Logging Contractors & Firefighting.
Today marks two years since commercial timber harvesting on Victorian State forests ceased. And it’s been a difficult transition for many. One of the major consequences has been the loss of experienced machine operators and logging contractors to assist with forest firefighting. Sawmill workers and logging contractors have always been an integral part of Victoria’s firefighting…
Parnaby totems – Cann River.
It seems to mainly be a Gippsland phenomenon. Maybe isolation, maybe exemplary axeman’s skills, maybe a whacky sense of humour, or maybe just simple boredom, but Gippsland, in eastern Victoria, has a rich history of mysterious carved wooden characters across its extensive State forests and roadsides. They include Pons asinorum near Cann River (early 1920s),…
The Working Forests – mission accomplished.
With the generous support of Eucalypt Australia and the Dahl Trust, I have been busy over the last year writing and compiling a free eBook titled “The Working Forests”. The notion of Working Forests sits at the very heart of traditional forest management and the long-term approach to sustainability. It conjures up an image of…
Harold Hanslow – Soil Saver.
Soil erosion was identified as an emerging problem across rural Victoria almost immediately after the gold rush of the 1850s. The Royal Commission of 1897-1901 into the destruction and wastage of Victoria’s forests also identified the importance of protecting soils and forested water catchments. A Sludge Abatement Board was appointed in 1905, charged specifically with…
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Peter McHugh
Retiring in 2016 after nearly 40 years as a field forester and firefighter in Victoria I now find time to write about the forests and their rich history..
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The 1982-83 Victorian Bushfire Season.
Including Ash Wednesday – 16 February 1983.
A forester’s perspective – Peter McHugh (2022).
Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria: A compilation of short stories. Series 5.
Peter McHugh (2024).
Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria: A compilation of short stories. Series 4.
Peter McHugh (2023).
Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria: A compilation of short stories. Series 3.
Peter McHugh (2022).
Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria: A compilation of short stories. Series 2.
Peter McHugh (2021).
Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria: A compilation of short stories. Series 1.
Peter McHugh (2020)
Forest Faces : Mysterious carved wooden faces of Gippsland’s forests and roadsides.
Peter McHugh (2021)
1965 Gippsland Bushfires : A reconstruction of events from February to March 1965
Peter McHugh (2020)
Copyright © Peter McHugh – 2022. All rights reserved.
This blog draws a selection of my original stories from a parrallel FaceBook Page.
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 