Was recovered from the Forestry School at CreswickDennis Turbine engine fire pump Guildford motor Dated April 15 1921forests commission victoria (fcv), fire pump, bushfire

This water pump was owned by Dr. W.R. Angus AND was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by the family of Doctor William Roy Angus, Surgeon and Oculist. It is part of the “W.R. Angus Collection” includes historical medical equipment, surgical instruments and material once belonging to Dr Edward Ryan and Dr Thomas Francis Ryan, (both of Nhill, Victoria) as well as Dr Angus’ own belongings. The Collection’s history spans the medical practices of the two Doctors Ryan, from 1885-1926 plus that of Dr Angus, up until 1969. ABOUT THE “W.R.ANGUS COLLECTION” Doctor William Roy Angus M.B., B.S., Adel., 1923, F.R.C.S. Edin.,1928 (also known as Dr Roy Angus) was born in Murrumbeena, Victoria in 1901 and lived until 1970. He qualified as a doctor in 1923 at University of Adelaide, was Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1924 and for a period was house surgeon to Sir (then Mr.) Henry Simpson Newland. Dr Angus was briefly an Assistant to Dr Riddell of Kapunda, then commenced private practice at Curramulka, Yorke Peninsula, SA, where he was physician, surgeon and chemist. In 1926, he was appointed as new Medical Assistant to Dr Thomas Francis Ryan (T.F. Ryan, or Tom), in Nhill, Victoria, where his experiences included radiology and pharmacy. In 1927 he was Acting House Surgeon in Dr Tom Ryan’s absence. Dr Angus had become engaged to Gladys Forsyth and they decided he further his studies overseas in the UK in 1927. He studied at London University College Hospital and at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and in 1928, was awarded FRCS (Fellow from the Royal College of Surgeons), Edinburgh. He worked his passage back to Australia as a Ship’s Surgeon on the on the Australian Commonwealth Line’s T.S.S. Largs Bay. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1929, in Ballarat. (They went on to have one son (Graham 1932, born in SA) and two daughters (Helen (died 12/07/1996) and Berenice (Berry), both born at Mira, Nhill ) According to Berry, her mother Gladys made a lot of their clothes. She was very talented and did some lovely embroidery including lingerie for her trousseau and beautifully handmade baby clothes. Dr Angus was a ‘flying doctor’ for the A.I.M. (Australian Inland Ministry) Aerial Medical Service in 1928 . Its first station was in the remote town of Oodnadatta, where Dr Angus was stationed. He was locum tenens there on North-South Railway at 21 Mile Camp. He took up this ‘flying doctor’ position in response to a call from Dr John Flynn; the organisation was later known as the Flying Doctor Service, then the Royal Flying Doctor Service. A lot of his work during this time involved dental surgery also. Between 1928-1932 he was surgeon at the Curramulka Hospital, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. In 1933 Dr Angus returned to Nhill and purchased a share of the Nelson Street practice and Mira hospital (a 2 bed ward at the Nelson Street Practice) from Dr Les Middleton one of the Middleton Brothers, the current owners of what previously once Dr Tom Ryan’s practice. Dr Tom and his brother had worked as surgeons included eye surgery. Dr Tom Ryan performed many of his operations in the Mira private hospital on his premises. He had been House Surgeon at the Nhill Hospital 1902-1926. Dr Tom Ryan had one of the only two pieces of radiology equipment in Victoria during his practicing years – The Royal Melbourne Hospital had the other one. Over the years Dr Tom Ryan had gradually set up what was effectively a training school for country general-practitioner-surgeons. Each patient was carefully examined, including using the X-ray machine, and any surgery was discussed and planned with Dr Ryan’s assistants several days in advance. Dr Angus gained experience in using the X-ray machine there during his time as assistant to Dr Ryan. When Dr Angus bought into the Nelson Street premises in Nhill he was also appointed as the Nhill Hospital’s Honorary House Surgeon 1933-1938. His practitioner’s plate from his Nhill surgery is now mounted on the doorway to the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool. When Dr Angus took up practice in the Dr Edward and Dr Tom Ryan’s old premises he obtained their extensive collection of historical medical equipment and materials spanning 1884-1926. A large part of this collection is now on display at the Port Medical Office at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. In 1939 Dr Angus and his family moved to Warrnambool where he purchased “Birchwood,” the 1852 home and medical practice of Dr John Hunter Henderson, at 214 Koroit Street. (This property was sold in1965 to the State Government and is now the site of the Warrnambool Police