After the 1939 bushfires, the Forests Commission Victoria invested heavily in a radically new communications network. After suffering some inevitable delays due to the war, radio VL3AA switched into full operation in October 1945 proudly beaming out 200 watts across the State. But by today’s standards, the technology was primitive and the reception poor unless the user was on a high point somewhere. The radio signal was "line-of-sight" and bounced between fire towers and relay transmitters across the mountains back to the District offices. The advent of solid-state electronics in the 1960s replaced the more delicate valve sets which enabled greater use of vehicle mounted radios. The Commission continued to research, develop and build new radios at its many workshops around Victoria. The network was supported by a large team of skilled radio technicians. The more secure and versatile State Mobile Radio (SMR) digital trunk system came into operation in about 1995. Upgraded Tait Radios were purchased in 2014 after recommendations of the 2009 Bushfires Royal Commission. But it was the convergence of separate technologies such as 5G mobile phones, high-capacity and light-weight lithium batteries, Wi-Fi, the ever-expanding internet, cloud data storage, digital cameras, GPS, personal organisers and hundreds of supporting Apps into powerful smartphones and tablets which revolutionised bushfire communications from the mid-2000s. Radio with handsetMt Hickey remote radio sitebushfire, radios, forests commission victoria (fcv)

(2x) Map centred on Yackandandah, showing Myrtleford- Yackandandah Rd, Mt Stanley + Mt Big Ben. Scale 1:50,000. Paper white on back, yellow on front.Albury series R625 Blue ink marked '74-75' on top of one map.map, yankandandah, paper, beechworth honey

Three men sit in a computer laboratory at Mt Helen campus.computers, student activities, computer laboratory

A man sits at a computer in F Building, Mt Helen campus.computers, computer laboratory, f building

Slide show prepared for the 50th anniversary of the Mt Helen Library.e.j. barker library, anniversary, lucie akers, librarians, mount helen library

Blue soft covered book on the Mt Helen Campus library.e.j. barker library, mt helen library, helen hayes, library

Coloured soft covered magazine of the Mt Helen Resident Society.mount helen resident society

4 students and staff member seated, Mt. Evelyn, Excursion?. Handwritten names.mabs younger, female students, staff, mt. evelyn, excursion

FROM A PAINTING BY S.T. GILL. ORIGINAL IN STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIACOPY OF LITHOGRAPH OF A MINER AT FRYERS CREEK, MT. ALEXANDER DIGGINGSlocal history, illustration, lithograph, mining

4 female students. Handwritten names.(M. Younger.) Mt. Evelyn.mabs younger, female students, mt. evelyn