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Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Wood Auger, With timber handle
Wood auger often used to drill holes for bridge decking spikes.Wood auger with handletimber tools -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Broad Axe, double bevelled edge
There are two categories of cutting edge on broad axes and both are used for shaping logs by hewing. 1. Single bevel axe - one side is flat and the other side bevelled, also called a side axe. The handle may curve away from the flat side to allow an optimal stance. The flat blade but can only be worked from one direction and is right-handed or left-handed. 2. Double bevel axe - both sides are bevelled and produces a scalloped cut. The axe has a straight handle and can be swung with either side against the wood. A double-bevelled broad axe can be used for chopping or notching as well as hewing. Broad Axe - Double bevelled edge Straight wooden handlesmall lettering and government crows foot -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Wooden Planting Rake
Used in FCV nurseries for creating shallow planting lines in seedbeds Light weight designWooden planting rake with 8 teethplantations, nurseries -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Adze - small
An Adze is versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the sharp cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. The wooden handle is straight and the blade has a slight curve. They are used for smoothing or carving wood such as sleepers An adz, with its long handle, cuts with the grain, and the nature of the chips is different from an axe. While they have a similar shape, they should never be confused with a hoe or mattock used for agriculture and horticulture. Adze - smalltimber tools -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Shingle knife or paling splitter, Also known as a Froe
Also known as a froe (or frow), shake axe or paling knife, this tool is used for cleaving wood by splitting it along the grain. The L-shaped tool is hammered on the top edge of its blade into the end of a piece of wood in the direction of the grain, then twisting the blade in the wood by rotating the haft (handle).Shingle knife or paling splitter Metal knife with short wooden handletimber tools -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Mortising Axe - small
A mortising axe is designed for trimming or cutting notches in timber. It has a short handle and square cutting edgeMortising Axe - smalltimber tools -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Mortising Tool, Axe
A mortising tool is a specialist axe designed for hewing sills and cutting notches in timber. It has a long, narrow head, making it easier to work on large logs. The shape enables the user to cut a long way down into the notch, where otherwise a chisel would be used.Example of a common bush woodworking tool used before the advent of chainsaws and power equipmentMortising Tool, AxePrades Co Solid Steeltimber tools -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Adze - Large
An Adze is versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the sharp cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. The wooden handle of this adze is shaped like an axe handle and the blade also has a slight curve. They are used for smoothing or carving wood such as sleepers An adz, with its long handle, cuts with the grain, and the nature of the chips is different from an axe. While they have a similar shape, they should never be confused with a hoe used or mattock for agriculture and horticulture.Adze - Largetimber tools -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Burns Chainsaw - Model 106, BURNS MANUFACTURING COMPANY INC. , 1959
Continuous cutting chain was patented in 1905 by Samuel Bens of San Francisco, while the first portable chainsaw was developed and patented in 1918 by Canadian millwright James Shand. But the main advancements of modern petrol chainsaws occurred in Europe in the 1920s and 30s where Andreas Stihl is often hailed as the "father of the chainsaw" After the second world war lighter materials, metal alloys and improved engine designs revolutionised the logging and timber industry. Of interest on this model is the spacing of the teeth compared to modern machines. With a 4HP motor it has few safety features and is very heavyEarly model chainsawBurns ChainsawModel 106forest harvesting -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Buckingham steel climbing spurs (missing leather straps)
Spurs were attached with leather straps which held them to the climbers legs. The straps are missing on this pair They have a contoured shank with offset stirrup for the climbers boots Buckingham manufacturing dates back in America to 1896. Climbing spurs were made in their blacksmith shop and were popular with linesmen, loggers and tree arborists. Buckingham steel climbing spurs -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Wooden tree measuring calipers (inches)
