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In eastern Australia, woodland clearing or thinning to enhance productivity from pastoral activities was common practice at latitudes greater than 20°S. Ecological theory says that in water-limiting woodland environments, evergreen trees compete with the understorey pastures and restrict pasture growth. We report on results from an ironbark woodland at 23°S in a 650mm rainfall environment where there was no initial pasture growth response to the chemical removal of appreciable tree competition. Data was collected by both the Swiftsynd primary productivity method and the Botanal pasture sampling method. Possible reasons for this apparent ecological anomaly are discussed but no convincing explanation reached.