Beech Forest Railway Station was constructed in 1902 and had a number off additions to it over the years. At the far end of the station in 1902/3 was constructed a 'balloon' reversing loop, rather than a turntable or a triangle, which rolling stock used in order to even the wear on the wheels. However, the trains also used it. The Garrett in particular was supposed to be turned every second trip to even out its wheel wear, although this was usually ignored for other reasons. The loop was used throughout the life of the station.Colour. Beech Forest Railway Station showing the 'balloon' reversing loop at the far end. The tennis courts and shelter are in the background.beech forest; railway; balloon loop;

Construction of the Colac-Beech Forest railway line began in 1900 with about 100 men engaged in laying and ballasting the track, as well as others forming the earthworks and building culverts and bridges. The result of this labour saw the railway advance from Colac until it climbed a spur hugging the side of a forty degree slope emerging on top of the ridge at Beech Forest. This photograph was taken 28 miles (45 kilometres) from Colac between Devitt Bros. Siding and Ditchley, just out of Beech Forest. Two 2-6-2 Tank engines of the narrow-gauge A class built by Victorian Railway's Newport workshop, were commonly dubbed 'Coffee Pots'. As well as pulling a load of NQR wagons a NBB saloon car ended the train. The devastation to the standing timber was deliberate: the Engineer-in-Chief of VR ruled that all trees within a certain distance of the railway line were to be cut down. This certainly saved the line from destruction several times in the future.B/W. An NA class locomotive, NQR wagons and an NBB saloon car, all with workmen, going around a bend between Devitt Brother's Siding and Ditchley on the Beech Forest line in 1901.beech forest; ditchley; devitt bros siding, railways;

Built 1942 - 43 to ensure as adequate water supply for fire fighting purposes, after the devastation of the 1939 forest fires. Used by locals as a swimming pool until flooding in the 1980's filled the weir with silt.Colour photograph of Costicks Weir, Old Colquhoun Road, Colquhoun Forest. Shows manmade dam in bush setting. Constructed by building a weir wall across a small natural gorge. Nowa Nowa Victoriavegetation

This drawing was done by Andy Freer, founding member and Artistic Director of Snuff Puppets. It forms part of the creative process to develop a new show, 'Forest in the Night', exploring themes of evolution, chaos theory, Darwinism and the survival of the fittest. More than 25 puppets were created and transformed into new strange creatures. This drawing was submitted as part of a pitch to the 1995 Melbourne International Festival of the Arts program, where it was performed as a large outdoor spectacle in the round. Please visit http://www.snuffpuppets.com/shows/Forest_in_the_Night for more information.The significance of this drawing is that it is a rare, original demonstration of the creative development processes of Snuff Puppets' unique puppet creation and building.A black ink drawing on A5 paper detailing the creative concepts for puppet design and development for a new production entitled 'Forest in the Night'art, environment, ink drawing, snuff puppets, puppetry, theatre, creative, puppet, performance, imaginery

Beech Forest first entered the association prior to World War 1, playing in maroon and gold on a ground situated 200 metres north of the final ground. Little is known of the competition in those days. The Club reformed in 1921. Beech Forest changed its colours to Richmond colours and used a ground south of the township, now known as the Football Break Road in the Forest Commission pine plantation. In 1922 the site of the present ground had been purchased but it was 1929 before it was first used, and it was used every year, except 1953 when G. Bellchamber's paddock was used while major renovations were carried out on their home ground. It was in the same year, 1929, that they changed their colours yet again to the blue with white V colours, which they retained until the Club disbanded. Beech Forest won premierships in 1924 and 1940. In 1945 the Club reformed yet again to enter the Otway Association. They were successful in winning premierships in 1946, 1947, 1952 and 1953. Finally, in 1957, the Club disbanded to become part of the Otway Rovers Football Club.Beech Forest Football Club, (1) Annual Meeting and Ordinary Meeting Minutes, November 1948 - September 1952; (2) Annual Meeting and Ordinary Meeting Minutes March 1953 - April 1954, Statements of Receipts and Expenditure 1950 - 1952. 2x Exercise Book.Insert: Grounds used; Best and Fairest Players.beech forest; football; minutes;

Forest Hill Police Station Springvale Road Forest Hillforest hill police station springvale road police stations

One of 16 photographs and postcards donated by Mary KarneyColoured postcard of Forrest Caves with people standing on top right side."Happy New Year" "Phillip Island Forest Caves" (Forest as spelt on the card - should be Forrest)forrest caves, forrest caves phillip island, phillip island coastline