Station. and an ALDI sore is on the land that was once their tennis court). The Angus family was able to afford gardeners, cooks and maids; their home was a popular place for visiting dignitaries to stay whilst visiting Warrnambool. Dr Angus had his own silk worm farm at home in a Mulberry tree. His young daughter used his centrifuge for spinning the silk. Dr Angus was appointed on a part-time basis as Port Medical Officer (Health Officer) in Warrnambool and held this position until the 1940’s when the government no longer required the service of a Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool; he was thus Warrnambool’s last serving Port Medical Officer. (Masters of immigrant ships arriving in port reported incidents of diseases, illness and death and the Port Medical Officer made a decision on whether the ship required Quarantine and for how long, in this way preventing contagious illness from spreading from new immigrants to the residents already in the colony.) Dr Angus was a member of the Australian Medical Association, for 35 years and surgeon at the Warrnambool Base Hospital 1939-1942, He served with the Australian Department of Defence as a Surgeon Captain during WWII 1942-45, in Ballarat, Victoria, and in Bonegilla, N.S.W., completing his service just before the end of the war due to suffering from a heart attack. During his convalescence he carved an intricate and ‘most artistic’ chess set from the material that dentures were made from. He then studied ophthalmology at the Royal Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital and created cosmetically superior artificial eyes by pioneering using the intrascleral cartilage. Angus received accolades from the Ophthalmological Society of Australasia for this work. He returned to Warrnambool to commence practice as an ophthalmologist, pioneering in artificial eye improvements. He was Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist to Warrnambool Base Hospital for 31 years. He made monthly visits to Portland as a visiting surgeon, to perform eye surgery. He represented the Victorian South-West subdivision of the Australian Medical Association as its secretary between 1949 and 1956 and as chairman from 1956 to 1958. In 1968 Dr Angus was elected member of Spain’s Barraquer Institute of Barcelona after his research work in Intrasclearal cartilage grafting, becoming one of the few Australian ophthalmologists to receive this honour, and in the following year presented his final paper on Living Intrasclearal Cartilage Implants at the Inaugural Meeting of the Australian College of Ophthalmologists in Melbourne In his personal life Dr Angus was a Presbyterian and treated Sunday as a Sabbath, a day of rest. He would visit 3 or 4 country patients on a Sunday, taking his children along ‘for the ride’ and to visit with him. Sunday evenings he would play the pianola and sing Scottish songs to his family. One of Dr Angus’ patients was Margaret MacKenzie, author of a book on local shipwrecks that she’d seen as an eye witness from the late 1880’s in Peterborough, Victoria. In the early 1950’s Dr Angus, painted a picture of a shipwreck for the cover jacket of Margaret’s book, Shipwrecks and More Shipwrecks. She was blind in later life and her daughter wrote the actual book for her. Dr Angus and his wife Gladys were very involved in Warrnambool’s society with a strong interest in civic affairs. He had an interest in people and the community They were both involved in the creation of Flagstaff Hill, including the layout of the gardens. After his death (28th March 1970) his family requested his practitioner’s plate, medical instruments and some personal belongings be displayed in the Port Medical Office surgery at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and be called the “W. R. Angus Collection”. The W.R. Angus Collection is significant for still being located at the site it is connected with, Doctor Angus being the last Port Medical Officer in Warrnambool. The collection of medical instruments and other equipment is culturally significant, being an historical example of medicine from late 19th to mid-20th century. Dr Angus assisted Dr Tom Ryan, a pioneer in the use of X-rays and in ocular surgery. Fire pump, part of the W.R. Angus Collection. Red metal water pump. "D" shaped pump handle slides within pump cylinder, stand has 'U" shaped footrest. Pump has threaded fitting for pipe at top and wire filter at bottom. Made by Stokes, Melbourne. Remnants of red paint left on pump. Card label is attached. Moulded into metal "STOKES" and “MELB”. Label attached with string to handle (no text visible).flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, dr w r angus, dr ryan, surgical instrument, t.s.s. largs bay, warrnambool base hospital, nhill base hospital, mira hospital, flying doctor, water pump, fire pump, fire extinguisher, safety equipment

