Goyder scrapbook

Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings from 'The Chronicle' newspaper containing various articles about George Woodroffe Goyder which include biographical notes, notes on 'Goyder's Line' and on Goyder's water conservation, forestry and South Eastern drainage work.

This scrapbook was compiled by William Stanley (Stan) Kelly one of South Australia's leading authorities on agriculture at the time. Mr Kelly also wrote a series of articles to mark the centenary of Goyder's Line, which were published in The Chronicle in June, 1963 and subsequently republished as a separate pamphlet entitled Centenary of Goyder's Line.

George Woodroffe Goyder was born in Liverpool, England in 1826. He emigrated to Sydney in 1848 and subsequently moved to Adelaide and joined the South Australian Public Service in 1851. Goyder joined the Department of Lands in 1853 and was appointed Surveyor-General in 1861. As Surveyor-General he undertook several surveys in northern South Australia (1857-1866) and was responsible for determining the line of demarcation between the land suitable for growing crops and the land that was only suitable as pastoral land. This line became known as Goyder's Line. The line was based upon the survey of rainfall taken by Goyder, which allowed him to determine which areas received adequate rainfall to support growing crops.

Resulting from persistent drought Goyder found that the line of demarcation was "palpable to the eye from the nature of the country itself" South Australian Parliamentary Papers No. 78, 1865-6 p.1. North of the line the country was generally bluebush and saltbush country.

Goyder in his role as Chairman of the Forest Board recommended the establishment of forest reserves, South Australia having little commercially valuable timber. He began investigating which trees would be best and the plantings began. That board has now become Forestry SA. He was also interested in water conservation and studied the latest methods and equipment for bores overseas and undertook the drainage of the Southeast of South Australia much of which lay under water during the winter rains.

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