Congratulations to Mary Koolhof OAM
Production and sources of agricultural limestone and dolomite in Tasmania are considered in the context of their geology, the acidity of their surface soils, transport and current patterns of use. The Tasmanian Government paid a rail freight subsidy between 1940 and 1980 to encourage on-farm use of ground lime products. Regulations and registration were adopted in 1955 to ensure minimum standards for neutralising value and particle size. Registration ceased in 2005 when the regulations were changed to align with other Australian states.
The production of ground agricultural liming materials increased from 4 kt in 1940 to 75 kt at the time the transport subsidy ceased in 1980. Subsequently, annual production continued to gradually increase to a peak of 207 kt in 2001, but then declined to an average of 145 kt between 2006 and 2020. Current lime use is substantially in excess of the amount required to neutralise the acidifying effects of nitrogen fertilisers. The evolution in the methods of quarrying, transport, costs and quality control between 1940 and 2020 are reviewed.
Published Papers
The Royal Society of Tasmania acknowledges, with deep respect, the traditional owners of this land, and the ongoing custodianship of the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. The Society pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples have survived severe and unjust impacts resulting from invasion and dispossession of their Country. As an institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, the Royal Society of Tasmania recognises Aboriginal cultural knowledge and practices and seeks to respect and honour these traditions and the deep understanding they represent.
On 15 February 2021, the Royal Society of Tasmania offered a formal Apology to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people. Read more