REX Fire Pumpforests commission victoria (fcv), fire pump, bushfire

Lister fire pump on wooden carry cradle With suction hoseListerforests commission victoria (fcv), fire pump, bushfire

Alcon fire pump with Briggs and Stratton motor on metal carry cradleforests commission victoria (fcv), fire pump, bushfire

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)

1952 Austin, Series 11, front mounted Fire PumperRegistration XF 472, CFA logo on cabin doors, "Austin" badge on front of bonnet.front, 1952, fire, truck, pump, austin, country, authority, cfa, mounted

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. Modified from original design at Altona to include recoil battery starterCoventry Climax fire pump, forests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire

Two photos of Stawell Fire Brigade Pump Presentation 1931 in front of Town Hall. "Delivery of First Pumper, 21st January 1931. Left to right C. Newton; R. Chapman, Captain; H. Metcalf: D. Brown; P. Fenwich; H. Dunn: Front Row; C. Brown, Mayor; H. Chapman, Foreman; J. Trengrove, Engineer CFBB; Chief Officer Chellow CFBB; W.G. Sharpley, Town Clerk; P. Ledger; H. Dunn; J. Martin" 1931 Aussie Gardiner Motor Pump. Names were copied from Brigade History "Ready to Save" by S. Bennett. 1998.Two black and white photos. One of a large group of people around a fire engine with people in uniform surrounding the fire engine. The second photos is a close up of the fire engine and the people on board.

Early water carrying bladder A number of accidents with these rubber tanks occurred on the fireline, particularly on tracks with steep side grades. The movement of the water sloshing and accumulating on the lower tank wall created an imbalance in the vehicle. The frayed anchor ropes, under strain due to constant rubbing on the high side wall of the vehicle, would snap, and the whole assembly of tank, pump and hose would break away from the vehicle and bounce down through the bushLarge rubber bag which held 80 gallons of water. Developed in the 1960s. It was strapped down in the back tray of Utes and attached to a small fire pump with a control valve. It was filled by a top tube that was clamped closed. It wallowed badly when the vehicle was moving, hence the common name of "Pig". When the bag was full it made driving dangerousDunlopforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump

Unique vehicle fabricated by MFB from chassis of Dame Nellie Melba's salon carUnique vehicle, critical for large fire extinguishing, fully restoredPierce-Arrow MFB Heavy Pumper salon car manufactured 1911 Petrol Engine - Straight 6, 48HP, Kelly & Lewis pump, centrifugal, 400 gpm, 5 inputs, 2 outlets, rear mounted PTO driven Converted by MFB from Salon Car into heavy pumper in 1919 Out of service with MFB in 1933Registration No 16658, 1911 Melba Pump, Pierce-Arrow,melbourne, red, melba, heavy pumper, mfb, pierce arrow, vehicle, dame nellie melba, fire engine, solid tyre

The Pacific Marine company was based in Seattle on the west coast of America and manufactured its first satisfactory portable fire pump 1925. These early Type N pumps were replaced in 1933 by the more familiar Type Y pumps. The updated pumps proved popular with the US Forest Service, and a large number were purchased by the Forests Commission as part of the equipment upgrade program in the wake of the 1939 bushfires. The Pacific Marine had a 9.8 Hp, two-cylinder, two-stroke petrol motor running with a high oil mix ratio of 16:1, so it blew vast clouds of blue smoke as the motor screamed at 4500 rpm. Part of its unique design was the water-cooled engine and muffler. But if the flow of water was interrupted the engine would quickly overheat and seize, so it needed constant monitoring and attention. Water was driven through a pair of bronze impeller gears which also needed a constant flow of water otherwise they would also self-destruct. When running properly, a Pacific Marine could pump 63 US gallons per minute, or about enough to fill a 200-litre drum. But its main feature was its high pressure of up to 225 psi. Pacific Marine pumps were often mounted on top of departmental fire tankers and used to spray water into the tops of burning trees. Compared to other pumps of the era it was light weight at only 70 pounds and was often mounted on a wooden stretcher frame. But they were cantankerous things to start with the rope pull and many exasperated novices came away with skinned knuckles. Modern Honda motors, which were more reliable and smoother running, replaced the Pacific Marines as the pump of choice for forest firefighters in the 1980s.High pressure Pacific marine Pumpforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesHose reel holder winder for canvas hoses Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.FCVforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesHose reel holder with two 1&1/2 inch and one 2&1/2 inch canvas hosesforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesFigure 8 hose reel holder winder for canvas hoses Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.FCVforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesHose pressure testing kit. Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.FCVforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesTools used to clamp canvas hose for testing. Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.FCVforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesWicker basket used on the end of suction hose to stop debris entering the pump forests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesTools used undo brass coupling on canvas hose Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.FCVforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesHolders to carry canvas hose rolls Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.forests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesUsed to repair canvas hose A rubber patch is placed over the hole in the hose and clamped. It is then heated electrically to melt the rubber patch Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.forests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesUsed to attach couplers to canvas hose The tool is held in a large clamp and stretches the coupler onto the hose. A tension bar is used to control leverage Canvas hose needs to be washed, dried, rolled and stored properly after it has been used otherwise it will rot. Unrolled hose is notorious for becoming tangled.Warren Brownforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose, pumps and specialised equipment.Underground peat fires are very difficult to extinguish Water tends to just run off and not penetrate when sprayed onto the surface Peat spears are driven into the ground and connected to high pressure hose to inject waterforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

