Canada and Australia - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 145

18,000 acres, was dedicated in 1879. (The designation “national” referred
to its importance rather than ownership. It was and continues to be owned
by New South Wales.) Another tie to California was the introduction of
the Monterrey Pine, known as Pinus radiata , in 1876. The tree adapted well
to dry conditions, especially in South Australia, and quickly grew tall and
straight making it ideal for lumber. In a reciprocal fashion, Californians
imported the eucalyptus trees, which were soon planted everywhere,
becoming an ecological pest in many areas. 8
By the turn of the 20th century, Australians were taking a positive atti-
tude toward their Quiet Continent. Other nicknames were the Happy
Country, the Lucky Country, and the Antipodes. Dorothea Mackeller
composed one of its most popular poems. 9
I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror, The wide brown land for me.
Government: Australia was not organized into a single nation as a federal
Commonwealth until 1901. Prior to then, the six colonies were governed
independently of one another. The government was primarily copied from
Britain, and referred to as the Westminster System. Parliament, consist-
ing of two houses, elected a prime minister and cabinet ministers from
the party with the majority. Yet it also copied some features from the
United States, such as the term states rather than provinces , and Senate
and House of Representatives rather than the House of Lords and House
of Commons. The High Court is similar to the American Supreme Court.
Wags call the hybrid the Washminster System.
Again, like the United States, Australia selected an entirely new site for
the national capital: Canberra. Like Washington, D.C., Canberra has long
avenues meeting at traffic circles, and many parks and monuments that fit
the natural topography. Built in a remote valley, beginning in 1913, and
designed by an American landscape architect, the capital incorporates
the principles of the City Beautiful Movement. Capital Hill dominates the
city, crowned by the New Parliament House with a giant flag flying over it.
At the national level, the chief agency is the Department of Environment
and Heritage. Major divisions are Parks, Meteorology, Resources, Wildlife
and Marine. Others are the Antarctic Division, the Great Barrier Reef
Authority, and the Greenhouse Office. Established in 1971 as the Department