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White Australians Attitudes to the Environment
introduced species were expanding with time. 1879-80 was the first major time span of a dry period (Bolton, 30). This left many farmland areas dry baron and spoilt by erosion and infested by exotic weeds. Although many pastoralists believed that they understood the climate and season of this foreign country, they were unprepared for the dry periods to come.
Britain and other European countries had land and rainfall that suited the species of cattle, sheep, goat and other grazing animals, as the land was always moist and rich with nutrients to prevent erosion. Pastoralists in Australia did not consider this when they introduced these species to Australia. This inconsideration was due to the fact that the environment was not their main concern, instead profit and income was. Prior to the discovery of Australia, no hoofed animal had ever set foot on Australian land, therefore the destruction that hoofs, grazing and land clearing mixed with the dry period caused intense trouble for farmlands, as erosion and dust storms became sever.
An obvious and continuous attitude of the government and of pastoralists throughout the development of Australia in the earlier years was production, distribution and income. Concern for the environment and it¡¯s welfare, was hardly an issue when land was cleared for farming and the impacts that introduced species would have on the continent were far from consideration.
During the 1830¡¯s grazing sheep for the production of wool, was a major trade export for Australia, however many consequences came along with this economic profit. Defoliation occurred due to grazing of these animals, especially sheep near watercourses. Harsh spear grass replaced the nutritious grasses that grazing animals ate. This transformation of grasses became an irreversible process, as thousands of acres of the Australian outback was to be eaten away (Bolton, 84).
The economic motive of Australian pastoralists grew immensely by the mid 1860¡¯s and encircled Australia by the mid 80¡¯s (Bolton, 81). Livestock continued to suppress seedling regeneration that affected many native animals and native plant, however the destruction that sheep and cattle caused was only one of many problems to the environment since the settlement of white man.
Many other destructive acts by White Australians caused the depletion and destruction to the Australian environment. For example the careless attitude that was taken to the introduction of the dog and cat was problematic. These two species enjoyed regular hunting and killing of native birds and marsupials, which caused major depletion in native animal numbers, and caused the endangered species list to grow.
Introduction of animals for sport was also popular for recreational activities, such as pigs and foxes that were introduced through hunt clubs in Melbourne in 1864 (Bolton 89). The rabbit was the most problematic exotic species that was introduced for sporting, eating and the meat trade.
In 1855 Samuel White of Wirrabeen in South Australia continually introduced colonies of [next page]