Author Archives: Peter McHugh

As soon as the winter snows melted, the Treasure family traditionally drove cattle from their home at Castleburn up to the Victorian Alps and the rich grasslands on the Dargo High Plains. The pioneering family could trace its pedigree on the High Plains back to 1878, where they held long-term grazing leases over about 100,000Continue reading “Freda Treasure Tree Reserve – Dargo High Plains Road.”

In 1906, prominent surveyor and geologist, William Baragwanath, was commissioned by the Public Works Department to identify a tourist track along the Baw Baw Plateau from Warburton to Walhalla. In February 1907, the new 51-mile route was ridden by a small party of eminent dignitaries including the Governor of Victoria, The Hon. Sir Reginald TalbotContinue reading “Talbot Hut – Alpine Walking Track.”

The firestorm tore trees from the ground and scattered them like matchsticks across the landscape. The devastation of the 1939 bushfires was unprecedented. Several towns were entirely obliterated leaving 71 people dead including four FCV staff, 69 sawmills were lost and over 3700 buildings destroyed. Nearly two million hectares of Victoria’s State forests were burned.Continue reading “Mundic Wier – Toorongo Plateau.”

In the post war period, the State Government put a strong emphasis on buying British 4WD vehicles such as Series 1 Land Rovers. They were light weight but pretty primitive and very prone to breakdown. The files in the Public Record Office are thick with warranty claims by the Forests Commission about the reliability ofContinue reading “Toyota Land Cruisers.”

A Victorian Search and Rescue committee was established in 1954 after the earlier successful rescue of a young couple, Kirk McLeod and Jennifer Laycock, at Mt Donna Buang near Warburton. The committee was led by the Police, and included the Federation of Victorian Bushwalking Clubs, the Board of Works, the Forests Commission, the Country FireContinue reading “Search and Rescue.”

The magnificent Bilston Tree near Brimboal in far western Victoria was a big part of the local consciousness in the late 1950s. The massive river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) was scheduled to felled for railway sleepers on 12 June 1961 but was saved by local community action led by Bill Flentje, the District Forester atContinue reading “Bilston Tree – remeasured.”

There are three distinct species of redwoods commonly planted in Victoria. And while all three species of redwood are breathtaking to behold, the Coast redwoods are something special. There are some significant individual specimens in both private and public gardens in Victoria. One of the most notable is outside the Bright Golf Clubhouse which wasContinue reading “Coast redwoods.”

Ever wondered about Chains, Links, Yards, Furlongs, Miles, Acres, Roods and Perches? Before metrication was introduced into Australia during the 1970s, distance on parish plans was shown in chains and links while area was in acres, roods and perches. Gunter’s chain was used for measuring distance in surveying. It was designed and introduced in 1620Continue reading “Gunter’s Chain.”

The first “road” to be built in Victoria by European settlers was on Phillip Island, more than two centuries ago. The “project manager” was the Commander of HM Brig Lady Nelson – John Murray – who was surveying the Bass Strait area in 1801 on behalf of Victoria’s first road authority – the Government ofContinue reading “Country Roads Board (CRB).”

Even before the gold rush of the 1850s, timber splitters invaded Victoria’s eastern forests including the Dandenong Ranges which were close to the city. Mr. J. W. Beilby established a sawmill at Ferntree Gully in about 1850 and a small township sprang up around it. He later claimed that his was the first sawmill establishedContinue reading “The Dandenong Ranges Timber Reserve – 1867.”

Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides all provide great outdoor adventure and leadership opportunities for young people. Major-General Robert Baden-Powell started the movement in 1907 at a time when explorers were reaching the north and south poles, the Wright brothers were taking off at Kitty Hawk, and the first Model T Fords were rolling off theContinue reading “Giddy… Giddy… Gouts…”

Milk comes from cartons and water comes out of a tap… doesn’t it? I wonder how many people stop to think about where their water comes from? The MMBW catchments supply Melbourne, but State forests have always been an important source of clean water for rural communities. One of the more innovative and unusual waterContinue reading “Rural Water Supplies.”

The Australian Seasoned Timber Company (ASTC) operated in the Mount Disappointment State forest, 37 miles north of Melbourne, between 1880 and 1902. It was said to be the largest sawmilling and timber processing company in the southern hemisphere at the time. It owned several sawmills, along with an extensive network of tramlines supplying timber directlyContinue reading “Australian Seasoned Timber Company – Mount Disappointment.”

The Otway Ranges is characterised by steep terrain, wet weather and thick forest. An early but unsuccessful attempt was made between 1854 and 1861 to bring Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) railway sleepers to Melbourne in small coastal ships from the Otway Ranges. The voyage was perilous because there were no suitable harbours, and relics ofContinue reading “Henry’s sawmills – Otway Ranges.”