Victoria's national park system: can the transition from quantity of parks to quality of management be successful?

Historically the Victorian national park system developed sporadically between 1898 and 1970. Since then the area of national parks has increased well over tenfold through a combination of strong community support and the operation of the Land Conservation Council. This article examines Victoria's national park system in detail and describes the legislation, administration and resourcing of the Victorian park system over the period 1970–1993 in particular. The discussion centres on the question of Victoria's ability to make the transition from the phase of acquisition of substantial areas to the national park estate to the phase of high quality management of those areas. Such a transition would have to be against the background of the parlous state of the Victorian economy, the pressures of increased tourism and the need to rejuvenate an administrative organisation which has been subject to almost constant change over the last decade. The article concludes by considering what lessons the Victorian experience holds for other States and Territories.