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

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

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

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

The Forests Commission began using computers in the 1960s for resource inventory under the Chief Forest Assessor Murray Paine IBM introduced the Port-A-Punch in 1958 as a fast, accurate means of manually punching holes in specially scored IBM punched cards. Designed to fit in the pocket, Port-A-Punch made it possible to create punched card documents anywhere. The product was intended for "on-the-spot" recording of data such a assessment plotsThe IBM Port-A-Punch prepared computer data and programming cards. Normally there is a a separate stylus pen, similar to a ball-point pen to punch the holes in the cards, but it is missing This instrument consists of a plastic frame that holds 13 long plastic rectangles along its length. A transparent plastic template which has an array of evenly spaced holes fits over the rectangles, and cards are placed over this. IBM Portapunchforest measurement

Back pack used to carry portable two-way radios and spare batteries to remote bushfiresCanvas backpackFCV Radio Labbushfire

Canvas bag issued to FCV staff to take personal belonging to bushfiresCanvas Bag for personal gearRus Ritchie, Divisional Forester, Wangarattabushfire

The Forests Commission had a large and active engineering branch which was often called upon for major demolition or quarry work. Most overseers, as well as some foresters, were trained in the use of explosives to “blow stuff up” such as removing stumps and rocks from roads. Districts usually had a small powder magazine tucked away in the bush for storage of gelignite and detonators.Sample board showing examples of explosives and detonatorsroad construction and maintenance.

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.

The origins of the humble handheld driptorch have been lost in time. They are widely used for ignition in controlled burning operations in forest and grasslands. The “Pacific Forester“ with its short central wand and somewhat leaky ball-valve was made by the American Wajax company in the 1940s. The Pacific Forester is slightly different in design from the more robust and common “Panama” driptorch first manufactured in 1933 and used extensively by Queensland cane farmers. The Panama is closely related to the current “Firebug” used in Victoria which is manufactured by Rodney Industries in Brisbane and has an offset wand design which gives it good balance. The fuel is a mixture of petrol and diesel and every FCV District had their own closely-guarded secret formula ... 2:1, 3:1, 1:1, 4:1 or 3:2 ratio. There was also the choice of 91, 95 or 98 octane petrol mixed with summer or winter diesel. Occasionally some of the old Avgas or Jet-A1 lying around the depot was added with a splash of engine oil to make the mixture stick to the fuel to be ignited. The fuel mixed also varied between autumn or spring, heathland, mixed forest, or high-intensity slash burnsCommon driptorch used throughout AustraliaDrip torch with handle Wand has loop and valve. The loop is designed to assist with even flow of fuel which flows out onto the burning head of the wand. Pressure equalising value in top of aluminum fuel container which holds 4 litres of burner mix. Gravitational feed of the driptorch allows the unit to drip fire, making it simple and quick to operate. Instructions for use. CF+L written with texta pen.bushfire

Soon after the outbreak of World War Two, the British Government requested experienced forestry soldiers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada to be deployed in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. The first Forestry Company (2/1) was based in Sydney with men from NSW, Queensland and South Australia, led by Captain Cyril Richard Cole, a professional forester from the Australian Capital Territory. The second Forestry Company (2/2) included many Forests Commission staff, local sawmillers and experienced bushmen from Victoria, WA and Tasmania including veterans of the First World War. They were led by Captain Andrew Leonard (Ben) Benallack, a graduate from the Victorian School of Forestry in 1922. Both Forestry Companies sailed from Fremantle on the Stratheden in late May 1940 and landed in England not long after the evacuation of Dunkirk. The foresters were recalled to Australia at the insistence of Prime Minister John Curtin in late 1943 because of the War in the Pacific. After reequipping and some refresher training in jungle warfare at Kapooka the 2/2 Forestry Company was deployed to Lae in Papua New Guinea in May 1944. This photograph was probably taken in Australia before deployment to PNG.Photo in wooden frame of Royal Australian Engineers Forestry Company

History, biographies and illustrations of the artists of the Heidelberg School, Box Hill.heidelberg school, artists' camps, biographies, mccubbin> frederick, abrahams> louis, streeton> arthur (sir), condor> charles, humphrey> tom, sutherland> jane, davies> david, paterson> john ford, handasyde> stewart, hansen> theo brooke, withers> walter, alston> aby, brun> vincenzo

