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Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Photograph - Photograph of a cow
Churchill Island Heritage Farm has a large photograph collection dating from the nineteenth century to the present.Black and white photograph of a cow in the pasture with a line of pine trees and Amess House visible in the background.Catalogue number written in pencil on the reverse. Handwritten on reverse in pen '1939 (?) with pine trees and house. It was necessary to aim the cannon between these trees when firing'churchill island -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Craig Deayton, The battle of Messines : 1917, 2017
On 7 June 1917, the British Second Army launched its attack on Messines Ridge, detonating 19 giant mines beneath the German front-line positions. By the end of the day, one of the strongest positions on the Western Front had fallen, a place of such importance that the Germans had pledged to hold it at any cost. It was the greatest British victory in three years of war. The first two years of the First World War had represented an almost unending catalogue of disaster for the Australians. Messines was not only their first real victory, it was also the first test in senior command for Major General John Monash who commanded the newly formed 3rd Division and would later be hailed as Australia's greatest soldier. Messines was a baptism of fire for the 3rd Division which came into the line alongside the battle-scarred 4th Australian Division, badly mauled at Bullecourt just six weeks earlier in one of the worst defeats of the war. The fighting at Messines would descend into unimaginable savagery, a lethal and sometimes hand-to-hand affair of bayonets, clubs, bombs and incessant machine-gun fire, described by one Australian as '72 hours of Hell'. After their string of bloody defeats over 1915 and 1916, Messines would be the ultimate test for the Australians. Collapse summaryIndex, bibliography, ill (col), p.172.non-fictionOn 7 June 1917, the British Second Army launched its attack on Messines Ridge, detonating 19 giant mines beneath the German front-line positions. By the end of the day, one of the strongest positions on the Western Front had fallen, a place of such importance that the Germans had pledged to hold it at any cost. It was the greatest British victory in three years of war. The first two years of the First World War had represented an almost unending catalogue of disaster for the Australians. Messines was not only their first real victory, it was also the first test in senior command for Major General John Monash who commanded the newly formed 3rd Division and would later be hailed as Australia's greatest soldier. Messines was a baptism of fire for the 3rd Division which came into the line alongside the battle-scarred 4th Australian Division, badly mauled at Bullecourt just six weeks earlier in one of the worst defeats of the war. The fighting at Messines would descend into unimaginable savagery, a lethal and sometimes hand-to-hand affair of bayonets, clubs, bombs and incessant machine-gun fire, described by one Australian as '72 hours of Hell'. After their string of bloody defeats over 1915 and 1916, Messines would be the ultimate test for the Australians. Collapse summary world war 1914-1918- campaigns - western front, battles of messines - australian participation - 1917 -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Fine books, Crisis in the Pacific, 1996
In Crisis in the Pacific acclaimed historian Gerald Astor draws on the raw experiences of marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen under fire - from generals and admirals to correspondents, line officers and enlisted men on both sides of the battle lines - to present a view of the critical struggle for the Philippines, the keystone to Japanese domination of the Pacific and to ultimate Allied victory. These accounts, many published here for the first time, are dramatic and graphic, brutal and awe-inspiring. Ranging from the diplomatic and nursing corps' experience of the Japanese conquest and occupation of the islands, to the Bataan death march and first-hand accounts of war crimes inflicted by the Japanese on prisoners of war, to the final push for the hills of Mindanao, Crisis in the Pacific is the first complete history, told in the words of the men and women who were there, of one of the most crucial battlegrounds of World War II.Index, bibliography, ill, p.478.non-fictionIn Crisis in the Pacific acclaimed historian Gerald Astor draws on the raw experiences of marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen under fire - from generals and admirals to correspondents, line officers and enlisted men on both sides of the battle lines - to present a view of the critical struggle for the Philippines, the keystone to Japanese domination of the Pacific and to ultimate Allied victory. These accounts, many published here for the first time, are dramatic and graphic, brutal and awe-inspiring. Ranging from the diplomatic and nursing corps' experience of the Japanese conquest and occupation of the islands, to the Bataan death march and first-hand accounts of war crimes inflicted by the Japanese on prisoners of war, to the final push for the hills of Mindanao, Crisis in the Pacific is the first complete history, told in the words of the men and women who were there, of one of the most crucial battlegrounds of World War II.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – phillipines, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Pan McMillan et al, In the line of fire : real stories of Australians at war, from Gallipoli to Vietnam, 2005