Foresters usually measure the diameter of trees at Breast Height – traditionally 4 foot, 6 inches – now 1.3 m – which is termed Diameter Breast Height Over Bark (DBHOB). The most common way to measure tree diameter is to place a calibrated tape around the stem at breast height. It’s simple, but can be slow, particularly if the scrub is thick, or if there are heaps of trees. A tree caliper is another quick method of estimating DBHOB. Wooden tree measuring calipersMeasurements are in inches (pre metrication in 1974) A crown faint crown mark (331) and crows foot is visible on one end forest measurement -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Gunter's Chain
Before metrication was introduced into Australia in the 1970s land was measured in chains and links. Many old parish plans show length measurements in chains and links. Area was shown in acres, roods and perches. Gunter's chain was used for measuring distance in surveying. It was designed and introduced in 1620 by English clergyman and mathematician Edmund Gunter (1581–1626). Gunter developed the measuring chain of 100 links. The chain and the link, became statutory measures in England and subsequently the British Empire. After metrication units of length were measured in meters and area in hectares. The chain was later superseded by steel ribbon tape.The 66 foot long brass Gunter's Chain is divided into 100 links (each 7.92 inches long), and marked off into groups of 10 by shaped tags which simplify intermediate measurement. It was heavy but flexible enough to be dragged through the bush on surveying transects.(Hence the common forestry term "chainman). The chain was a precision part of a surveyor's equipment. It required frequent calibration, yet needed to be sturdy enough to be dragged through rough terrain for years. It has brass hand grips at each end of chain. 1 chain = 100 links = 22 yards = 66 feet = 792 inches. 10 chains = furlong 80 chains = 1 mile 1 acre = 10 square chains = 4 roods (1/4 acre) = 40 perches.forest measurement -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Bushfire Awareness - gallows sign
Bushfire awareness gallows signs were common features during the summer fire season and hung outside both FCV offices and on major roadways This large metal sign has different text on each side and the text and lettering is simple enough to be read from a moving vehicleBushfire Awareness - gallows signbushfire -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Fire tower warning sign
bushfire -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Back pack (for radio gear)
Back pack used to carry portable two-way radios and spare batteries to remote bushfiresCanvas backpackFCV Radio Labbushfire -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Back pack (for personal gear)
Canvas bag issued to FCV staff to take personal belonging to bushfiresCanvas Bag for personal gearRus Ritchie, Divisional Forester, Wangarattabushfire -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Uniform - Forests Commission Victoria (FCV) tie and epaulets (to be worn on polyester shirt) as dress uniform, pre 1984
Polyester shirts plus a green tie and epaulets were the only form of dress unform issued to FCV staff. In later years a brown tie was available. Blue work overalls and safety boots were issued for bushfire work. These were replaced with the now familiar bright green overalls in about 1984. There were no dress pants, jumpers, jackets or shoes issued. This led to a long running dispute between the staff association and the Commission over departmental uniform policy at the time. David Parnaby was a District Forester and accomplished cartoonist who provided insightful and humorous commentary on uniforms through the Victorian State Forester’s Association Newsletter.Example of early staff uniform.Green polyester tie with yellow stripe and round FCV logo. Green FCV epaulet to be worn on polyester shirt as dress uniform. uniforms -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Wicker basket to transport seedlings
Seedlings were lifted from seedbeds in FCV nurseries, usually early in the morning, then packed to be transported by road or rail. The seedlings risked damage if they dried out. These baskets were used to transport and protect open-rooted pine seedlings. Thought be used at French Island in about 1920.Large wicker basket used to transport seedlings With metal locking mechanism and wicker handle Donated by FCV forester, Bert Semmensnurseries, plantations -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Sirex wood wasps