In order to accommodate its key Otways staff of train crews, station masters and gangers the VR provided departmental housing. Laurie McCabe, a former porter at Wyelangta, a player in the local football team, and married to one of the potato-growing families, was the Station Master becoming the travelling station master and guard in 1930. He was based in Beech Forest and housed departmentally with his wife, Victoria Elizabeth (nee Tann) and their two children.Laurie McCabe, Travelling Station Master and goods Guard, his wife, Victoria, and their two children outside their railway house at Beech Forest. B/W.beech forest; railway; departmental housing;

Commercial realities and bushfires caused the Beech Forest community to re-establish itself around the railway station, away from Gardner Hill. This caused John W. Gardner to subdivide his land on the north side of the railway station. One subdivision was created near the Ditchley railway station on the old racecourse site, and another of 25 allotments forming what became Southorn Street. There were very few takers for these lots nor any buyers for the Ditchley subdivision.Photocopy. 260mm x 159mm. An advertisement for the sale of the Ditchley Park Estate, Beech Forest. Under instructions from Mr. J.W. Gardner Dalgety & Co. Ltd. will sell the subdivision of the Ditchley Park Estate on Tuesday, March 30, 1909, at 2 o'clock. A map of Beech Forest township and the Ditchley Park Estate is attached, as are the terms of sale and a description of the area.. beech forest; ditchley park; land sale; advertisment;

A map of Bungal in the 1920's showing the allotments, and the size, with the names of the residents. It shows the roads and the Western and Eastern Moorarbool River, and the Whipstick State Forest.Cream coloured map of Bungal in the County of Grant, bounded by the the East Moorarbool River on the East, and the State Forest on the South. It is marked with the scale of chains and the number L.358. Lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey. Melbourne by W. J. Butson on 9.9.1926. It shows the land allotments with names of owners.Coloured pen marks and circled numbers on various areas. Price 2 shillings marked on bottom right hand edge.bungal, kerrit bareet, egerton, lal lal, borhoneyghurk, bungeeltap, ballark, yaloak, gorong, moorarbool west

The homestead of Francis Matthew Child taken from the forest area downstream of Child Bros. Sawmill.Black and white photograph showing the homestead of Francis Matthew Child.This photograph has a detailed inscription on the back handwritten by John Lundy-Clarke.Francis Matthews home on Crown Allotment “E” taken from the forest edge of Harry Child miners lease on which he had his mill. Mill was upstream to the left. The trees in the background were on Hand’s selection “F” and beyond them was the summit of Mt Kalorama.homestead, francis matthew child, sawmill, child's sawmill

The Beech Forest railway carried very heavy loading, mostly consisting of timber, but also potatoes, lime, gravel, chaff and dairy produce. Livestock was carried and, while no dedicated passenger service operated "car-goods" ran on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday plus occasional passenger specials. However, despite the high tonnage heavy financial losses were experienced, due partly to the small amount of inbound goods and the high empty wagon mileage. Annual losses by 1915 were up to L8,000, and these were only exacerbated by increased traffic.B/W. Beech Forest Railway Station, guard's van, carriages and wagons on the right, and wagons loading with timber on the left. c.1915.beech forest; railways; station;

Rectangular Wooden Box made from 3plywood with reinforced corners and wire banding. Open at the topForest Comm. Victoria / Forest Officer T Wescott / Kallista / via / FernTree Gully / Rly Station

Plans for a rail connection between Colac and Beech Forest had been drawn up in 1884 and 1889 but proofed inconclusive because of the enormous cost involved in building a railway in such difficult terrain. Because of the financial depression in the early 1890s such expenditure went of hold. Towards the end of the decade planners recognised that a narrow gauge could be a viable alternative and it was taken up by the community, Parliamentary representatives and the government, although Victorian Railways administration was against the idea. This was overridden. The 1898 Parliament approved a 2 foot 6 inch gauge from Colac to Beech Forest although strict financial limits were set. The route was to be the most direct and the infrastructure the most basic. Construction began in 1900 entailing very steep grades and myriad curves until it finished in 1902. Surveyors and their assistants came before and during the track laying for the whole distance.B/W. Survey camp for the Colac-Beech Forest railway in 1901, showing nine tents, ten men including a cook, survey instruments, and three bicycles. Note the cooking fire on the right.colac: beech forest; railways; survey;

Photograph taken in 1973 from the property 'Forest Edge', the home of early settler George Barber. This photograph has a detailed inscription on the back handwritten by John Lundy-Clarke in 1973.Taken November 1973 by JLC. View looking from “Forest Edge” George Barber’s old home towards Price’s Lot 18. Gap on right skyline. Broadways house centre on Lot 18. Lot 25 in foreground recently cleared by Merchant Builders. Kia Ora site centre left. forest edge, george barber, price, kia ora