... In the line of fire : real stories of Australians at war... - History - Military In the line of fire' explores the nature ...In the line of fire' explores the nature of combat from the perspective of the men doing the actual fighting. From the heights of Gallipoli to the trenches of the Western Front, from the deserts of North Africa to the jungle POW camps of the Thai-Burma Railway, from the savage cold of a Korean winter to the steamy heat of Vietnam this book details what it's really like to be in the line of fire. Also it reveals the experiences of Australian women at war and the combat photographers.Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.358.non-fictionIn the line of fire' explores the nature of combat from the perspective of the men doing the actual fighting. From the heights of Gallipoli to the trenches of the Western Front, from the deserts of North Africa to the jungle POW camps of the Thai-Burma Railway, from the savage cold of a Korean winter to the steamy heat of Vietnam this book details what it's really like to be in the line of fire. Also it reveals the experiences of Australian women at war and the combat photographers.military participation - australia, sustralia - history - military -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Newspaper - LONG GULLY HISTORY GROUP COLLECTION: ELECTRIC IN 1903
Copy of an article from the Bendigo Advertiser titled Extracts from the Advertiser - April 1903. An article mentioning the progress of the electric trams in Bendigo in 1903 and some disruption it caused to the telephone service and fire alarms. There is a photo of men working on the tram line near the Rose of Australia Hotel and the Post Office. The are also ads on the page for Bake House Bread, Valentine's Furniture and Bendigo Pre-mixed Concrete.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - electric in 1903, bendigo advertiser april 1903, the electric supply company of victoria, mr h w jenvey, rose of australia hotel, co-op store, post office long gully, bowdens butcher shop, bake house bread, valentine's furniture, bendigo pre-mixed concrete -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - NEW CHUM & VICTORIA LINES OF REEF - MINING MACHINERY, NEW CHUM LINE, EAGLEHAWK
Handwritten notes on mining machinery sold at auction. South St Mungo - Winding Engine. Pair of 15 ? Cyl. Winding Engines. 7 ft Winding Gear. Also Jackass Boiler. Feed Pump, Trucks, Rails, Flat Sheets, Poppet Heads, Housing, etc. Sold for 270 pounds. Purchaser H Ralph for Austral Drill Co. Lady Barkly Company - 12 inch Cylinder Winding Engine. 8 ft Winding Gear. Cornish Flue Boiler, Feed Pump, Rails,Poppet Heads, Housing, etc. Sold for 162 pound 10 shillings. Purchaser W. J. Sever, Mining Merchants, Melb. Crushing Battery - Complete 40 Head Battery. Tandem Compound Engine. 11 in & 22 in Cylinders. High Press, Boilers, Electric Lighting Plant. 6 in Cyl. High Speed Engine, Fire-proof, Feed Pump, Rails, Flat Sheets, Tools & Sundries. 1000 pound to R. Ralph. These three mining plants, complete. Sold by Messrs Bell, Lambert and Nixon - Auctioneers. Ref; Bendigo Advertiser. July 14th 1910 Page 2.document, gold, new chum & victoria lines of reef, new chum & victoria lines of reef, mining machinery new chum line eaglehawk, south st mungo, h ralph, austral drill co, lady barkly company, w j sever, crushing battery, messrs bell, lambert and nixon, bendigo advertiser july 14th 1910 page 2 -
Victorian Interpretive Projects Inc.
photograph, Opening of the bew building at Stratford Railway Station, Victoria, c1921, c1921
Stratford railway station is located on the Bairnsdale line in Victoria, Australia. The railway lined opened on 8 November 1887 it served the town of Stratford. The building at the Stratford Railway Station was opened around 1921 after the original building was destroyed by fire on 10 January 1920. "STRATFORD RAILWAY STATION. Mr. M'Lachlan, M.L.A., has received the following from Mr. Norman, late Chairman of the Railway Commissioners:-"In reply to yours, I beg to state that material for the new Stratford railway station has been ordered, and the work will be put in hand as soon as it has been delivered. It is not an easy matter at the present time to obtain materials, and I cannot say exactly when those required will be received." (Gippsland Times, 27 September 1920) Until their demolition, Munro, Fernbank, Lindenow and Hillside stations were located between Stratford and Bairnsdale stations. (wikipedia)Photograph of two postcards showing a crowd at Stratford Railway Station to celebrate the opening of the new building. stratford, stratford railway station, railway -
Victorian Interpretive Projects Inc.
