Is Don… Is Wood… Don to many, and Thommo to just about everyone else, Don Thomson was a timber man, and a legendary forester’s forester. Thommo was born in Lilydale on 25 March 1942 and his earliest years were spent with his grandmother on a poultry farm in Bayswater, while his father Norm served inContinue reading “Donald Stewart Thomson.”
Author Archives: Peter McHugh
Ash Wednesday 1983 – Cockatoo.
Cockatoo is a small village nestled into the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges were the suburbs meets the bush. Narrow gravel roads and modest fibro homes characterised the settlement. The Cockatoo fire began late afternoon at 7.28 pm on Ash Wednesday 16 February 1983, about four hours after the blaze at Belgrave South. ItContinue reading “Ash Wednesday 1983 – Cockatoo.”
Ash Wednesday 1983 – Belgrave / Upper Beaconsfield.
On Ash Wednesday 16 February 1983, at 3.24 pm, a bushfire started on Birds Land near Mount Morton Road at Belgrave Heights. There had been concerns expressed in the months before the fire about the fuel loads by the CFA to the local Sherbrooke council which owned the block. The temperature at 2.00 pm atContinue reading “Ash Wednesday 1983 – Belgrave / Upper Beaconsfield.”
Ash Wednesday 1983 – Otways.
A day of Total Fire Ban (TFB) was declared for Victoria at 06.30 am on Ash Wednesday, 16 February 1983. Forests Commission Victoria (FCV) firetowers at Peters Hill, Crowes and Mt. Cowley were up early from 09.00 am in expectation of a bad day, and all crews were in their depots on standby. Under provisionsContinue reading “Ash Wednesday 1983 – Otways.”
Ash Wednesday – 1983, East Trentham & Macedon.
A day of Total Fire Ban (TFB) was declared for Victoria at 06.30 am on Ash Wednesday 16 February 1983, and Forests Commission Victoria (FCV) crews were kept close to the depot at Trentham with the intent that everyone would be back in the yard by midday. Peter Brown was the Trentham District Forester andContinue reading “Ash Wednesday – 1983, East Trentham & Macedon.”
Picnic at Hanging Rock.
Two weeks before Ash Wednesday, on Tuesday 1 February 1983, the weather forecast was for a very hot day with temperatures of 41 degrees and windy conditions. The CFA declared a Total Fire Ban (TFB). A fire, which many believed had been deliberately lit, broke out at 12:49 pm just north of the Macedon RangesContinue reading “Picnic at Hanging Rock.”
Greendale – 1983.
Des Collins & Alan Lynch. Between 1979 and 1983 almost all eastern Australia was affected by a major drought. Throughout Victoria, in the 12 months prior to January 1983, rainfall was less than 70 % of the long-term average. The summer of 1982-83 is best remembered for the Melbourne dust storm on 8 February, followedContinue reading “Greendale – 1983.”
Major bushfires for the Forests Commission in 1982-83.
1982-83 was a long and hectic fire season for the Forests Commission with 823 fires and the total area burnt of 486,030 ha, which was well above the 11-year average of 141,000 ha. Ash Wednesday on 16 February 1983 was only part of the story. The main fires within the Fire Protected Area (FPA), whichContinue reading “Major bushfires for the Forests Commission in 1982-83.”
Lost Children’s Tree.
On Sunday morning, 30 June 1867, a group of young children from Connells Gully near Daylesford wandered into the bush past familiar shallow gold diggings to look for wild goats. William Graham, aged 6½, his brother Thomas, 4 years 3 months, and Alfred Burman aged 5, crossed Wombat Creek and headed towards Muskvale. But whenContinue reading “Lost Children’s Tree.”
State Forest Signs.
In 2010 a new policy manual was developed for State forest entry and directional road signs. Over the preceding decades, the standards, materials and colours of State forest signs had drifted to become a visually messy hodgepodge, as each district often did their own thing, The new signs replaced the old, routed timber ones whichContinue reading “State Forest Signs.”
Keep the home fires burning.
The Victorian Firewood Emergency. The 1940s were a busy and difficult time for the Victorian forestry profession. One of the pressing requirements placed on the Forests Commission during World War Two was to organise emergency supplies of firewood for civilian heating and cooking because of shortages in the supply of coal, briquettes, electricity and gas.Continue reading “Keep the home fires burning.”
A. W. Howitt.
Alfred William Howitt (1830-1908) had an impressive and many faceted résumé as expert bushman, explorer, natural scientist, geologist, botanist, public servant and pioneer authority on Aboriginal culture and social organisation. Like thousands of others, Howitt arrived in 1852 to make his fortune in the Victorian gold fields, with modest success. But it was here thatContinue reading “A. W. Howitt.”
Brian Gibson – Senator
Brian Gibson was the first, and only, graduate of the Victorian School of Forestry to be elected to Federal Parliament. Brian commenced at VSF in 1954, following in the footsteps of both his father Kingsley (Ken) and an uncle, Colin, as students at the school. After graduation in 1956 Brian worked for the Forests CommissionContinue reading “Brian Gibson – Senator”
Alf Lawrence.
Alfred (Alf) Oscar Platt Lawrence, OBE, was an outstanding Victorian forester and community leader. In 1920 he began at the Victorian School of Forestry (VSF) at Creswick. Upon graduation in 1923 Alf was appointed as a cadet forester with the Forests Commission Victoria with his first country postings to Bright and Beaufort. He later studiedContinue reading “Alf Lawrence.”
Barmah Piles.
Most River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) are beautifully twisted and gnarled, but there are a number that are unusually tall and straight stems in the Barmah forest on the Murray River. They were often referred to as the Barmah Piles. They were sought out as “elite trees” for tree breeding purposes with the aim to grow straighterContinue reading “Barmah Piles.”
Andrew Leonard (Ben) Benallack.
Ben Benallack entered the Victorian School of Forestry at Creswick in 1920. His classmates included Alf Lawrence, who later became Chairman of the Forests Commission from 1956 to 1969. Ben held the diplomas at both Creswick and the Australian Forestry School at Canberra. During his early years he worked as assistant forester and later officer-in-chargeContinue reading “Andrew Leonard (Ben) Benallack.”
Albert Jacka V.C.
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.”
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.”
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 