Category Archives: Forests

All forests change over time, but the changes can be slow and not immediately apparent, unless there is a major disturbance like a windstorm or a very hot bushfire. These photos of Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) are from the Bitterroot Mountains in Western Montana. They were taken by the US Forest Service and follow theContinue reading “Forest Succession.”

Desmond (Des) John Collins had never really travelled far from Daylesford until he was conscripted into National Service in September 1965. Sent to nearby Puckapunyal, Des completed his basic recruit training before being posted as Trooper (3787452) to the newly formed 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (1 APC Sqn). Des trained as a driver ofContinue reading “Today is the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan which also marks Vietnam Veterans Day…”

Providing timber for housing and domestic use from the State’s native forests, together with expanding softwood plantations to support Victoria’s rapidly expanding population, had long been a stated goal for the Forests Commission. There had also been a very clear directive to the Commission from the State Government to meet Victoria’s timber needs and toContinue reading “Wood is Good.”

The “Normal Forest” is a theoretical condition where the growing stock of trees has a more or less even series of age classes, with an even spread of tree sizes, with full stocking on each site growing with normal increments (AKA –  The Trinity of Norms). The idea of the normal forest emerged in theContinue reading “The Trinity of Norms.”

Particleboard was developed in Germany in the late 1940s and introduced to Australia in 1957 when Coreboard Ltd. (later purchased by Softwood Holdings Ltd.) established a plant at Mt. Gambier. The Coreboard plant created a much-needed market for early thinnings from the rapidly expanding radiata pine plantations as well as for sawn waste. Before mechanisation,Continue reading “Pyneboard – Rosedale.”

Masonite is an engineered panel board that was patented in 1924 by American inventor William H. Mason. It is made by steam pressurising wood chips followed by explosive decompression through a “Mason Gun”. The wood fibres are then passed through an endless wire mesh to be pressed and dried into thin rigid sheets. The largeContinue reading “Masonite.”

Who to believe? These two sketches by famous colonial artist Nicholas Chevalier are clearly the same and are from reputable sources. One copy is from the Victorian State Library with the caption “McMillan’s party clearing road to Wood’s Point” and was published by David Syme on 25 May 1864. The other copy is from theContinue reading “Colonial art puzzle ?”

Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM) operated a logging camp in the Boola Boola State Forest, north of the Latrobe Valley, from 1947 until August 1958. It was situated near W11 track on the road to Walhalla. Workers harvested mixed species pulpwood for the Maryvale Mill to make Kraft paper when the ash salvage program following theContinue reading “Boola Camp.”

This was found in the shed at Powelltown recently. The hammer has a brand on one side and a magnetic face on the other to pick up the metal numbered tags that are held inside the tubular magazine and then belt them into the end of logs. Google tells me that system was developed byContinue reading “Signumat log branding hammer.”

Timber pricing evolved over more than 150 years, from a rudimentary licensing system which gave unrestricted access to the forest for very little payment, through to current market pricing, involving competitive processes and mill door sales. The evolution of pricing was in four distinct phases. Licence system – this entirely inadequate scheme applied to timberContinue reading “Timber Pricing.”

The 1986 Timber industry Strategy (TIS) required hardwood sawlogs to be licenced and allocated to the highest value end use. In general, each tree harvested produces a range of wood products from high grade sawlogs through to material only suitable for pulpwood. Once felled, logs were to be crosscut in such a way as toContinue reading “Hardwood Log Grading.”

Sphagnum moss is highly absorbent and can hold up to 20 times its weight in water. It is widely used in horticulture as a soil conditioner and for growing orchids, and terrariums, as well as for lining hanging baskets. In Victoria, it was once harvested from State forests, mostly in the Central Highlands. In theContinue reading “Sphagnum Moss.”

The Forests Commission purchased two Bedford RLHS cab/chassis trucks that were imported into Australia from England in January 1959. John Phillips and Syd Bloxidge were flown to Sydney by GV Clarke Motors to drive the vehicles back to Melbourne. They were assembled as tip trucks for use on the Tamboritha Road project north of Heyfield.Continue reading “Bullnose Bedford Tanker – 1964.”

During the late 1960s, recreation and conservation on State forest was receiving greater community focus.  A key moment for the Forests Commission came in August 1970, then under the new chairmanship of Dr Frank Moulds, with the creation of the Forest Environment Branch. This initiative was a first for any Australian Forest Service, and itsContinue reading “The Living Forest – 1973.”

The first personal bushfire survival shelter in Australia was developed by the CSIRO in 1958. The main issues to overcome were protection from radiant heat, avoiding smoke and any toxic fumes from the tent materials, and being able to breath cool air. The bell-shaped tent was made of laminated aluminium foil and was tested inContinue reading “Fire Shelters.”

The idea of an Aerial Drip Torch (ADT) was first conceived in Canada in the 1970s by the legendary forester, firefighter and inventor, John Muraro. The drip torch was further developed in 1982 by the New Zealand Forest Service and became known as the Ashley Aphid Helitorch.  In February 1987, Forestry Tasmania acquired one ofContinue reading “Return of the Dragons.”

A single mountain ash log on Geoff McPhee’s truck at the FCV East Warburton checking station. 5004 super feet – Hoppus (15 m3). December 1970. Photo: Gregor Wallace collection

At many places across the State forests of the Central Highlands there were large and dense stands of silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) which had replaced the original mountain ash (E. regnans) forests because of repeated bushfires in 1926, 1932 and 1939. By the early 1970s, silvicultural knowledge had grown after the pioneering work by forestersContinue reading “Burning at Night.”