Photograph - Colour, Gaida Stevens, World War One Tunnel Entrance, Lone Pine, Gallipoli, 2015, 2015
Lone Pine was an action that featured one of the most famous assaults of the Gallipoli campaign. The attack was planned as a diversion for the Australian and New Zealand units that were to breakout from the Anzac perimeter by capturing the heights of Chunuk Bair and Hill 971. At 5.30 pm on 6 August 1915, the Australian artillery barrage lifted and from concealed trenches in no man’s land the 1st Australian Brigade charged towards the Turkish trenches. The troops paused on reaching the Turkish trenches, finding that many were covered by timber roofs. Some fired, bombed and bayoneted from above, some found their way inside and others ran on past to the open communications and support trenches behind. Others advanced as far as "the Cup" which was where Turkish support units were located and from where the Turks counter-attacked. By nightfall, most of the enemy front line was in Australian hands and outposts had been established in former Turkish communication trenches. The Australian Engineers dug a safe passage across no man’s land so that reinforcements could enter the captured positions without being exposed to Turkish fire. Having captured the Turkish trenches, the Australians now tried to hold what they had taken while the Turks desperately and determinedly tried to throw the Australians out. From nightfall on 6 August until the night of 9 August a fierce battle ensued underground in the complex maze of Turkish tunnels. The Australians succeeded in drawing the whole of the immediate Turkish reserve. Six Australian battalions suffered nearly 2,300 killed and wounded at Lone Pine. Seven Australians were awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest number ever awarded to an Australian division for one action.(http://www.awmlondon.gov.au/battles/lone-pine)Entrance to a tunnel at Lone Pine, Gallipoli. gallipoli, world war one, tunnel, mmm -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - LONG GULLY HISTORY GROUP COLLECTION: THE BENDIGO GOLDFIELD … INTRODUCTION TO FIELD
The Bendigo Goldfield ...Introduction to Field. Compiled by A. Richardson. Mentioned are the Deborah Line of Reef, The Sheepshead Line, The Nell Gwynne Line and The Carshalton Line of Reef. Mines mentioned are: The Deborah, The North Deborah, Central Deborah, The New Red White and Blue Consolidated (Big Blue), North Red White and Blue, Central Red white and Blue, Little 180, South Ironbark, Ironbark, Hercules, Central Nell Gwynne and The New Chum Syncline. Lansell's Bendigo Battery is also mentioned. There is a short description of each mine, depth. location, machinery, Gold yield, Dividends and Calls. Closing date of some (some closed as a result of fire). Also mentioned is the postal service and the establishment of cemeteries at Bendigo, White Hills, Eaglehawk and Kangaroo Flat.Albert Richardsonbendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - the bendigo goldfield...introduction to field, a richardson, new chum railway mine, the dascombe nugget, the victoria nugget, r r haverfield, ballerstadt, rae, wittscheibe, lazarus, cave and amos, geo lansell, the old chum, victoria, specimen, hustlers, bendigo amalgamated goldfields, bendigo mines limited, nell gwynne, napoleon, carshalton, the deborah, roberts & sons, the north deborah, williams' united, central deborah, lansell's south red white & blue, the new red white and blue consolidated (big blue), union, h harkness & co, thompson & co, lansell's bendigo battery, showgrounds industrial hall, north red white and blue, central red white and blue, little 180, john brown knitwear factory, south ironbark, victoria consols east shaft, ironbark, manchester arms hotel, unity mine, wattle gully mine chewton, hercules, hercules and energetic, bendigo amalgamated goldfields coy, long gully post office, the old wheal owl, central nell gwynne, gold mines hotel, bendigo city council, mr jack barker, bendigo and district tourist association, the new chum syncline, courier of the mines newspaper, camp hill school, sandhurst east post office, bendigo cemetery, white hills cemetery, eaglehawk cemetery, kangaroo flat cemetery -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - EXTRACT FROM'' WEEKLY TIMES'' RE BOORT AND COPY OF NOTES RE DURHAM OX, 19/04/1941