After the 1939 bushfires the Forests Commission placed orders for 130,000 feet (nearly 40 km) of 1½ inch canvas hose in Britain to accompany over 200 new pumps of various types. The Altona workshop became a major centre for fabrication, repair and storage of hose. But lack of standardisation of hose couplings plagued Australian firefighters for decadesRega hose keyREGAforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

Ash Wednesday Veteran This Bedford M Series tanker spent its working days at the Forests Commission depot at Gembrook, and among its many forays, fought the deadly Ash Wednesday bushfires at nearby Upper Beaconsfield and Cockatoo on 16 February 1983. Earlier in 1975, the M Series tankers underwent a design change at the Altona North workshops, replacing the cylindrical water tank with a “V” bottom 4090 litre water tank that sat low between the chassis rails to reduce its centre of gravity. Aluminium heat shields were also added to protect the pump operators on the back. While generally considered "bulletproof" the petrol fuel lines on this particular model were very prone to vaporise in the heat causing the motor to stall, often at the most dangerous moment.... in this case frightening the hell out of its driver, affable knockabout bloke, and firefighting legend Lex Wade. Some jokingly said this design quirk was an inbuilt safety feature to stop crews getting too close to the fire in the first place. The Gembrook tanker was later sent into the workshop and all its brake and fuel lines fitted with heat resistant lagging. Fortunately, this remarkable bushfire survivor was rescued from the scrap heap by Lex and fire equipment wizard Barry Marsden upon its retirement from a loyal and lengthy service. After a lick of fresh paint and most of its battle scars "buffed out", this time-honoured veteran now takes pride of place at the Altona North workshop.Bedford M series fire tankerMZF 347fire pump, fire tanker, forests commission victoria (fcv)

Athol Hodgson began testing of retardants in 1963 at Ballarat by dropping water thickened with bentonite clay directly from a Ceres CA-28 aircraft. In 1965 dropping a new chemical retardant Phoschek was produced by Monsanto All this experimental work culminated with two Piper Pawnees from Benambra, flown by Ben Buckley and Bob Lansbury, making Australia’s first operational drop of fire-retardant on a small lightning-strike on 6 February 1967. The flight at Benambra came to symbolise the classic application of firebombing and a "proof-of-concept" that encouraged many more innovations with new and more powerful aircraft.Fibreglass funnels used to measure the viscosity of the fire retardant, Phoscheck The funnel was filled with liquid and timed to run through between 35 and 50 secondsforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, fire pump, fire tanker

Spraying units were manufactured in Australia by REGA Products Ltd. from 1926. REGA established themselves as leaders in the production of agricultural and horticultural spraying machines, including smaller knapsacks. Their metal knapsacks were quickly adapted to a range of applications and were widely used by the Forests Commission and Country Fire Authority (CFA). They were metal and very robust but heavy and uncomfortable to wear REGA was later purchased by the Garrard family and still operate as part of Garrads Pty Ltd. This sprayer was used by the FCV at Creswick No longer in use.The REGA spray unit includes brass fittings, leather straps with a brass pump handle and adjustable nozzle attached. Adjustable leather straps have "quick release" clips and studs Camm lock lid with chain attached FCV Creswick REGA stampbushfire, fire pump, forests commission victoria (fcv)

Spraying units were manufactured in Australia by REGA Products Ltd. from 1926. REGA established themselves as leaders in the production of agricultural and horticultural spraying machines, including smaller knapsacks. Their metal knapsacks were quickly adapted to a range of applications and were widely used by the Forests Commission and Country Fire Authority (CFA). They were metal and very robust but heavy and uncomfortable to wear REGA was later purchased by the Garrard family and still operate as part of Garrads Pty Ltd. This sprayer was used by the FCV at CreswickThe REGA spray unit includes brass fittings, leather straps with a brass pump handle and adjustable nozzle attached. Adjustable leather straps have "quick release" clips and studs Camm lock lid with chain attachedREGA Creswickforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, planned burning, fire pump