Forests Notes: Bendigo State forests newsletter published May 2006 by the State of Victoria, Department of sustainability and Environment. Getting there - indigenous culture - Bendigo's golden past - Geology and geomorphology - Discover nature treasures - Bendigo State forests - Activities to enjoy in State forests. Map of Bendigo State forests.government, state, department of sustainability

Built in 1898 by early settler George Barber the property is still in existence today. It was the home of George, wife Sarah Ann and daughter Ethel.Black and white photograph showing te side view of George Barber's home, later named Forest Edge. c1905. Reverse of photograph has handwritten description by John Lundy-Clarke.Barber's home on Olinda Creek. Lot 25 Sect 1 Village Settlement. Home of George Barber and wife Sarah Ann (nee Richardson). Daughter Ethel.Was bought by Munnerley later Sangster and Kinnear. Later known as Forest Edge. Buggy and wagon shed on right. Photo copied 1973 by JLC.

Dated July 14th 1899. Sent to Mr W. Cooper / c/o Mr Barrie / Storekeeper / No. 2 Valley / Chiltern / "Copy of Land Act 1896 / Regulations. Chapter XI Thinning Licenses"Document on stiff paper. Letter to Mr W. Cooper granting license to thin trees on a block of land at Chiltern Reserve. On back, copy of Land Act Regulations 1890"Department of Lands and Survey. On Forest Business"license, timber felling, cooper family, forestry, chiltern reserve

B/W. A train for Beech Forest between Dinmont and Beech Forest in c.1915.beech forest; dinmont; railways;

By 1910 revenue from the Beech Forest railway was $15,500, working expenditure $12,000, with a net loss (including interest charges) of about $4,000. This and the following year were the lowest net losses ever experienced. Passenger journeys rose steadily, outwards goods traffic rose to a record 12,959 tons (in 1911), and inwards goods traffic was a record 3,359 tons.. The railway station possessed a goods shed, stock race and yards, engine shed, coal stage, crew cabins, a refreshment room, and a four-roomed station building, with the station staff to match. Beech Forest was the principal despatch centre at this stage for split timber. Bill Devitt laid a timber tramway to the Beech Forest railway station to cart the palings for on-shipment..B/W. 177mm x 271mm. A general view from the eastern end of Beech Forest station in 1910. Note the Goods Shed, three tracks with No.3 Road having a NU louvre van and loaded NQR wagons, timber stacks to the left, and Devitt's Tramway with unloaded trolleys at the lower left. To the right, crew cabins with shops and houses in the background.beech forest; railways; timber; tramway;

Some decades ago a card sorting set for the identification and description of Australian timbers was developed for timber species which were available commercially and were in common usage, by the Commonwealth of Australia (CSIRO, Division of Forest Products) To complement and inform this national timber set each State or Territory developed reference timber sets of representative species. The Commercial Timbers of Victoria set was Victoria’s most recent (circa 1984) expression of this Victorian timber samples were sourced from logs selected by Forest Commission of Victoria (FCV) District Foresters and milled locally. Kiln drying and machining was carried out at timber producers Row, Web and Anderson, in Port Melbourne. Labeling and boxing was done by FCV Timber Inspectors, with box and booklet design and graphics handled in-house More recent timber samples were badged as Conservation Forests & Lands, reflecting historical government restructuring in the early 1980s Info: Simon MurphyProvided the public, industry (timber and associated), and educational facilities with a reference collection of notable Victorian timbers. Initially in a reduced format from 1940-50s, with boxed sets produced from 1981 until 1984A boxed set of timber samples representing the 20 tree species that were considered to be the most notable in Victoria. The set also includes an information booklet. Each timber specimen has information on species, occurrence, uses and physical properties Produced for sale by the the FCV and later by the Department of Conservation Forests and Lands. (CFL). forests commission victoria (fcv)

In the earliest years of the Colac-Beech Forest-Crowes line all trains were hauled by NA-class 2-6-2 tank locomotives. From 1926, with the introduction of articulated Beyer Garrett locomotive G41, it hauled the majority of trains with the NAs providing supplementary service as required. Late in 1945 Garratt G41 was again out of action undergoing repairs at the depot in Colac so regular traffic again was handled by an NA for a short time. The line continued to survive on pulpwood long after other VR narrow gauge lines had ceased operation but finally, on 30 June 1962, a dilapidated G42 hauled the last train of goods wagons and vans to Beech Forest and return.Focus on Victoria's Narrow Gauge: Beech Forest Line, Part One. John E. Thompson. Puffing Billy Preservation Society; Belgrave (Vic); Jan 2004. vi, 42 p.; illus; maps. Soft cover. ISBN 0 9579792 4 Xvictorian railways; narrow gauge; beech forest; colac; crowes; edward a. downs; john e. thompson;