Handwritten 3-page extract from'' Weekly Times'' (19/4/1941) re early days of Boort - ''Things were tough in Fifty -one (1851) - drought, fire and flood offset Gold''. By E M Webb. On third page is 1/2 page is description of an incident of early days of Gladfield told by Mrs Clarricoates Snr in 1946 - re bogging of beer cargo in creek;. B. copy of notes re early days of Durham Ox, originally written by Charlotte A Ault, Durham Ox and extract from a letter published in the Australian (sic) Post, written by Mr Wm F Sheridan. Reference to the decay of the town due to the railway line going through Pyramid Hill instead of Durham Ox (due to ''private pressure').document, newspaper, weekly times, broot. mrs clarricoates. charlotte a ault. -
Moorabbin Air Museum
Document (item) - Bill Prowse Collection WP14 See details in Description, Bill Prowse Collection WP14
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Wangaratta Urban Fire Brigade
framed certificate
blue and white certificate in medium brown framed that has a very narrow gold line on the inner sides.Yarrawonga weir-Lake Mulwala Golden Anniversary Participation certificate 29/10/89 -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Medal, Raymond Henry Hunt
R54259 Chief Electrician Weapons Radio, Raymond Henry Hunt, Royal Australain Navy. Raymond Henry Hunt's unit: HMAS Hobart. His Vietnam Service was from 22nd March 1968 - 17th June 1968. His Date of Death was 17th June 1968, Vietnam waters* *Raymond Hunt was one of two sailors killed by 'friendly fire' when HMAS Hobart, while patrolling of North Vietnam, was hit by rockets fired from a United States aircraft.Five Replica Medals are placed horizontally on a single line of a blackboard that sits on a black stand. The first four medals are silver with four different ribbons. The last medal is gold and white with green and white alternate ribbon.hmas hobart, royal australian navy, raymond henry hunt, friendly fire, north vietnam -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Book, In the Line of Fire: Real Stories of Australians at war, from Gallipoli to Vietnam. (Copy 1)
... In the Line of Fire: Real Stories of Australians at war... - History In the Line of Fire: Real Stories of Australians at war ...vietnamese conflict, 1961-1975 - participation, australian, australia - armed forces - history -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Book, In the Line of Fire: Real Stories of Australians at war, from Gallipoli to Vietnam. (Copy 2)
... In the Line of Fire: Real Stories of Australians at war... - History In the Line of Fire: Real Stories of Australians at war ...vietnamese conflict, 1961-1975 - participation, australian, australia - armed forces - history -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Sign - Sign, Danger
A white rectangular metal sign with rounded corners and a black line border. It has holes drilled in four corners. plus two larger central holes for fixing it to wall or pole and is rusted on the left side. Centre justified warning message reads: Commonwealth Of Australia (in black)/ DANGER (in red) /Live Firing/ Unexploded/Ordnance/ Trespass/ Upon This Land/ Is Prohibited. Centre justified message reads: Commonwealth Of Australia (in black)/ DANGER (in red) /Live Firing/ Unexploded/Ordnance/ Trespass/ Upon This Land/ Is Prohibited. sign, commonwealth of australia, danger, warning -
St Kilda Historical Society
Photograph, St Kilda Railway Station - images collection
Opened in 1857, St Kilda Railway Station is the oldest surviving railway station in Victoria. In the 1920s it was the second busiest station in Victoria after Flinders Street. Competition from motor traffic led to the decline of the station and of St Kilda itself. Services on the line were reduced in 1981 and it was converted to a tram route in November 1987. In 1989, several fires damaged the timber station building and by December, the roof had been destroyed. Metropol Apartments at 60 & 64 Fitzroy Street, completed by 2002, were constructed on the station forecourt site. The former station has been heavily redeveloped and now houses bars, restaurants and retail outlets. Colour photographst kilda, st kilda railway station, st kilda train, fitzroy street -
Puffing Billy Railway
TACL - Erica State Sawmill Rail Tractor, 1928
