Alfred Douglas Hardy.

The name A.D. Hardy often appears in connection with big trees in Victoria.

During the period 1918 – 1940 he published several articles in “The Gum Tree” and the “Victorian Naturalist”.

He appears to have been very thorough preparing his articles. He traversed access tracks and thick bush by chain and compass to locate the trees, then spent hours cutting scrub to obtain a clear line of sight and used proper surveying equipment to measure tree dimensions. This work suggests he made serious efforts to obtain first-hand and reliable measurements, rather than depending on second hand reports.

Consequently, his articles about big trees are now amongst the most reliable records available.

But not a great deal seems to be known about him. In the latter part of his career he worked for the Forests Commission and records show that Alfred Douglas Hardy was born in Mansfield on 1 August 1870, a son of John Hardy, then an Assistant Government Surveyor for Victoria.

He was appointed to the Public Service of Victoria on 1 July 1883, when less than 13 years old. (In those days your general education was complete when you acquired the Qualifying Certificate at the end of year six).

Alfred was appointed as Chief Draughtsman on 1 July 1910. He prepared the blueprint map of the Cumberland Valley in April 1922 based on the FCV surveyor Cornell’s measurements.

He was also an amateur naturalist, with wide interests, and also specialised in freshwater algae. In 1909, the MMBW appointed him “honorary algologist”, a position that he held for the rest of his life.

In an article written by Alfred in 1918 the letters F.L.S. follow his name. Their meaning is not clear but could mean Fellow of the Linnean Society; a view which is supported by a 1921 article by him referring to him as Botanical Officer for the Forests Commission. However, in later articles no letters or titles appear.

Alfred retired from the Forests Commission in 1935 at the compulsory age of 65.

Alfred later gave evidence the Stretton Royal Commission into the 1939 bushfires in his capacity as Vice-President of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Forests League. He said the League was:

strongly opposed to the use of fire as a means of clearing the forest of the native shrub vegetation or the natural litter, especially in mountain forests of mountain ash or messmate, and particularly those of mountain ash where a light fire will damage the trees.

Alfred Douglas Hardy continued to publish for many years.

He died in 1958, aged 87.

Source: Ken J Simpfendorfer (April 1982). Big Trees in Victoria.