commando unit for botanical collection, which was ordered to raid the world’s botanical gardens and institutes and steal the best specimens. Starting with Poland, they planned on using slave labor to drain about 100,000 square miles of wetlands. Draining the marshes might well have lowered the water table and created a dust bowl, and it would certainly have killed the habitat of wolves, geese, wild boar and many other native species, but despoilers rarely see downstream from events.

Elsewhere, the Nazis proposed planting forests to sweeten the climate so that it was more favorable for their own crops, and they spoke openly about reshaping the landscape to better suit Nazi ideals. That revision included people, railways, animals and land alike, even the geometry of farm fields (no acute anglesAn emotional Julie Bishop says tears were shed during last night's leadership coup and Tony Abbott has been "hurt" by his ousting from the top job.

Earlier, prime minister-designate Malcolm Turnbull told reporters on Tuesday morning it was "going to be a big day" and said he would convene a meeting of Liberal MPs before being sworn in at Government House.

Mr Turnbull said he was "filled with optimism" about his new economic vision he would spend the next weeks and months setting out for the nation.