John Johnstone.

John Johnstone was born in Scotland and initially trained in large-scale landscaping and plantation forestry at the magnificent Gordon Castle.

After migrating to Australia and first working on an estate in South Australia, he became the curator of Maddingley Park at Bacchus Marsh in 1887 and stayed for 10 years.

In 1898, Johnstone was recruited to the Forest Department by the Conservator of Forests, George Perrin, and moved to Macedon nursery as most new staff did at that time.

After Perrin’s sudden death at Ballarat on Christmas Eve in December 1900, Johnstone was proposed as a joint Conservator, along with Mr Hugh Robert Mackay who had been Secretary to the 1897-1901 Royal Commission on State Forests and Timber Reserves.

James Blackburne was the Inspector of Forests at the time and was Perrin’s obvious successor but was over the age of sixty and held strong views and differences of position on the management of the state’s forests.

There was considerable political debate and opposition in the press to Johnstone being appointed Conservator, including him being described as just “a glorified landscape gardener”.

The eloquent Hugh MacKay was eventually appointed as the new Conservator of Forests.

Johnstone was assigned as the Superintendent of State Plantations, a role which included oversight of the Creswick nursery.

John Johnstone was both creative and productive. He developed metal pots to improve sapling growth, he designed the whimsical nursery rotunda along with its eclectic fountain. He also laid out the extensive Creswick plantations and designed a wheelbarrow and the plantation stables.

The well-regarded local MP, Alexander Peacock, is generally credited with founding the Forestry School at Creswick. Peacock was born at Creswick in 1861 and was the local politician at the time when the school was opened. He spent 44 years in State Parliament including being the 20^th Premier of Victoria in 1901. He died in October 1933 and the Memorial Gates at the entrance to the school were opened in October 1952 in his honour.

But the real credit behind the success of the Forestry School is more likely to have been John Johnstone.

The School opened on 29 October 1910, with a large delegation of Members of Parliament and their companions. Visitors toured the School, sawpit gully nursery, Creswick plantations and toasted the great endeavour. Newspapers made mention of Johnstone along with then Minister of Forests, Peter McBride, the previous Minister, Donald McLeod, the Conservator, Hugh Mackay and local MP Alexander Peacock. Speakers acknowledged Johnstone’s central role in the undertaking.

“The State was indeed fortunate in possessing such a splendid officer as Mr. Johnstone, who had proved himself to be the first man in forestry in the Commonwealth.”

The Creswick Advertiser concluded:

“Mr Johnstone has had to convince the heads of the department and the Minister, of the utility of the schemes which he originally brought forward, and the benefits likely to be conferred upon the community if they were given effect to. … It speaks volumes for the capabilities of Mr Johnstone, and his special knowledge of forestry gained after a lengthy experience, that his schemes have stood the practical test”.

But sadly, John Johnstone is generally overlooked from his rightful place in the history of forestry in Victoria. It is often said he clashed with others who then fostered grudges, was seen as an outsider, and not considered to be a genuine forester. We will never know…

Gerry Fahey (2018). https://www.victoriasforestryheritage.org.au/activities1/learning/212-vsf-origins.html