About Us
This research made him aware of the concept of sustainable forest management and its environmental significance. It introduced him to Dr. David Flinn, former Adjunct Professor of Forestry and Director of the Centre of Forest Tree Technology (now the Forest Science Centre) and Mr. Ross Bickford, Technical Services Manager of the Forest Science Centre. A long and close association has seen the emergence of the Willow Blue Project.
During this time a greater awareness of due diligence involving all issues of sustainable forestry was realized, where full recognition of the cultural, environmental, social and economic components of forest management were considered.
With so much to play for, cricket promotes a rather unique opportunity.
The beloved cricket bat creates the need for the planting of trees for its manufacture and cricket forestry initiatives are producing quality marketable timber.
A value-adding renewable resource with established end markets and in the entire scheme of things... the Willow Blue Cricket forestry initiative, environmental efforts and the game of cricket go hand in hand.
Project Management
| Thomas Cullen | Willow Blue |
| Damian Cresp | Willow Blue |
| Ian Callen | Willow Blue |
| Dr. David Flinn | Forest Consultant |
| Mr. Ross Bickford | Technical Consultant |
Timber Processing
| Damian Cresp | Merchant Blue |
|
| Ian Callen | Merchant Blue |
Plantation Manager
| Ian Callen |
|
| Lloyd Callen |
|
History
A. C. MacLaren (Lancashire & England)
- 35 Tests
- 5 Hundreds v Australia
- Highest score 140
- Captain of England 22 times
- First Player to score 400 in first class cricket
- Century on debut Lancashire v Sussex
- Married Maude Lillian Power, daughter of wealthy landowner Thomas Power and the niece of former Victorian Cricketer Robert Power, and Honeymooned at the Governor and Lady Brassey's vice-regal hill residence of Healesville Victoria in 1898
Interview with Ian Callen
"History proves the concept of cricket forestry began with A. C. MacLaren, Captain of England during the Australian Tour of 1902".
 |
| The Crockett Plantation early 1900's |
"I believe it was a honeymoon train trip from Melbourne to Healesville that provided Archie with the revelation that bat willow could be grown in Australia and he was well aware of the commercial potential. MacLaren also understood that site selection was crucial and records prove that he passed this information on".
"If he were here with us today I am certain he would be very pleased that we didn't give up on the idea and that the progeny of his first cuttings eventually made it to where he intended".
A Historical MacLaren Interview
Compiled by Ian Callen
Described as dashing at the wicket and even smarter in the field at slip or at cover-slip, Mr. MacLaren judged the flight of the ball unerringly, while boundary after boundary was saved by the manner in which he picked up the fastest cut, snick, or drive with either hand.
By the year 1895 Mr. MacLaren had wooed his bride Maud and was playing the best cricket of his life. He had scored his maiden Test century at Melbourne; had been named captain of Lancashire; scored a world record 424 runs and was voted Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
Prior to his third tour of Australia the England Captain went on the record as saying "They (Australia) will, of course, be without poor Harry Trott, the finest captain and one of the best fellows I have ever met but they have some bowlers and it will take our very best All England side to beat them this coming summer".
"Bowlers are of two classes: head bowlers, men who bowl with their heads; and mechanical bowlers. Which is best? The former, without a doubt and this is where the Australians are so much ahead of us in their own country. Their wickets are dry and hard, and it is useless for a man to keep on bowling dead on the wicket. He must of course use his judgment, and as a natural consequence the bowler at Sydney, or Adelaide, or any other of the Australian grounds, is obliged to try experiments in the attempt to secure a wicket. They try far more of these experiments and dodges than our bowlers. Here they must do so in order to justify their reputation".
"When a batsman goes in, the bowler is continually trying some device in order to get him out, or to tempt him in some fashion. This style of play is strange to a new-comer, and he falls into the trap laid for him. Then he wonders why he could not have seen what was likely to happen. But a new man possesses very little chance of becoming a success upon Australian wickets: he has too much to learn to be able to crowd all his experience into the beginning of one tour".
"Their best performer with the ball is Hugh Trumble, without a doubt; he knows our wickets well; is remarkably good upon his own wickets, and he uses his judgment to the best advantage. Upon a wicket that suits him he is practically unplayable, while he is a man who can always be relied upon".
"Last tour we were beaten, fairly and squarely," he admitted; "but after all, we had a far more formidable task than faced by any of the earlier elevens. On the former occasions cricket had not secured such a hold upon the Australian public. The game was in a transitory stage, so to speak".
"Now the case is vastly different. Cricket has been improved all round in Australia, while, as I have said before, a new man must almost entirely alter his style of play if he wishes to be a success. And some men cannot do that, consequently they fail".
"Even when he does make this alteration, it takes a very long time before he can feel at all at home under the different conditions. It is always the same, and it by no means follows that because a man is a great player here in England he will prove an equal success in Australia".
"In speaking of Australian cricket it is a fearful drawback to any visiting team, this playing first on turf and then on matting. Upon the average, during our last tour, we played three of these matches in a fortnight. We found the ball came in at a lightning pace, and regulated our style accordingly".
"The Australians may smile when they read this, but I am absolutely certain several of our batsmen's failures were caused by the exchange of surface".
"There was a great deal too much of the 'barracking' humour especially at Sydney, on the occasion of our last test match there. At Melbourne, however, the crowd behaved much fairer to us. There is a great difference between an Australian and an English crowd. The former are not nearly so generous: they do not like to see you winning. As long as they are on top they are satisfied; but if there is a prospect of their being beaten, then they commence to 'boo and yell' at the visiting players".
"It was not the paucity of our numbers that upsets us in Australia. It was the heat. During the day we would be beneath a broiling sun; then at night, up would come the hot wind, and we could not sleep. That in itself was enough to put a man off his form".
At the Melbourne Test of 1902 Mr. MacLaren the Captain of England turned to Bob Crockett, the International umpire and bat repairer and said, "One thing that surprises me Bob is that you do not grow the bat willow in this country. I have seen a score of suitable localities but I have not seen a single tree of the very ornamental bat willow." Some six months later Crockett received six cricket bat willow cuttings sealed in a steel tube.
Indeed it is a quirk of fate that at the very location Mr. and Mrs. MacLaren honeymooned in Healesville, more than 100 years later you will find from this very progeny, a cricket bat willow plantation.
Mr. MacLaren died November 17th 1944 aged 73; he had played 424 first class matches for Lancashire scoring 47 hundreds and had played 35 Test matches scoring 5 centuries.
It is therefore extremely interesting to reflect on a man Neville Cardus wrote so colourfully; "MacLaren didn't merely hook the ball he dismissed it from his presence". And for those who would rather portray him poorly it is perhaps appropriate to allow Mr. MacLaren one final quote.
"There are too many critics, and, as is generally the case, those who know least have the most to say".
Powered by:
Ozzinet Web Design