South Australia proudly celebrates a major milestone in its history with 2025 marking the 150th anniversary of the state’s forest and timber industries.
From the first hectare of trees planted in 1875 in the Bundaleer Forests in the Mid-North, the industry has grown to 176,000 hectares, directly and indirectly supports over 21,300 jobs, processes the fibre that supports new homes, pallets that move the products we buy and many other industries.
Our plantation forests are the foundation of our state’s future.
South Australia has long been at the forefront of innovation and sustainable forest management, and the launch of the 150th celebrations marks a proud reflection of the industry’s enduring success and its growing importance to the State’s economic value chain, regional development, and environmental sustainability.
Forestry has been building our nation for the last 150 years and is a critical industry for the future and the next generation as we, as a nation, work towards a building new homes, delivering a net-zero economy, replacing fossil fuel-based plastics, and exploring opportunities in biofuels and bioenergy.
Learn about the industries enduring success and it’s growing importance to the State’s economic value chain, regional development and environmental sustainability
Our nation lacked wood fibre to support the growth and expansion of our young colony back in the 1800s. It wasn’t until 1851 when South Australia’s first parliament officials urgently declared the need to plant Australia’s first commercial plantation estate!
It is through the vision and pioneering spirit of our first Government that South Australia established the forest management organization in 1875 to provide the nation with quality building and timber products.
To learn more, please visit PIRSA’s website.
Early forestry in South Australia was concerned with finding the best timber producing tree which would grow under local conditions. Trees from Europe, North America and all over Australia were tested in trial plantings.
The first trial plantings took place at Bundaleer in the Mid North in 1876. This was the beginning of forestry in South Australia and indeed in the whole of Australia.
Learn more about Forestry in the early days.
View a series of photographs containing images of forestry related assets, including plantations, buildings, equipment, forestry workers and work areas.
View images: MT ForestrySA Mounted Photographic Collection.
South Australia’s forest industries will be celebrating this occasion through a variety of projects and activities across 2025, including the centrepiece Gala Dinner which will be held on the 13th June 2025 in the heart of the Green Triangle, Mount Gambier.
An Unforgettable Evening of Celebration & Connection
Members of Parliament, industry leaders and stakeholders gathered at the 2025 Parliamentary Friends of Forestry event to acknowledge the 150th Anniversary of the State’s forest and timber industries.
It was an opportunity to celebrate the foundational legacy of the industry and recognise South Australia as the birthplace of the nation's commercial plantation forests. Our plantation forests are the foundation of our state’s future!
Thank you to all Members of Parliament who came to celebrate this milestone with SAFPA!
LINK: https://www.facebook.com/safpaonline
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South Australia is proudly the birthplace of the nation’s commercial forestry plantations, with 2025 marking the 150th anniversary since the State embarked on a journey of plantation forestry, and the Gala Dinner is an evening for dignitaries, forest companies and staff, and the surrounding communities to celebrate and acknowledge the significant contributions the forest industries have made to our nation - economically, socially and environmentally – as well as acknowledging past, present and future trail blazers of the industry.
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By working together, we can establish an exciting program that promotes and connects the forest industries to the wider community. The Engagement Strategy outlines the various ways you can get involved.
Step 1 of 2 Your Organisation’s Personal Details
Get involved by hosting an event, please complete the expression of interest form to gain access to the 150th logo. Alternatively, please email the South Australian Forest Products Association at: [email protected]
The forest industries are all around us and have been building our state and our nation over the last 150 years. It is a critical industry for the nation’s future, and SAFPA, with support from the Government of South Australia, is pleased to coordinate celebrations to acknowledge the legacy and future opportunities of South Australia’s forest industries.
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