The Joh Bjelke-Petersen Queensland government furiously opposed the World Heritage declaration of the Great Barrier Reef 30 years ago, arguing only sections of it should be protected.
Newly released cabinet documents from 1980 show the coalition government was dead against the reef's listing - which happened in 1981.
Current Queensland Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten, who has released the cabinet documents, said the Bjelke-Petersen government's intention had been to do exploratory mining on the reef for oil.
Originally raised in January 1978, the idea to list the reef was set to be debated by the Australian Heritage Commission in February, 1980.
A month before that, cabinet resolved to send a letter to the commission reaffirming the Queensland government's objection to that.
It said the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority already existed to assess the "conservation, management and economic potential" of the area.
"By examining the Great Barrier Reef region by region, the Authority has acknowledged that there are areas of differing conservation potential," the letter said.
"... It would be appropriate, therefore, to list only areas of prime ecological significance on the Register as they are assessed and identified by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority."
Mr Schwarten said it was interesting to compare the environmentally-aware world of 2010 to 1980, when the environmental debate began in Queensland.
"The environment was foremost on everybody's lips but for the wrong reason," he said.
"... Ironically, one of the sticking points was that the Queensland government was demanding payment for the mining rights from the reef east of Cairns.
"Can you imagine anybody suggesting today that we mine on the Great Barrier Reef or that the Queensland government is looking for compensation to not mine on it?"
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest World Heritage Area and is the world's most extensive coral reef system, celebrated for its rich biological diversity.
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