William Ritchie was a from a forestry family. His father, James Stewart Ritchie, trained as a crown land bailiff in the 1890s at Creswick under the now famous John la Gerche. William was born at Glen Park near Ballarat in 1895 and was one of the first students to enter the Victorian School of Forestry (VSF)Continue reading “William Ritchie.“
Category Archives: People
Robert John Leslie Kerr.
Robert Kerr was born in 1885 as the eldest son of Robert Kerr (senior), the assistant head teacher at the Prince of Wales State School in Northcote. Kerr later gained both First and Second Certificates from the Teacher Training College and was appointed junior teacher at Victoria Park in Collingwood, later becoming assistant at Armadale.Continue reading “Robert John Leslie Kerr.”
Reginald Dennis Hall
Reginald was born on 12 February 1900 at Heathcote. He joined the Forests Commission when he was 16 and transferred to Ferntree Gully. On 25 April 1917, when he was only 17 and 3 months, he enlisted with the 23 Battalion of the AIF (# 6866A) by forging his father’s signature because he was stillContinue reading “Reginald Dennis Hall”
Albert Jacka VC.
Perhaps Australia’s finest fighting soldier, Albert Jacka has the honour of being the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross during WW1, 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 that hangs at the BeechworthContinue reading “Albert Jacka VC.“
Remembrance.
Friday 11 November is Poppy Day. Over the next week or so I shall post short stories about some of the men from the State Forests Department* and the Victorian School of Forestry that served. I can find some of their military records in the National Archives and the Australian War Memorial, but there areContinue reading “Remembrance.”
Russell Grimwade Prize for Forestry.
Wilfrid Russell Grimwade was born in 1879, knighted in 1950 and died in 1955. He led a remarkable and diverse life by any measure. He was a chemist, botanist, industrialist and philanthropist. He also had a passion for science, appreciation of art and sense of obligation to the community. An early motoring enthusiast he wasContinue reading “Russell Grimwade Prize for Forestry.”
Donald Stewart Thomson.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
Otways Redwoods & The Balts.
The first batch of “Balts” destined for the Otway forests arrived in Colac on 8 April 1949, after having travelled by train from their processing centre at Bathurst in New South Wales. Others had been assigned to nation-building projects like the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Many of these post-war immigrants and refugees came from Lithuania, Latvia,Continue reading “Otways Redwoods & The Balts.”
Moscow Villa & Bill Ah Chow.
Moscow Villa has miraculously survived bushfires and vandalism, along with the ravages of time and weather, to become an iconic visitor destination in the remote State forests of East Gippsland. But few people know the remarkable story about the man who built it, Thomas William (Bill) Ah Chow. Bill was Chinese, ANZAC, farmer, roustabout, horseman,Continue reading “Moscow Villa & Bill Ah Chow.”
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 