“Perhaps I was a dreamer, but my years spent living and working in the mountains of New Zealand’s
South Island provided me with an ideal. Here was spectacular beauty to rival Yosemite, where the
national park ideal was conceived. My mind became focused on the need to protect and preserve
natural landscapes for future generations. Pat Comben, the minister responsible for national parks
in the Goss government in Queensland, termed this a sacred trust’.
“I was happy to encourage and advise visitors to enjoy these jewels in the crown. I saw myself
as today’s custodian of the nation’s treasures who was holding the line until better educated and
resourced staff came along. However, I did not last the distance. Years later, I found I was ill-prepared
to deal with employees working within the system who did not share those ideals.
“In the early years, my role as District Ranger in Queensland was actually a lonely one. There
were few departmental mentors with whom I could confide in or reflect ideas or ideals, or discuss
issues. At one stage, I was the only District Ranger in Queensland.
“Across the years many people have suggested I should write of my life working in national parks.
More recently, I came to realise today’s front line staff are not aware of events as recently as even
twenty years ago. I believe it important to have part of the early history of QNPWS documented”
in particular that of Cooloola NP” as seen from the perspective of a field worker.”
In First Ranger: A Memoir, Ron records the difficulties of confronting the inevitable resistance to changes in land use, especially in the Cooloola, Fraser Island and Noosa National Parks. Taking control was slow and often hindered by indifferent visitors and unhelpful councils, but Ron made an enthusiastic effort to involve the community and establish a positive image for the QNPWS.
Ron was part of the exciting early years of this new government department, which operated with limited finance and few field staff, but was led by supportive officers, who encouraged staff to use their own initiative. As time passed, he witnessed the introduction of a top-heavy, bureaucratic administration, and in some quarters the absence of basic environmental ethics.