The world in country Victoria

Situated on a hillside adjacent to the country town of the same name, the University of Melbourne’s Creswick campus boasts an eclectic mix of architectural styles and periods, from the historic hospital built in 1863, to its new gym completed only last year. 

And these days the Creswick student cohort, both resident and transitory, is equally diverse. Australian and Victorian-based students mix with those from an astonishing number of countries to investigate a similarly broad range of forestry-related topics at what is often referred to as the spiritual birthplace of forestry education in Australia.

“The campus is located at the site of the old Goldfields Hospital and our first students were taught here in 1910 in Tremearne House, a beautiful Victorian mansion and the original home of the hospital’s Dr John Tremearne,” explains Associate Professor Gerd Bossinger, Director of Creswick campus and Head of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science. 

“Today the hospital building houses the campus library, computer lab, collaborative learning centre, and a modern student learning hub. Further up the hill is the mid-eighties university building, and further up still, a state-of-the-art laboratory, teaching and administration complex, a modern gymnasium and refurbished recreational facilities.”

Over time the curriculum has also changed from a focus on teaching practical skills to the academically orientated Masters degrees now taught at Creswick. 

“During early decades, from 1910 to 1940, small cohorts of three to four forestry cadets, all from Victoria, undertook a three-year course towards an Associate Diploma,” says Professor Bossinger, “and a select few were sent to the University of Melbourne to finish a science degree.”

Today, subjects in forest ecosystem science and bushfire planning and management are increasingly popular all over the world and are delivered at Creswick in two-week residential blocks providing opportunities, according to Professor Bossinger, for young graduates, career changers and those who want to update their skills while already in the workforce. 

In a cohort typical of its cosmopolitan student population, a farm trees and agroforestry subject last year saw graduate students from across Australia studying with those from Botswana, Cambodia, Chile, China, Ghana, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Zambia.

And, according to Dr Christopher Weston, Co-ordinator of the Master of Forest Ecosystem Science degree, that does not come close to covering the variety of nationalities drawn to Creswick which is, today, Australia’s only dedicated campus for extensive research in forest ecosystem function and productivity.

“We recognise the diverse interests and motivations of our students,” says Dr Weston. “But we also appreciate that forest knowledge is crucial in all societies – for water, wood, fire knowledge, recreation.”

Agnieszka Wujeska, a PhD candidate who is in the second year of her three-year research project, is from Poland and lives on campus with her partner.

In light of scientific predications of enhanced global warming, Ms Wujeska is using Australian native tree species such as Acacia and Eucalyptus to determine tree species that will be best placed to adapt to prolonged periods of drought. 

“Australian flora and fauna is very different from that of my country,” says Ms Wujeska, “but Creswick is so similar to home – having not too many people and being near to nature reminds me of where I come from.

“I feel a little bit homesick, but the landscape and people on campus help me manage this.”

Helale Bahrami, another PhD candidate studying and living on campus with her partner, is Iranian. Ms Bahrami, who is researching the physiology of plant species, says she was attracted to the multicultural nature of Australia and the primary importance agriculture plays socially and economically. 

“Students interested in land management issues in a broad sense love being immersed in an environment that reflects their professional interests,” says Professor Bossinger. “This is particularly true for overseas students for which the Creswick option provides an exotic, exciting and affordable alternative to living and studying in the city. 

“What better way to start your Australian experience than being greeted by a mob of kangaroos on the campus carpark?” 

According to Professor Bossinger, foreign students in particular feel safe on campus and within a rural community, with on-campus accommodation offering social integration and a buzzing multicultural atmosphere. 

In turn, the international students have a significant impact on the local Creswick community, particularly when they are accompanied by their families and where their children attend the local kindergarten or school. 

“There is no sign of a language barrier and international cooking events, both on and off campus, are the envy of many,” says Professor Bossinger.

With regard to a society more urbanised, but less orientated to understanding forests in a sophisticated way, the academic priority, according to Dr Weston, is to nurture, build and promulgate knowledge of forests and forest ecosystems.

“In developing countries the stakes are even higher,” says Dr Weston, “where forests perform a vital role in alleviating poverty.”

www.land-environment.unimelb.edu.au