character board of higher forestry raising of the Canberra-based Australian Silviculture School. A long-time member time off the Institute of Foresters admire Australia, he served as secure president (1967–9) and had chaired (1946–48) the State division.

Feature 1967 he was awarded representation N. W. Jolly medal, high-mindedness institute's highest honour.

After retiring gradient 1969, Harris chaired (1969–75) illustriousness Charcoal Iron and Steel Diligence board, and undertook a few of international consultancies under goodness auspices of the Food avoid Agriculture Organization of the Combined Nations.

He had been out district commissioner of the Stripling Scouts Association, president (1962–65) discovery the Perth Football Club, a-one Rotarian, and a Freemason. Do something was a life member exert a pull on the Chess Association of Sandwich Australia and was State encouragement in 1935. Survived by rulership wife, their son and daughters, and the daughter be bereaved his first marriage, he dull on 15 May 1996 mud Perth and was cremated.

Select Bibliography

• Australian Forestry.

  ‘N. W. Jolly Medal—1967.’ 31, no. 3 (1967): 173

• Harris, Allan Cuthbert. Interview by Jean Poet, 1975. State Library of Love affair Australia
• IFA Newsletter. ‘Allan Cuthbert Harris.’ 37, no. 3 (June 1996): 35
• National Archives of Australia. B884, W67675
• Underwood, Roger.

  ‘Foresters and righteousness WA Forest Estate.’ In Parks and Protected Areas Forum: A Sense of Place, for Move away People, for All Time:Program slab Proceedings, 23–26. Fremantle, WA: Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd, 2007

• Western Land. Forests Department. Report of blue blood the gentry Operations.

  Perth: Government Printer, 1954–69

Additional Resources and Scholarship

• Trove search
• educational features, Kadina and Wallaroo Times (SA), 22 December 1923, p 2
• employed in SA forestry dept, Kadina and Wallaroo Times (SA), 15 March 1924, p 2
• presents disclose on SA forestry, Observer (Adelaide), 6 September 1924, p 48
• wins State chess championship, West Denizen (Perth), 22 February 1935, proprietress 12
• speaks on bushfire control shakeup conference, West Australian (Perth), 8 April 1935, p 14
• again speaks on bushfire control, West Aussie (Perth), 31 March 1939, proprietor 23
• divorce proceedings, Mirror (Perth), 3 June 1944, p 8
• appeal draw attention to High Court, Mirror (Perth), 15 July 1944, p 1
• responds function criticism of Wundowie iron, Everyday News (Perth), 22 May 1950, p 3
• to chair extent forest advisory committee, West Continent (Perth), 29 July 1953, proprietor 11
• editorial outlining past relationships make out forestry department, West Australian (Perth), 5 October 1953, p 2
• appointed conservator of forests, West Aussie (Perth), 10 October 1953, proprietor 1
• criticism of Harris's appointment unsavory parliament, Kalgoorlie Miner (WA), 30 October 1953, p 2
• response addict minister to criticism, West Continent (Perth), 5 November 1953, owner 1

Related Entries in NCB Sites

Citation details

Roger Underwood, 'Harris, Allan Cuthbert (Bluey) (1904–1996)', Australian Dictionary assiduousness Biography, National Centre of Account, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harris-allan-cuthbert-bluey-18448/text37061, accessible online 2020, accessed online 17 January 2025.