A billycan, is a lightweight cooking pot which is used on a campfire or a camping stove, particularly associated with Australian usage, but is also used in the UK and Ireland. It is widely accepted that the term "billycan" is derived from the large cans used for transporting bouilli or bully beef on Australia-bound ships or during exploration of the outback, which after use were modified for boiling water over a fire. However there is a suggestion that the word may be associated with the Aboriginal billa (meaning water; cf. Billabong In Australia. The billy has come to symbolise the spirit of exploration of the outback. To boil the billy most often means to make tea. "Billy Tea" is the name of a popular brand of tea long sold in Australian grocers and supermarkets. Billies feature in many of Henry Lawson's stories and poems. Banjo Paterson's most famous of many references to the billy is surely in the first verse and chorus of Waltzing Matilda: "And he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling", which was later changed by the Billy Tea Company to "And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled”. Early settlers , market gardeners and blacksmiths would use this portable iron stake to hold their Billies at meal times when out working their fields, travelling for work or pleasure.c1880 A molded, iron tripod stake that would hold a 'Billy can' of water over a camp or kitchen fireearly settlers, pioneers, market gardeners, moorabbin, bentleigh, brighton, cheltenham, tools, blacksmiths

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts. However, its believed the now common Rakehoe is an Australian variation of the American McLeod Tool which was developed in 1905 by forest ranger Malcolm McLeod of the Sierra National Forest. The late Athol Hodgson advised that predecessors, Reg Torbet who had been the Chief Fire Officer for the Forests Commission from 1948-1956, along with his QLD counterpart Clive Price, went in late 1951 as Australian delegates on a 10 week fire study tour of Nth America organised by the United Nations. They came back with a couple of McLeod tools from Canada. Cam MacLeod (different spelling) had been the Head of Fire Research for the Canadian Forest Service at the time and had supplied them. The tools were ideal for deciduous forests in the eastern provinces and Clive arranged to have them manufactured in QLD. The Rakho, as it was then spelled, was first issued to FCV crews 65 years ago in 1955-56. The American Pulaski had been trialled, but never found favour with Australian firefighters.First used in 1955Rakehoebushfire, forests commission victoria (fcv)

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. This canvas hose beater was based on a century-old design which used lengths of canvas fire hose rivetted together and lashed with wire to a broom handle. The hose was be soaked in water to improve its effectiveness. If the flames were more than a metre or so the user was generally not able to get close enough to extinguish the fire It's recommend that users lift no more than above knee height to conserve energy and let the beater to the work. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts and later RakehoesEarly firefighting toolBushfire beater - Canvas with wooden handleR P PWD (Public Works Department) The handle has painted markings which indicate which FCV District it belonged to.bushfire, forests commission victoria (fcv)

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. This leather beater was based on a century-old stockman's design which used green cow hide leather lashed to a broom handle. It's recommend that users lift no more than above knee height to conserve energy and let the beater to the work. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts and later RakehoesEarly firefighting toolBushfire beater - Leather with wooden handlebushfire, forests commission victoria (fcv)

The practice of branding livestock for ownership identification has been used since at least the times of the ancient Egyptians. It was especially valuable when cattle or other domesticated animals were merged with other herds on common grazing land, or if they had strayed or been stolen, as it allowed them to be identified at a glance. The branding iron is heated in a fire, hot coals or by other means and pressed into the hide of the animal creating the brand mark. The word brand originates from the Germanic languages and means anything hot or burning. This brand belonged to Samuel Amess - who owned Churchill Island in the late nineteenth century - and was used on the farm to mark the cattle he owned.Branding iron with initials SA for Samuel Amess. Surface rust, pitted metal. churchill island, samuel amess, branding iron, cattle

Among the many pressing priorities for Alf Lawrence, the Forests Commission's new Chief Fire Officer, in rebuilding the firefighting capacity after the catastrophic 1939 bushfires was to invest heavily in modern vehicles and equipment. Powered pumps like the trailer-mounted Coventry Climax (Godiva) gave firefighters a much greater capacity than ever before to put the “wet stuff on the red stuff”. Its four-cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled, petrol motor produced 38Hp and was connected with either 1½ inch or 2½ inch canvas hose for direct attack, or as a filler pump it could deliver 300 gallons per minute at 120 psi. Some of the first acquisitions included this war surplus veteran shipped over from the London after the blitz bombings of WW2. Fire pump mounted on trailer Two lengths of suction hose, nozzles and some tools.Coventry Climax Serial 3844 FCV No 24fire pump, forests commission victoria (fcv)

These four pages from the Australasian newspaper of January 1904 contain three pages of black and white photographs of Warrnambool. These include photographs of golfers, both men and women, the Hopkins River, the Ozone Hotel, Sheldrick’s Brewery and Wilmot in his mia mia. The photographs have been taken by Jordan Studios, Warrnambool. This studio, a prominent one in Warrnambool, was operated by Joseph Jordan and his son Arthur from 1890 to the 1930s.The accompanying text in the ‘Australasian’ appears to come from a booklet published about that time which was produced as an advertising tool for the Ozone Hotel and its proprietor, Thomas Randall. The Ozone Hotel, originallly called the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace, was opened in 1890 as a temperance hotel. Thomas Randall was the proprietor of the Ozone Hotel from 1894 to 1907 and it then had a wine licence. In 1920 the building was known as Hotel Mansions and in 1923 it gained a full liquor licence. The building was destroyed by fire in 1929. These newspaper pages are of importance as some of the photographs have not been found elsewhere and give a good picture of Warrnambool and district at the beginning of the 20th century. These are four pages from the Australasian newspaper of 1904. The pages contain black and white photographs and text. The pages are partly torn across and have ragged edges.ozone hotel, warrnambool, jordan studios, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

Book - 32 pages centre stapled titled "1978 Edition - The Australian Tramway and Motor Omnibus Employees Association (Victorian Branch) - Safety, First Aid, Hand tools and protective clothing and equipment". Provides information and guidance on Industrial safety, equipment and fire. Has adverts for The Druids, Holdens, ANSI, Hibernian Society, Thomas Warburton, Wonderpak Chemicals, Fairmark, Commonwealth Engineer, Raff Jeanery, Australian Thread, Regent Motors, Yarra Falls Ltd, Fabspec, Silverway Pharmacy, Consolidated Pneumatic, Sands and McDougall, McAdams of Essendon, the Irish National Foresters Catholic Benefit Society and Tramways Benefit Society.trams, tramways, unions, safety, medical, benefit society, workshops