TACL-Tractor Appliance Company Limited TACL rail tractors manufactured by Malcolm Moore of Port Melbourne Located in the Parishes of Moondarra and Telbit, Gippsland, the tramway terminated at Collins Siding on the Moe Walhalla 2'6"gauge branch of the Victorian Railways. Its construction by the Forests Commission of Victoria was to facilitate the extraction of timber from the Southern and Western slopes of Mount Erica and to replace the outlet tramways destroyed during the disastrous forest fires of February 1926. Tyers Valley Tramway The line, following the Eastern arm of the river, passed Ingrams Siding (7m.) to terminate at a forest area, known as "Ten Acre Block", 8m. 60c. from Collins Siding. The western branch of the line followed the Western Tyers Valley to Growlers Creek, 13m. 40c. from Collins Siding. THE T.A.C.L. TRACTORS at Tyers Valley tramway. On the 19th January 1928, T.A.C.L. locomotive, purchased from Tractor Appliance Co. Ltd. (Malcolm Moore), was delivered. This unit had a 20 h.p. Fordson engine coupled by a chain drive to the two axles, providing a tractive effort of approx. 2000lbs. Wheelbase was 5’ and weight was four tons. It was intended that the two tractor locomotives, working with the grade, would deliver timber from the branch lines to Tyers Junction, from which place it would be steam hauled out to the Collins Siding transfer point. Following a breakdown of the steam locomotive, haulage during the early months of 1928 was carried out by the T.A.C.L. unit, supplemented by the Nattrass, which was, by this time, becoming unreliable. During April 1928, after ensuring that no suitable locomotive was available in Australia, an order was placed with the Climax Manufacturing Co., U.S.A. for the supply of a geared locomotive. A second T.A.C.L. engine was purchased during May and, on the 27th, the local mill owners, having obtained running rights on the tramway, commenced haulage with the Harman. The three tractor units worked the branch lines and transported ballast, whilst the Harman hauled the timber to Collins Siding in rakes of eight trucks (56 tons). The weekly loading of the line for the first, second and third weeks were 54, 62 and 71 trucks respectively. info from : http://www.nmra.org.au/tyersvalley/Tyers-Tram.html Historic - Industrial Narrow gauge Railway - Timber working - Rail Tractor used by the the Forests Commission of Victoria on the Tyers Valley TramwayRail Tractor with Fordson engine coupled by a chain drive to the two axles - made of steel and wrought ironerica sawmill, puffing billy, tacl, rail tractor, tractor appliance co. ltd. (malcolm moore), industrial narrow gauge railway, tyers valley tramway, forests commission of victoria -
Puffing Billy Railway
3 NUU - Louvred Truck, 3/12/1900
Van 3 NUU - Louvred Truck (11) VR Service History 3/12/1900 NWS Built new Vehicle Length 25 feet 2 inches ( 7671 mm) Coupled Length 27 feet 4 inches (8330 mm) Width 6 feet 3 inches (1905 mm) Weight 7 tons Capacity 10 tons Built 1898 - 1911 Number Built 14 In use 5 To be restored None *NUU 3.VA - 3/12/1900 NWS Built new - / /1926 - To NU 3.VA - NU 3.VA - circa 1926 - Modified AC Malco 1/10/1977 - Off Register To ETRB Sec76/3630 RS77/4223 NUU The standard louvre van design for the Victorian narrow-gauge lines, the NUU vehicles were constructed in three batches; the first seven from 1899 to 1901, an eighth in 1906 and the last six in 1911, for a total class of fourteen. They looked very similar to the U vans of the Broad Gauge, although two photographs[1][2] of NUU 1 show that its body may have been white for some time. NU In 1926 the class was relettered to simply NU, with no changes to numbers. NU 4 was scrapped in 1938, but otherwise the class remained intact until 1954, when seven members (2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12) were sold to Coulston & Hyder, who dispersed the wagons among locations on the Wangarrata to Whitfield line. As of 1996, vans 7 and 12 were at Moyhu, while van 11 was destroyed by fire in 1978. Wagons 6 and 1 were scrapped in 1957 and 1958 respectively, while in 1954 van 13 was recorded as being sold to the Puffing Billy Preservation Society. In 1977, the remaining vans 3, 10 and 14 were handed over to the Emerald Tourist Railway Board, and removed from Victorian Railways records. The Puffing Billy Railway now posesses vans 3, 8, 10, 13 and 14. Historic - Victorian Railways Narrow Gauge - Rolling Stock - Louvered VanWooden Louvered Van - Made of Timber on a Wrought iron frame3 NUUpuffing billy, 3 nuu, louvered van, 2'6" guage, victorian railways, narrow gauge rolling stock -
Puffing Billy Railway
G 42 Stack, era 1955, circa era 1955
