Although the Beenak Post Office officially closed on 31 August 1951, the Mail Box continued to be used until 1976. The history of Beenak (the town that never was) is part of the Yarra Valley Ranges, and this picture tells the story of the historic MailboxBlack and White Picture of the original Beenak Post Office Letter Box, used for collecting mail during the Beenak Sawmilling operations. The Friends of Kurth Kiln have errected a Commemorative Plaque on site next to the huge gum tree that still carries the scar where the the mail box had been mounted. A full scale replica of the box has been fitted to the shed at Kurth Kiln, made and painted by Henk Bouck under the supervision of ex PMG officer John Waghorn beenak, post office

Mc Crae Creek Mill Beenak Negative Black white Scanned at 600 dpi.mc crae creek mill beenak

Working with horses at Mc Crae Creek mill 1945 Beenak Black and White negative scanned at 600 dpiworking horses mc crae creek mill beenak 1945

Professor Ernest Edgar Kurth of the University of Tasmania, invented a faster, simpler and cleaner way to produce charcoal on a continuous basis during the second world war. The charcoal was used to produce a combustible gas in motor cars, as a substitute for petrol, which was heavily rationed. The first batch of charcoal was produced in February 1942 and continued until the end of the war. Wood from stringybark trees was cut into lengths and fed into a kiln which converted it into charcoal. The Kiln is located on Beenak Road, 7km north of Gembrook. It has great historical significance, particularly as an alternative supplier of fuel during the second world war. It is a State Registered facility, managed by the Friends of Kirth Kiln and the park is managed by Parks Victoria Green soft covered book of 150 pages, with a photo of 2 men and a boy out in the bush with 3 fires burning.Contains a Prelude about Ernest Edgar Kurth written by Alfred Klink (2013) and a Foreward by John Sullivan (Heritage Officer of Parks Victoria). There is an Acknowledgement page, with recognition given to the grant provided by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. e.e. kurth, kirth kiln, charcoal kiln, parks victoria