John (Jack) Burnett Venman (13 August 1911–29 December 1994) was an Australian best known for deeding 254 acres of farming land to the Shire of Albert

Shire of Albert

The Shire of Albert was a Local Government Area in Queensland, located south of the capital, Brisbane, and taking in areas to the north and west of the Gold Coast. It was named after the Prince Consort of the United Kingdom, and husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert...

 for AUD$1 in 1970. The land is now known as the Venman Bushland National Park

Venman Bushland National Park

Venman Bushland is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 22 km southeast of Brisbane.-History:Jack Venman purchased 255 acres of land on West Mount Cotton Road in the Shire of Redland in 1954. The land had been heavily logged in the 1900s. Venman paid 2 pounds per acre which was a total...

. The park is located 40 km south of Brisbane CBD on West Mount Cotton Road, Mount Cotton

Mount Cotton, Queensland

Mount Cotton is a suburb located south-east of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in the Redland City local government area.Mount Cotton is named for the mountain that is in the area. It was named by Robert Dixon, a surveyor in the colony of Queensland. He named it after the commandant of the penal...

, Queensland.

Early life

Jack was born in Kingaroy

Kingaroy, Queensland

Kingaroy is an agricultural town in Queensland, Australia, approximately or about 2½ hours drive north-west of the state capital Brisbane. The town is situated on the junction of the D'Aguilar and the Bunya Highways...

, the third child of George and Sarah Venman but only Jack and his sister Everill Annie survived to adulthood. Jack’s father George was an accountant and when the Kingaroy Shire Council was formed in 1912 he became the shire clerk. George died in 1924 and the family moved back to Bundaberg. He attended Brisbane Grammar School

Brisbane Grammar School

Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...

 on a scholarship.

After leaving school Jack became a station hand on a large sheep station

Sheep station

A sheep station is a large property in Australia or New Zealand whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or south-west of the country. In New Zealand the Merinos are usually in the high country of the South...

 outside Augathella

Augathella, Queensland

Augathella is a town in western Queensland, Australia, and is part of the Murweh Shire. Augathella lies on the Matilda Highway, is north of the town of Charleville, and west of Brisbane . The town lies on the banks of the Warrego River...

. It was here that he learnt about life on the land. Jack began an apprenticeship with Australian United Steam Navigation (AUSN) as a fitter and turner in 1929. Because it was a restricted occupation Jack was excused from war service.

Coming to the Redlands

Jack purchased 255 acres of land on West Mount Cotton Road in the Shire of Redland in 1954. He paid 2 pounds per acre which was a total of 510 pounds. His early plans for the land were cattle farming but he did not have money to sustain cattle. In 1959, he sought work elsewhere travelling to and from the property. During this time Jack would visit the property returning it to its natural state as it had been heavily logged in the 1900s.

Venman bushland

In the late 1960’s Jack discovered surveyors on the property who wanted to develop the land. He turned them down but became concerned for the preservation of the land as bushland. He constructed walking tracks, barbecues and built wooden chairs and tables. In the 1970, he deeded the land to Albert Shire for $1 and the right to maintain his home on the land. At the age of 73, Venman retired as caretaker for the property.