Perhaps Australia’s finest fighting soldier, Albert Jacka has the honour of being the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross during World War One, the highest decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy. Albert Jacka is also one of twenty employees displayed on the Forests Department’s Roll of Honour. Albert was workingContinue reading “Albert Jacka V.C.”
Monthly Archives: April 2022
John Harding Chinner.
Born in Adelaide on January 9, 1915, John Harding Chinner studied at the Victorian School of Forestry (VSF) at Creswick and graduated Dux of his class in 1932. He was also awarded the prestigious A. V. Galbraith Medal. John (or Jack as he was also known) served four years as an assistant district forester atContinue reading “John Harding Chinner.”
Otways Redwoods & The Balts.
The first batch of “Balts” destined for the Otway forests arrived in Colac on 8 April 1949, after having travelled by train from their processing centre at Bathurst in New South Wales. Others had been assigned to nation-building projects like the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Many of these post-war immigrants and refugees came from Lithuania, Latvia,Continue reading “Otways Redwoods & The Balts.”
Sussos.
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 led to a worldwide economic collapse, which quickly spread to the Australian economy and signalled the beginning of the “Great Depression”. At its worst in 1932, unemployment in Australia reached 32 percent, but this figure did not include women who had lost their jobs or teenagers who had neverContinue reading “Sussos.”
Dandenong Ranges Buyback Scheme.
History has shown that after each major bushfire, particularly if there has been a significant loss of life and property, there are vocal calls from affected communities and media commentators for State and Local Governments to stop further land subdivision, to apply restrictive building standards and buyback high-risk homes on the forest fringe. The BlackContinue reading “Dandenong Ranges Buyback Scheme.”
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 