Thistle Act 1852, one of the South Australia government first laws; likely a legislative world first in weeds control
The thistle was among alien plants brought into 19th Century South Australia from seeds hidden in imported fodder, packing materials, ballast and in seed for sowing. The European colonists' land clearing created the conditions for the alien plants' takeover of the environment. The South Australia government's Thistle Act 1852 was an early control measure.
Image courtesy Weeds Australia
The South Australian government’s Thistle Act 1852 was the first weed control legislation in Australia and, likely, the world. South Australia would create other Australia-first laws protecting natural resources with the Rabbit Destruction Act 1875, Water Conservation Act 1886 and Sand Drift Act 1923.
The Thistle Act 1852 was a response to the first 1830s South Australian European colonists’ eagerness to recreate Britain’s rolling hills, uncluttered by scrub. Their activities rapidly changed the sensitive environment and among the first impacts noticed was alien plants brought in from seeds hidden in imported fodder, packing materials, ballast and in seed for sowing. This takeover by alient plants was hastened by the colonists introducing food and ornamental plants to aid their survival and to make them feel more at home.
Animals brought from other countries were deliberately introduced to this environment with no thought of the consequences, An unexpected consequence was the loss of sedate grazing animals through attacks by dingoes, and later, wild domestic dogs.
By the early 1850s thistles were rapidly spreading across all the cleared land, taking natural advantage once the trees and understory had been removed for cropping and grazing. At the same time, many dogs and dingoes were causing considerable nuisance and damage to property.
After South Australia’s Legislative Council was formed in July 1851, both these issues had to be considered. This resulted in the Thistle Act 1852 and the Dog Act 1852 being among the first legislation developed in South Australia. Both Acts provided for enforced control.
Both Acts were amended over time, with the Thistle Act expanded to include other species. A century later, the Weeds Act 1956 clearly defined who was responsible for what weeds, allowed for different categories of weeds, provided subsides from South Australian government revenue and set up a central advisory body.