Interview with Andrew Kirkland

Andrew Kirkland was born in Wellington in 1935. Gives details of his family background and talks about education, religion and music when he was growing up. Describes beginning work in the Forest Service in 1952 and being on an induction course in Rotorua in 1953. Talks about the influence of A.R. Entrican who was Director of Forests from 1939 to 1961. Comments on the role of the state in forestry and refers to Ministers including Duncan McIntyre, Colin Moyle and A.P. Thomson. Gives a brief history of trends in the Forest Service since the 1920s and the multiple use approach to forestry. This included sawmilling, noxious animals, high mountain land forest, recreation and soil and water protection.

Describes study undertaken at Berkeley in the 1970s and involvement in the challenge to the Forest Service from the environmental movement, particularly the Native Forests Action Council, Nature Conservation Council and Royal Forest and Bird. Talks about the groups' demand that the Forest Service get out of native forests. Describes the focus on the Whirinaki forest which changed from clear felling to selective logging and became a showpiece for combining environmental awareness and low impact commercial operation.

Describes his interest in financial accountability and improving the business side of forestry. Gives a background to the corporatisation of the Forest Service and the announcement of the new Forestry Corporation. Comments on the family nature of the Forest Service and the effects on people of its disbanding. Recalls working with Mervyn Probine of the State Services Commission on recommendations. Talks about the involvement of John Fernyhough and Alan Gibbs in getting the Forest Service ready for corporatisation. Notes the need to oversee transfer of the environmental side to the Department of Conservation and to organise what became the Ministry of Forestry. Describes the challenge by Maori to the government's right to transfer land to a state owned enterprise. Describes working with unions and the decision of many staff to take redundancy. Comments on the trauma of changeover. Describes the government's decision to sell the Forestry Corporation and staff disillusionment. Looks at the challenge to forestry.

Venue - Wellington: 1989

Interviewer(s) - Judith Fyfe

Venue - Mr Kirkland's home in Wellington

Accompanying material - Bound in with the abstact - see abstract record

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-001881; OHC-001882; OHC-001883; OHC-001884

Quantity: 4 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 4 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 293.

Search dates: 1935 - 1989

Alternative form available: An online copy of the abstract is also available to read in the Library's Reading Room