Changes in island biota - The Great Barrier Reef: An Environmental History - page 208

Another account, written in 1936 by the Queensland Acting Director of
Forests, stated that at Lady Musgrave and nearby islands the presence of large
herds of goats was threatening both the 'scenic charm' of the islands and the
native island wildlife; grazing by goats had resulted in the 'destruction of the
grass, herbaceous and shrubby vegetation on the islands [and the] diminution of
the normal food for land birds and other Australian animals '. 9
The destruction of vegetation at Lady Musgrave Island and other islands of
the Capricorn-Bunker Group was described in 1936 by a National Parks Ranger,
G. Geoffrey, who reported the presence of 'about twenty head of goats' at Lady
Musgrave Island, herds of goats in the Bunker Group, and about '150 head of
goats' at Fairfax Island, which were reported to be in very poor condition as a
result of lack of food and were eating the roots of Pisonia trees in order to surviv e. 10
The herds found in the Bunker Group were also reported by Geoffrey to be in poor
condition; he recommended that the animals should be destroyed because 'they
are only a means of destroying the vegetation on the islands' . 11 Steers (1938, p55)
also described the damage caused by goats at Lady Musgrave Island, although he
acknowledged that the damage was less than in previous years. He stated: 'A few
years ago there was much less vegetation on Lady Musgrave Island; the change has
been brought about by a considerable reduction in the number of goats'. Despite
Geoffrey's recommendation that the goats should be destroyed at Lady Musgrave
Island, by 1947 the animals continued to destroy the vegetation of the island. Mr
Marshall, the Queensland Ichthyologist, stated that 'at present the above island
has become over-run with goats. They have eaten the island bare of grass and
are now destroying trees'. In 1948, an early attempt was made to eradicate goats
from Lady Musgrave Island and a National Parks Ranger reported that all goats
on that island were removed and destroyed, although goats were subsequently re-
introduce d. 12
Another location that was degraded by goats was Fairfax Island where, in
1953, C. Roff investigated the impacts of military target practice on the island
(Chapter 12), and also reported the effects of a herd of about 80 goats. He
stated:
These goats have denuded the island, to the extent that ground-flora could
not be found. The only trees on the island are Pisonia grandis and one solitary
oak, Casuarina equisetifolia . The lower foliage of all the Pisonia trees has
been extensively eaten to as far as the goats can reach and climb up the
trees. No regeneration in the form of young trees or plants was noticeable
on the island, these apparently having been eaten. On the smaller island,
goats are not present and this island is covered extensively by both trees and
ground-flora. These goats which do not seem to serve any useful purpose are
damaging the natural flora on the island . 13
More than a decade later, in 1965, a National Parks Ranger reported that the
Pisonia trees of the Fairfax Islands were still being grazed by goats . 14