John L Grove retained the flyer; was a medical student and graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1929.Flyerjohn l grove, ernest c crawford, ford & son press

Colour photographs of the Potin Nepean Cemetery.point nepean, point nepean cemetery, jennie o'hara, john o'hara, edjar james taylor, frederick hicowe, george walker, edward skelton, harriet skelton, hannah ford, margaret ford, peter purves, elizabeth bowie, robert bowie, edward pike, john fercus, mary jane fercus, charles hugh fercus, ticonderoga, helen mcrae, sarah mcdonald, angus mcdonald, margaret mcdonald, william henry boyle, quarantine station

Probably at Adelaide station headquartersBlack and white photograph of St John Ambulance ST JOHN AMBULANCE TRANSPORT DIVISIONst john brigade

Ambulance officers Ron Jacobs and David Crouch with unidentified nurse unload patient at city hospital.Colour photograph of two ambulance officer and nurse unloading patient from ambulance. Nurse holds dripAMBULANCEron jacobs

Sepia coloured photograph of ambulance in front of treesVICTORIAN CIVIL AMBULANCE SERVICE AMBULANCE KHL-348victorian civil ambulance service

Geelong AmbulanceBlack and white photograph of ambulance with trees in background.GEELONG AMBULANCEgeelong

Black and white photograph. Ambulance outside with trees in background.HGK-650 North Eastern Victoria District Ambulance Servicenorth eastern victoria district ambulance service

Only two of these ambulances were in service. They were used throughout the Victorian Civil Ambulance Service area as general ambulances.Off white coloured ambulance with Victorian Civil Ambulance Service logos on back and on both front door panels. Red risen on roof. ambulance, victorian civil ambulance service

The photograph shows the approach to the Bulla Bridge at Deep Creek in the Township of Bulla. Immediately on crossing the bridge there is a sharp bend in the road and a step ascent up Bulla Hill through the cutting until level ground is reached. The photograph is looking to the NW. Deep Creek meets the Maribyrong River further downstream and closer to Keilor.The bridge and road replaced the ford crossing in 1869 that was downstream from the bridge.A coloured photograph of the approach to a bridge over the Deep Creek at Bulla along Sunbury Road. bulla bridge, deep creek, sunbury road

To use this foundation mould, melted beeswax was poured , the lid was placed on top, and the wax allowed to cool. The mould was then separated, and the beeswax foundation sheet taken out. Once placed in a hive, bees used the honeycomb impression created by the mould to draw out honey comb cells to store honey and polen. This mould was used by Bill Voigt, a beekeeping friend of the Robinson family. It was donated by Wilma, Val and Richard Voigt.This is antique equipment used by known beekeepers. Rectangular box with base and no lid. Constructed from wood, joined with metal nails in the corners. Inside box is a metal mould base with hexagonal imprint and metal mould lid with hexagonal imprint.antique, old, wax, foundation, mould, beechworth honey, voigt, robinson

The queen bee cage is designed to hold a queen bee, and up to three or four escort worker bees. The design allows for adequate ventilation, and has a spot for 'queen candy' -candied honey- to block one end. The queen is placed in her new hive inside the cage, and once the queen candy has been eaten through -allowing her access to the hive- the hive has become accustomed to her smell and accept her. Bees could be sent through the post in this cage. Used by a beekeeper and provided by Mr Richard Diss (beekeeper's son). The cage is significant because it was made with metal and wood. The more contemporary cages are now plastic and of a different design and specifications.Mesh cage stapled over wooden lid with metal strut and top and bottom metal bands. Base is larger than lid. Lid has metal cap.queen cage, nursery cage, bee travelling, mailing bees, beechworth honey, beekeeping

The knife was heated by a steam hose running through the handle and blade. Once heated, it was used for removing caps from individual cells in one sweep across the frame. This exposed the honey before the fame was placed in the extractor.Metal uncapping knife with wooden handle. Two metal pins protrude from wooden handleMetal knife shows extensive use wear. Wooden handle burnt in places. Evidence of being homemadeuncapping, knife, metal, beekeeping, beechworth honey