Jim Gasteen (1922–2017) was an Australian farmer and conservationist, responsible for the establishment of a number of National Parks in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Early life

Wrixon James Gasteen was born in Brisbane, Queensland in 1922. He grew up on farms around Thrushton, Queensland where his father used the mulga lands as feedstock. Gasteen educated himself in a number of subjects including land management, geology, botany, biology and wood-turning. The family farm completely regenerated over time and Gasteen petitioned the Queensland government to make it a national park. Gasteen's book ''Under the Mulga'' (2005) reflected his early life on the land.

Career

In the 1960s and 1970s Gasteen was involved in surveying and promoting National Parks proposals across Queensland. This was unpopular with many graziers and politicians. He worked to protect remnant patches of Central Queensland scrub but also surveyed land from the

Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria (, ) is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). The northern boundary is ...

in Queenland's north to the

Scenic Rim The Scenic Rim is a group of forested mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range, located south of Brisbane agglomeration, straddling the border between south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. In 2021, the S ...

on the Queensland/New South Wales border. His survey work or reports led to the establishment of

Expedition National Park Expedition is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 490 km northwest of Brisbane. It is named for the Expedition Range of mountains. The park is part of the Brigalow Belt bioregion. This area is mostly dominated by dry eucalyptus forest ...

Nuga Nuga National Park Nuga Nuga is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 515 km NW of Brisbane. It lies adjacent to Lake Nuga Nuga in the Comet River water catchment area of the Brigalow Belt bioregion. It contains small areas of lacustrine and riverine ...

, New England National Park, Rinyirru National Park, Boodjamulla National Park, Northern Rivers National Park and

Border Ranges National Park The Border Ranges National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. A small portion of the national park is also located in South East Queensland. The park is situated approxi ...

Memberships and awards

* Appointed Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AM) for "nature conservation and as an advocate of balanced land use management" in 1993. * Life member of the

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (Wildlife Queensland) based in Queensland, Australia is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to engage communities to deliver conservation outcomes. Founded in 1962, Wildlife Queensland works ...

. Gasteen also wrote ''They All Left Tracks (2003)'' and ''Back to the Bush (2011)''. Gasteen died in Lismore, New South Wales in August 2017 He was married and had four children. Ten boxes of Gasteen's notebooks, photographs and correspondence are held in the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

Fryer Library.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gasteen, Jim 1922 births 2017 deaths 20th-century Australian farmers Members of the Order of Australia Australian conservationists