MEN OF THE PAST
ALBERT MORRIS BOTANIST--Described by some as "the father that god forgot", Broken Hill was without mercy from the high winds and raging dust of the desert until the regeneration program commenced.
For years, the people of Broken Hill had hoped of overcoming the problem of "black" dust storms, but it was not until the year 1936 when Albert Morris came along that any progress was made.
Morris, probably the best authority on desert flora in Australia, had a home on the outskirts of Broken Hill and had given much time to studying with erosion and local conditions.
After studying the effects of the dust and wind, Morris approached the people telling them that the problem could be overcome provided that one commodity was available-money.
The money was soon made available and work commenced in 1936 on the fencing of a 20-acre section of land which was then ploughed and rows of saltbush planted in October of that year.
Within six months, the results could be seen and nurseries for plants were started at the mines.
The basic principle employed was that the fence should serve to protect the growth when young but would then be buried by the sand.
The vegetation would by that time be large enough to stop any further progress of the sand.
This first 20 acres is known as Albert Morris Park and more than 2,500 trees
grow in that area as a tribute to the savoir of Broken Hill.
The full co-operation of the mines and city Council was then received by Mr Moris and a belt of land half a mile wide and encircling the town was cut into paddocks and prepared for planting.
These paddocks were called regeneration areas, the name by which they are known today.
No stock was allowed into this area and ploughing was carried out to improve the condition of the soil.
Fencing of the original area was completed in 1938 and by that time, grass was growling two feet high in some parts of the regeneration area.
The success of the regeneration project in Broken Hill was watched with close interest by agriculture experimentalists throughout the World during the initial stages and independent schemes were carried out on similar lines in many parts, including the United States.
In a typical statement by Albert Morris, following the success of his project,he said; "we did not set out to solve national wind erosion problems, and it would be easy to claim too much for what has been accomplished.
We did set out to relieve some of the drabness of Broken Hill that we have done. "Our scanty plantings and fencing of course will not stop big dust storms which travel over long distances, but they do prevent every windy day from being a dusty one. That we say, is a worthwhile achievement".
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1886-1939
