Charles Lane Poole

Charles Edward Lane Poole (16 August 1885 – 22 November 1970) was an English Australian forester who introduced systematic, science-based forestry practices to various parts of the Commonwealth, most notably Australia.

Biography Early life and education in Europe (1885–1906) Poole was born on 16 August 1885 in Easebourne, Sussex, England, the youngest son of Stanley Lane-Poole, an Egyptologist, and his wife Charlotte. His brother Richard was a senior officer in the Royal Navy. In 1900 his father took up a professorship at Trinity College Dublin, moving the family with him, and Lane Poole began attending school at St Columba's College the next year. He then undertook an engineering course, but dropped out after losing his left hand in a shooting accident. She stayed in Ireland when he returned to Sierra Leone, where he became the Conservator of Forests and a member of the Legislative Council, among other things establishing the forestry department and setting up the first forest reserves. In Ludlow, he set up a forestry settlement along with Ludlow Forestry School (1921–1927), the first forestry school in Western Australia. When the Western Australian authorities would not heed his advice, he resigned in protest in 1921. Shortly afterwards, Ruth returned to Ireland with the couple's two daughters. The Australian Forestry School, which was later amalgamated into the Australian National University, trained many of Australia's professional foresters. He retired from the Australian Forestry School in 1944 and from the Commonwealth government in 1945, after which he moved to the Sydney suburb of Manly and carried out consulting work. He died on 22 November 1970, aged 87, in Sydney; his body was cremated.

A large reservation of jarrah forest is named in his honour: the Lane Poole Reserve is about from Perth, and contains the old milling town of Nanga Brook.

The species Eucalyptus lane-poolei and Cycas lane-poolei were named in his honour.