'We're blowing this thing into the harbour': 50 years since woodchip bombing

Fifty years ago, in July 1976, a radical act of protest unfolded in Bunbury, Western Australia, when Michael Haabjoern and John Chester detonated explosives in a stolen car, targeting the city's port. This event, later labeled a "gross act of terrorism" by the then-premier, was a dramatic escalation in the fight against the woodchipping industry.

The roots of the bombing lay in the increasing opposition to the logging of old-growth forests for woodchips, a practice the state government had significantly expanded in the late 1960s. The agreement to export 750,000 tonnes of chips annually to Japan turned woodchipping into a major economic driver for small towns in the South West region.

Haabjoern, one of the bombers, described his motivation stemming from witnessing the rapid destruction of ancient trees. "You go out the bush, and you see 20 [men] with chainsaws, knocking down huge … karris in 10 minutes," he recounted. "That tree has been there for 500 years, some bastard knocks [it] down in 5 minutes, and then within 5 hours it goes through a mill."

Conservationists, including schoolteacher Graeme Robinson, initially pursued more conventional protest methods like writing letters to local newspapers. However, tensions flared, particularly after a heated meeting in Manjimup where mill workers, allegedly fueled by beer provided by their manager, disrupted a conservation group's presentation. Robinson believes Haabjoern's subsequent beating during that confrontation solidified his resolve, ultimately leading to the bombing.

“

You go out the bush, and you see 20 [men] with chainsaws, knocking down huge … karris in 10 minutes. You think, 'That tree has been there for 500 years, some bastard knocks [it] down in 5 minutes, and then within 5 hours it goes through a mill.'