In 1949 the Commonwealth Forestry and Timber Bureau proposed a national planting program to make Australia more self-reliant in timber products after the shortages experienced during the war. The threat of introduced sirex woodwasp from Europe in the early 1950s and its eventual discovery on the Australian mainland in 1961 brought the softwood plantation program into question. However, quarantine and control measures using tree destruction and a nematode parasite was put in place.Sirex noctilio was a serious threat to softwood plantations in AustraliaSirex wood wasps encased in resinplantations -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Pulpwood billet hook
Pulpwood was often split by hand or with black powder splitting guns into more manageable sizes and cut into 8 foot lengths (or billets). Billets were first stacked endwise to drain the sap and lighten the load before they were loaded by hand onto flat bed trucks for transport to the mills. This long length metal hook was used to pull and manoeuvre the pulpwood billets onto the truck. The advent of excavators in logging operations in the 1970s led to the loading and carting pulpwood in long tree lengths.Long steel tool with handle on one end and hook on the other. -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Canvas fire hose and roll carrier
Method of carrying rolled up canvas fire hose. Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled. Canvas fire hose and roll carrier. The wire handle separates in the middle to release the hose rollbushfire -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Fire hose nozzle(s) with Y joint and brass attachments
Hose nozzle size can affect the stream of water. A smaller hole puts out a longer stream but with less volume. A longer water stream is useful when trying to extinguish fire or sparks high in the tree tops. They were often used with high pressure pumps like the Pacific Marine.Aluminum fire hose nozzle(s) with Y joint and interchangeable brass attachments For 1.5 inch hose with screw attachments rather than modern twist-camm locks. The main nozzle is aluminum alloy and the interchangeable nozzles are made of brass.bushfire -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Phone handset with winder
Dedicated phone lines were often connected between FCV District Offices and firetowers or local depots. These lines were activated by winding the metal handle to ring the bell at the other end of the line.Bakelite phone with handset and winder. Made of Bakelite.radios -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Lafayette Radio Receiver, Lafayette Radio & TV Corp; New York (NY), Model HE-30, C 1961
This Lafayette radio receiver (model HE-30) is a basic single conversion tube semi-professional short wave communications receiver. It covers 0.55 to 30 MHz in four bands. The multi-frequency bands was used on an experimental basis in FCV Divisional Offices to monitor district radio transmissionsUsed on an experimental basis to monitor fire radio trafficLafayette Radio Receiver HE-30 With operating manualradios -
Creswick Campus Historical Collection - University of Melbourne
Equipment, Steam distillation unit, circa 1930
[E.J. Semmens experimented with Eucalyptus distilling during his time as principal of the VSF, this piece of equipment would have been used for teaching and research at the School and maybe linked to Semmens' research.] Detailed description of item supplied by from the International Wood Collectors Society.Steam distillation box for extraction of essential oils from wood or sawdust and leaves. Copper box and stand, bakelite fittings, cork and glass tubing. The box has a vent for releasing steam pressure and bottom drain hole to collect oils. It is raised to allow a burner to fit underneath it. forestry, forest products, semmens, edwin james -
Creswick Campus Historical Collection - University of Melbourne
Equipment, Forests Commission of NSW, A Card Key to Pinus Based on Needle Anatomy, 1966
Card sorting key for Pinus. Seried of punched cards. Cell structure diagrams on rear. Plant characteristics on face. Complete set with instruction booklet boxed in a red case. Produced by FC NSW, Joyce W. LanyonEquipmentJohn Mcdonald -
Creswick Campus Historical Collection - University of Melbourne
Document, Forests Commission Victoria, A list of rare, very localised and endangered indigenous plants of Victoria, c.1982
1 Booklet and 29 maps in boxed set.Maps and Booklet -
Creswick Campus Historical Collection - University of Melbourne
Moving Image, Forests Commission Victoria, Plane Forestry, unknown
This is a film that was used showing how to undertake aerial photography.Film reel -
Creswick Campus Historical Collection - University of Melbourne
Document, Board of Forestry Education et al
Board of examiners, FCV. Correspondence. UnsortedCorrespondence -
Creswick Campus Historical Collection - University of Melbourne
Administrative record - VSF Student examination records, Board of Forestry Education et al
Examination results - unsortedDocuments