Owen Jones (forester) facts for kids
Owen Jones (1888–1955) was an important person in forestry and aviation. He worked as a forester in different parts of the British Empire, flew planes during World War I, and helped protect forests. He was also the first leader of the Forests Commission Victoria in Australia.
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Early Life and Education
Owen Jones was born in 1888 in Farringdon, England. He went to Kingswood School, where he was good at sports like cricket and rugby. Being good at sports was seen as a sign that he could work well in a team and handle tough forestry jobs.
Jones won a scholarship from the government of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). This allowed him to study natural sciences at Oxford University in 1910. The next year, he earned a Diploma of Forestry. He learned from a famous forester named Sir William Schlich. Jones also trained in Germany, where he learned about scientific forestry.
Forester in Ceylon
After finishing his studies in 1911, Jones became an Assistant Conservator of Forests in Ceylon. He was one of the first foresters in the country with professional training.
In Ceylon, Jones faced several challenges. He worked to reduce the high demand for timber used in railways and public buildings. He also dealt with people breaking forest rules and tried to make more areas into protected forest reserves.
Wartime Pilot
In February 1917, Jones left his job in Ceylon to join the Royal Flying Corps. This was Britain's air force during World War I. He became one of the original "Warbirds," a nickname for early pilots.
Jones became an officer in August 1917. He served overseas as a pilot with the Independent Air Force. He flew planes on bombing missions into Germany. He was injured during his service. Later, he became a flying instructor at RAF Cranwell in England.
Leading Victoria's Forests
After World War I ended in December 1918, a new law changed how forests were managed in Victoria, Australia. The old State Forest Department was replaced by the Forests Commission Victoria (FCV). This new group had three Commissioners who would lead an independent organization.
The main goals of the new Commission were:
- To protect, grow, and use native forests in a smart way.
- To plant enough new forests with non-native trees.
- To do important research on forest products.
- To create a strong organization to prevent and fight bushfires.
The new Commission was designed to be mostly independent from politics. It received money from the government and could also earn its own money from selling timber. This helped it carry out its plans and programs.
In January 1919, a worldwide search began for the new Chairman of the FCV. Over 100 people applied for this important job. Owen Jones decided not to go back to Ceylon after the war. At 32 years old, he applied for the Chairman position in February 1919.
Jones was chosen for the role in June 1919. Eight days after finding out, he married Elsie Veronica Farmer in London. Getting to Australia after the war was difficult. However, Lieutenant General Sir John Monash helped them find space on a ship. Jones and his wife sailed on the Morea in October and arrived in Melbourne in November.
Owen Jones's first goals as Chairman were to make the organization financially stable. He also wanted to bring in good forestry practices and hire trained staff. The Victorian School of Forestry had already opened in 1910 to train foresters.
Jones believed that forests needed roads and railways to be developed. He also thought they should be managed to produce a steady supply of timber. This would help local industries that relied on wood. He said that a forester's main job was to make sure forests could always provide what was needed.
Protecting the Otway Forests
At that time, Victoria was a "Settler State." This meant that people wanted to expand farming, and there wasn't much suitable land left. Often, forest-covered land was seen as "wasteland" that could be cleared for farms.
When Jones arrived in 1919, foresters often disagreed with the powerful Lands Department. The Lands Department wanted to open up more public land for farming. Politicians also opposed reserving more forests, thinking it would stop land settlement.
The Lands Department was a very strong government group. The Forest Service, on the other hand, was smaller and struggled to stop the constant efforts to clear more of Victoria's forests for farming.
The Minister for Lands, David Oman, was against forestry. He said that his department would decide if forest land should be used for settlement, without asking the Forests Commission.
Things became very tense in November 1923. The Minister for Lands announced a plan to open nearly 27,000 acres of State forests for farming. This land was in the dense Otway Ranges, between Apollo Bay and Hordern Vale.
These forests were saved from being cleared because foresters, sawmill owners, the media, and the community worked together. Newspapers like the Argus and The Age strongly criticized the plan.
In June 1925, after almost two years of arguments, the government finally rejected the plan. This was a "victory" for the Otway forests. However, it was a difficult time for Jones. Some politicians criticized him harshly. They even tried to stop his salary from being increased.
In 1925, Jones resigned from the Commission. He moved to New Zealand to work as a forester for a large tree-planting company called New Zealand Perpetual Forests. From there, he openly criticized the Victorian government for neglecting its forests.
Forestry in New Zealand
Jones had always believed in using new technology for forestry. He was an early supporter of using aerial photography to map forests. He also thought airplanes could help fight bushfires. In 1920, he gave a presentation in Melbourne about using aerial surveys for forests.
Later, in New Zealand in 1937, Jones used aircraft to find fires in tree plantations and direct firefighters.
During World War II, Owen Jones joined the New Zealand Forestry Companies. He became the commanding officer of the 14th Company. They joined two Australian forestry companies in England.
However, once in England, Jones looked for a role that would use his skills more fully. He became a photographic interpreter for the Royal Air Force. This meant he analyzed aerial photos.
After returning from World War II, Jones remained dedicated to his profession. He became a respected figure among New Zealand foresters. He was one of the founding members of the NZ Institute of Foresters in 1928. He later started a branch in Rotorua and served as the national president from 1946 to 1948.
Owen Jones passed away in Rotorua on February 7, 1955.
Images for kids
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Owen Jones in his Royal Flying Corps uniform. Photograph probably taken 1917 (Source: Australian Forestry Journal circa 1920-22 via Mike Roche). FCRPA Collection.
