Alan graduated from Creswick at the end of 1941 and spent time in a FCV construction camp at Taggerty building roads and driving trucks for the massive fire salvage program underway at that time.
Following a well-worn path of many field foresters before him, Alan then moved in March 1945 to Neerim South; in January 1949 to Cohuna; and in 1951 to Barmah.
In August 1951, Alan was promoted as the District Forester at Broadford, followed by Erica October 1953, and Ballarat from June 1958.
In June 1959, Alan moved to Melbourne as the Sales & Marketing Officer and in July 1966 was promoted to the Chief, Division of Economics & Marketing.
In July 1969, Alan was appointed as one of the three FCV Commissioners after the retirement of Alf Lawrence. He was then elevated to the role as Chairman when Dr Frank Moulds retired in May 1978.
During this period, Alan steered the merger of the Victorian School of Forestry and the University of Melbourne.
He also had a strong personal focus on OH&S and was responsible for the introduction of the now familiar green bushfire safety overalls.
It’s often said that Alan Threader was a solid and reserved organiser who took great pride in the Commission’s achievements but avoided the public spotlight.
Alan served as Chairman for 5 years until just after the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires and the CFL restructure began. He retired in 1983 to care for his wife.
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 
