Jensen’s wood yard – Fitzroy.
There were once over 500 of these wood yards across Melbourne. During the Victorian Firewood Emergency from 1941 to 1954 nearly two million tons was produced from Victoria’s State forests and delivered to major depots by special freight trains. Anton Jensen’s wood yard was at the Fitzroy siding on the now dismantled inner circle railway.Continue reading “Jensen’s wood yard – Fitzroy.”
FEAR Branch
About one-third of Victoria, or about 7.1 million hectares, is publicly owned native forest. Under Section 50 of the Forest Act, it was possible for the Forests Commission to set aside reserves, usually for recreation or the conservation of natural features. In 1957 the area covered by this provision was quite small being only 700Continue reading “FEAR Branch”
Bushfire aerial reconnaissance.
Another Australian first. The first fire spotting aircraft in Australia was deployed on 18 February 1930 when a RAAF Westland Wapiti from No.1 Squadron operating out of Point Cook near Melbourne flew over the nearby Dandenong Ranges. The first Chairman of the Forests Commission, Owen Jones, had been one of Britain’s pioneering aviators in theContinue reading “Bushfire aerial reconnaissance.”
Bjarne Dahl.
The creation of the State Forest Department (SFD) in 1907 represented the most significant institutional reform in Victoria’s history of forest and bushfire management up to that point. The fledgling department had only 66 staff and faced formidable challenges, including protecting ecosystems about which little was scientifically understood, and responsibility for vast areas of rugged,Continue reading “Bjarne Dahl.”
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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 – Peter McHugh (2021)
Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria : A compilation of short stories – 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 