William Crooke

William Crooke – the ‘Father of Mt Field’

The bluestone obelisk at the start of the path to Russell Falls, Mt Field National Park, is dedicated to the Park’s founder, William Crooke. The memorial is in a dark and obscure corner, near the original entrance to the Park, and close to the place where, in 1917, an official ceremony was held to declare open Tasmania's first National Park. Like the half hidden memorial, William Crooke’s role as an early conservationist is all but forgotten, yet he was responsible for the 1915 Scenery and Preservation Board Act, Tasmania’s first heritage and wilderness protection legislation, which has been described since as ‘the most advanced park legislation in Australia’ for its time, and held rank for over 40 years.(1) He lobbied for the formation of ‘a People’s Park’ at Mt Field, supervised by its own Board. Three years later, in 1920, with the Park’s management undergoing acrimonious change, William Crooke died aged 75.

Mt Field National Park is Crooke's most visible legacy, but few people know of his influence on early conservation. He needs recognition for this and many other humanitarian social reforms he worked for in the Edwardian era Included was a concern for the housing and working conditions of low income earners, and the plight of deserted wives. But his interests extended further; he was a member of the Australian Natives Association, an active Federalist, a supporter of women’s rights and promoter of railway branch lines. Most of all, he loved the outdoors and the conviviality that came with recreational fishing, and supported the establishment of parks based on overseas examples.

In 1924, Crooke’s obelisk was unveiled by Premier J. A. Lyons, who praised Crooke for his ‘... unselfish interest in the creation of this great national reserve in Tasmania known as National Park...’.(2) Special guests at the unveiling were 600-700 Hobart school children, whose appreciation and enjoyment of the Park was a major concern of Crooke.

The eulogy repeated the sentiments made at the time of the Opening Ceremony in 1917. The Weekly Courier on September 2, wrote

...He was in many matters years ahead of current thought and had to fight his way through many obstacles erected by stodgy minds. He was intensely patriotic, wonderfully progressive, and courageous. He was one of that type that will not admit defeat ....where the public .(interest).. is at stake, and his tenaciousness carried him very often to a wise success where a weaker nature and less fearless man would have given up in disgust.

Hobart’s Mercury and Tasmanian Mail repeated similar feelings. The papers lost their fishing correspondent of 20 years who wrote under the pen-name of ‘Jollytail.’ These and other articles by Crooke were read in ‘mainland, English and American journals...’ Many of these articles went further

(1) Mosley, P.39

(2) Daily News 20/6/1924 P.3

The full document can be downloaded from Peter MacFie 's website