Constructed during the overhaul of locomotive G 42 in 1954/1955. This stack was the exhaust for the coal fired Garratt locomotive G 42 and replaced the ornate stack it had been built with by Beyer Peacock in England in 1926. The overhaul was carried out between it's last run on the Moe to Walhalla railway and prior to locomotive being placed in service, for the first time, on the Colac to Beech Forest railway line. The stack remained in use until 1962, when the locomotive was withdrawn, and was still connected to the boiler until restoration of G 42 was undertaken. Locomotive G 42, with its replica ornate stack, was restored by the Puffing Billy Preservation Society in 2004 and can be seen operating on the Puffing Billy Railway. G 42 Stack - era 1955G 42 Stack - era 1955 made of cast Metal -
Tatura Irrigation & Wartime Camps Museum
Newspaper, Second Anniversary Ball
Story is of the ball held to commemorate the second anniversary of the Battalion. Piece of white paper with black writing, Photocopy of an articles in "POW WOW". Page has two sections, representing two pages of the article. Heading across the top and date with line under that. Story, photograph of a chef and an officer standing either side of a cake. Right hand section continues the story. Under the story is a fire and chimney, smoke coming out the chimney. An officer standing in front of the fire with hands on hips. Under him is a poem.lieutenant colonel tackaberry, victory hall tatura, pow wow -
Tatura Irrigation & Wartime Camps Museum
Photograph, Unveiling of Dr Park Memorial
The Memorial to Dr Park, unveiled in Hogan Street from the balcony of the Criterion Hotel, looking east across railway line. Old Post Office in right foreground; old Fire Station beyond memorial.clock, dr park, tatura, buildings, historic, transport, motor, vehicles, costume, male, female -
Tatura Irrigation & Wartime Camps Museum
Photos, Hogan Street Tatura
Early Tatura photos emailed.|Hogan Street looking east from railway line, c.1910.|Flanagans Store c.1935, showing shop on corner and possibly the first fire station on N.E. corner of Ross & Hogan Streets.|Hogan Street looking west from railway line c.1910(2).|Flanagans' Store on cnr. Ross and Hogan Streets, c.1910.tatura, hogan street, flanagans store, local, history -
Hume City Civic Collection
Photograph, c. 1980's
The original single storey hotel was built by the vigneron, F. F. Bubeck. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1901 and the present red brick building was built by George Millett. The hotel provided meals and accommodation for rail travellers.A coloured photograph of the Royal Hotel which is situated on the sw corner of Brook and Evans Streets. A grey car is angle parked on the LHS of the photograph and there is a line of plane treet around the curbside. The 2 storey hotel has red brick walls with cream trim around the windows and blue shutters on the windows on the upper storey. The roof is clad with terracotta tiles. Facing Brook and Evans Streets on the roof line are the parapets with the words 'Royal Hotel' on them.ROYAL HOTELevans street, brook street, bubeck, f.f., millett, george, royal hotel, george evans collection -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Rakehoe, McLeod Tool
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 Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Fire Beater - Leather, c 1940s
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 Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Fire Beater - Canvas, c 1930s
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 Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Rakut - Fire rake, Unknown FCV District, c 1952
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.Fire tool used before the introduction of RakehoesRakut - Fire Rake and cutting toolGreen and red coloured handle and 020 marking indicated which FCV District the tool belonged tobushfire -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Portable UHF Radio - Sawtron / Kyodo, c 1980s
After the 1939 bushfires, the Forests Commission 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. Rapid improvements in technology led to various models of bulky handheld portables with heavy batteries that always seemed to go flat. In fact, batteries were a constant impediment at bushfires. 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 4G 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.Portable UHF Radio with leather carrying case and strap. Charging station. Kyodo Model KC-1109 MOYHU Whitfieldbushfire, radios -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Base station radio with handset, Mid 1980s
After the 1939 bushfires, the Forests Commission 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 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 4G 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.Base station radio with handsetRC-4B Amalgamated Wireless Australiabushfire, radios