When Bill Borthwick, Minister for Lands, delivered his welcoming speech to the newly formed Land Conservation Council in 1971, he advised them to make their recommendations on public land use for the state of Victoria in Australia "as if for a thousand years". And with that - he left them to it. The Land Conservation Council was to provide a unique framework free from political interference, where experts could debate public land use issues and recommend fair and balanced public land use, enshrining a representative reserve system for Victoria's remaining natural heritage. This is the story of the Land Conservation Council and how it developed into a leading model for community consultation, surviving dramatic changes to the political and environmental landscape but, despite name chances, remaining a stable and conciliatory force in the battle over public land in Victoria, Australia.