Over a century of forestry in NSW
Did you know that we have been managing State forests for renewable timber and other community values for over 100 years?
In 1916 our predecessor, Forestry Commission of NSW, was officially formed through the enactment of the Forestry Act 1916. Since 2013, we have been operating as a statutory State-owned corporation under the Forestry Act 2012.
Going strong after a century
Forests provide timber, employment, habitat, clean air, water and a place to be. They are resilient, dynamic and evolving – an integral part of a healthy landscape.
Balancing community needs
NSW State forests are managed to balance the ways people use forests for timber production and recreation with the conservation of unique forest features like wildlife, clean water and cultural heritage sites.
Millions of trees have been harvested from NSW State forests since the Forestry Act 1916 was passed and formal forest management began. Sustainable forest management combines the complex task of balancing the sale of forest products with maintaining the many social and environmental values our State forests provide.
The Act was aimed at protecting forests from further unmanaged clearing to ensure long-term sustainable management of the State's timber reserve. Today, the State forests of NSW remain full of trees, provide habitats for a host of native plants and animals and are great places for visitors to explore.
Forestry's contribution: then and now
As early settlement advanced through NSW, land was cleared for cultivation, trees were ringbarked for grazing and timber was to develop the colony. In 1871, the first forest reserves were proclaimed in NSW to preserve the timber resource of the colony.
By 1905, more than three million hectares of land were in timber reserves.
The first attempt at a commercial pine plantation was made at Tuncurry State Forest on the mid-north coast in 1912. Eucalypt plantations followed in 1939-40 at Walaroo and Whian Whian State forests on the north coast. By 1971, 85,000 hectares of pine plantation had been established.
Today State forests are a mixture of native and plantation forests and are managed to internationally recognised standards providing a renewable source of timber. Forest management techniques include the use of cutting-edge technology to map forests and model the volume of timber available ensuring the timber resources continues to be managed sustainably.
Forestry Corporation manages more than two million hectares of forests and contributes 14 per cent of all timber produced in Australia each year, making it a major force in the state's forest and wood products industries which employs more than 22,000 people and adds over $1 billion per annum to the State's economy.
The forest industry has evolved over the past 100 years and today is an industry with a future – using the latest technology to ensure the forest environment is maintained while supplying the renewable timber resource to the community.
Documenting our history
In 2016 we published Growing a lasting legacy in reflection of the long and rich history of forestry in NSW. Forests and timber have helped to build our towns and cities for over a century.
It would not be possible to acknowledge all of the many people who have played a role in shaping the industry we are proud to be a part of today. Instead we have published a series of snapshots of our history.
We encourage you to read the interactive publication Growing a Lasting Legacy to get a sense of where we have come from as an organisation.
Historic photos
