When travelling around State forests it’s not uncommon to find a lonely and forgotten grave tucked away in the bush. The last resting place of some unlucky traveller or pioneer killed in an accident, unable perhaps to receive medical aid in time. They were usually buried where they died. The grave of former dance girlContinue reading “Dog’s Grave.”
Author Archives: Peter McHugh
Fireguards.
The Secretary of the Forests Commission Victoria, A V Galbraith issued instructions to Fireguards in about 1920. They included the following… Probably, one of the most famous FCV fireguards was Bill Ah Chow who lived at Moscow Villa and was the fire lookout at Mt Nugong during the summer months. What a great job… https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qQro7mkEcQFk2W-xR-qEbONaZ3RAwnmm/viewContinue reading “Fireguards.”
A soggy Chief Fire Officer.
In the summer of 1946, a request was made by the Forests Commission to the RAAF base at Bairnsdale for bushfire reconnaissance flights over the Snowy River area in East Gippsland. Because of the long-standing relationship with the Air Force, authorisation was often given for FCV staff to act as air observers in the RAAFContinue reading “A soggy Chief Fire Officer.”
Bushfire in the burbs.
As the summer bushfire season of 1943-44 opened, Australia had already endured four years of war with many men and women away overseas or deployed to northern Australia. In Melbourne’s bayside suburbs, as in all parts of Australia, austerity measures were in place with rationing of food, petrol, clothing, gas, electricity, firewood and other basicContinue reading “Bushfire in the burbs.”
The Parliament House Dummy-Spit.
State forests and public land not only produce timber but are also important for sand, crushed rock and dimensioned stone for buildings. Victoria has large quantities of hard basalt, or bluestone, across the western district plains but in the early days of the Colony it had to suffer the indignity of importing sandstone from NSW.Continue reading “The Parliament House Dummy-Spit.”
Victorian timber industry – 1982.
What a difference 42 years makes. This 1982 map shows Victorian hardwood and softwood sawlog production, as well as the number of mills by region. The Forests Commission reported in 1981-82 that there were fewer new houses completed than for the previous 30 years. Home loan interest rates were at a record high of 16.5%.Continue reading “Victorian timber industry – 1982.”
The Bendoc Log.
The 1 January 2024 not only marks the beginning of a New Year, but also marks the end of timber harvesting in Victorian State forests. Some people will be rejoicing, but many will be angry and looking for explanations, or someone to blame. However, the demise of native forest timber harvesting has been a veryContinue reading “The Bendoc Log.”
Growth Rings (updated).
There is always a danger making lists but, to my mind, some of the main events that have shaped forest and bushfire management in Victoria are below… • 1820s – Before European settlement around 88% of the 23.7 million ha of what was to become the Colony of Victoria was tree-covered. • 1851 – InContinue reading “Growth Rings (updated).”
Formation of the CFA – the summer of 1943-44.
Most people know about the Black Saturday Bushfires in 2009, and possibly can recall Ash Wednesday in 1983, or maybe have even heard of Black Friday in 1939. But very few could recount the 1943-44 summer bushfires when over 1 million hectares was burnt, 51 people were killed, 700 injured, and 650 buildings were destroyed.Continue reading “Formation of the CFA – the summer of 1943-44.”
Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria – Series 4 (2023)
It’s been another busy year on the Victorian Forests and Bushfire Heritage FB page. Once again, the main stories have been gathered up into free eBook and published in the National and State Libraries so they don’t get lost in the Facebook soup. Other notable things for 2023 include. Im not sure about next year…Continue reading “Forests and Bushfire History of Victoria – Series 4 (2023)”
Christmas Trees
For 100 years, the National Christmas Tree has stood on the “Ellipse”, which is south of the White House in Washington DC. Another tree is positioned outside the US Capitol Buildings. The US Forest Service has been called upon many times to supply the festive trees. The trees this year are two Norway spruces (Picea abies)Continue reading “Christmas Trees”
Splitting guns.
Black powder splitting guns were commonly used to split large logs into more manageable pieces before the advent of excavators and front-end loaders in bush logging operations. A typical splitting gun used in Victorian forests was a piece of high-grade steel about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and about 16 inches long, and slightlyContinue reading “Splitting guns.”
Tall trees and taller tales.
It’s often said that mountain ash, Eucalyptus regnans, is the world’s tallest flowering plant, and possibly the tallest plant of all time, although no living specimens can make that claim. Tree height is influenced by species, genetics, age, stand density, soil type and depth, rainfall, aspect, altitude, protection from wind and snow damage, fire historyContinue reading “Tall trees and taller tales.”
Biltmore Stick
The most common way that Australian foresters measure tree diameter is to place a calibrated tape around the stem at breast height (1.3m). It’s simple, but can be slow, particularly if the scrub is thick, or if there are heaps of trees. The Biltmore Stick was developed at the famous Biltmore forestry school in NorthContinue reading “Biltmore Stick”
Branding Hammers.
Metal branding hammers were the most common way to control the sale and movement of hardwood timber produce like logs, railway sleepers, fence posts, and poles from Victorian State forests. Royalty was also paid on this basis. The hammer had a crown stamp on one end with a unique number in the middle which identifiedContinue reading “Branding Hammers.”
Reuben Ferguson.
Reuben Douglas Ferguson died alone after he was crushed by a burning tree at a bushfire near Gembrook in January 1955. Reuben was born at Greytown near Heathcote in 1897 and enlisted in 1916 with the 39th Battalion to serve in France, where he was gassed. Reuben worked as a labourer and had been employedContinue reading “Reuben Ferguson.”
Brunton’s Bridge.
The iron framed Brunton’s Bridge is undoubtedly one of Gippsland’s engineering icons. It was opened in 1888 on the road from Toongabbie to the Walhalla goldfields. Mr Mephan Ferguson, (Great-Grandfather of VSF forester, and later CFA Chief Fire Officer, Euan Ferguson) built the bridge under contract from the Public Works Department at a cost ofContinue reading “Brunton’s Bridge.”
Blue Gum piles.
These photographs, taken in the early 1900s, are of 100 foot long Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) piles produced by the Gray Brothers mills on Bruny Island in southern Tasmania. The timber was destined as hewn piles for Admiralty Harbour Works at Dover in England and for similar works at Simon’s Town in South Africa. TheContinue reading “Blue Gum piles.”
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 