Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage

World Forestry Day.

Today is World Forestry Day (WFD) which was proclaimed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation over 50 years ago in 1971. It was set down for 21 March each year to coincide with the vernal equinox when the sun passes over the equator giving equal lengths of day and night. It also marks…

Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre.

The magnificent Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre (TFDC) was opened by the Minister for Natural Resources, Geoff Coleman, nearly 30 years ago on 14 February 1994 but its origins can be traced back many decades earlier. During the late 1960s, the Forests Commission Victoria (FCV) started to dip-its-toe into the world of public information and schools’…

Pack Saddle.

This pack saddle was thought to be owned by the Forests Commission and used by fireguards from Orbost at remote fire towers like Stringers Knob, or by forest assessors measuring stands of timber. They could spend up to a week away at time and the saddle was designed to be secured on the back of…

Speedy Moisture Meter.

Bushfire behaviour is influenced by many things including temperature, relative humidity, forest type, fuel quantity and fuel dryness, topography and even slope. Wind has a dominant effect on the Rate of Spread (ROS), and also bushfire size, shape and direction. Fuel arrangement is as important as fuel quantity (tonnes/ha). Fibrous and ribbon bark, together 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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Archives

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 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.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/forestcommisionheritage