ABSTRACT
Rural land use planning was also apparent in the establishment of reserves for wildlife and scenic national parks, as an appreciation of the variety of fauna, flora and environments within the colonies came into being. British colonial policy regarding the indigenous population in the rural areas lacked any consistent direction. The keys to understanding the development of the indigenous landscape were the extent of the incorporation of the rural economy into the Imperial economy and the degree of its dependence upon a settler community. In South Africa a weakening rural reserve economy was maintained by an increasingly significant contribution from migrant labourers working in the settler economy. Most of the writings on the colonisation of rural areas within the British Empire have been directed towards the settlement of Europeans, particularly British settlers. The forested lands presented an equally grave problem of preservation and conservation as well as exploitation.
