Also a second postcard with a different view of the ruins of Omeo shops Day St Omeo January 1939 05384.1 8.5 x 14 cmBlack and white postcard showing remains of Golden Age Hotel after Black Saturday Bush fires Omeo VictoriaFriday 13 January 1939 showing ruins of the firesbushfires, natural disasters, townships

Also an enlarged copy of same photograph 05383.1 10 x 15 cmBlack and white photograph of Day Street showing ruins of burnt out shops after Black Saturday bush fires with four women looking at sight Omeo VictoriaOmeo after big fire 13 /1/ 1939fires, natural disasters

Black and white photograph printed as a postcard, which shows a building with large front doors standing next to a metal tower. "CFBB / FIRE STATION / 1939" across top of building. Text: "CFBB / FIRE STATION / 1939".linton fire brigade building, buildings

Bogong Village, which was known as “The Junction”, is well recorded. The first tent camp was at the junction of Pretty Valley and Rocky Valley streams in the early 40’s. Further downstream were the sawmill, stables and blacksmith’s forge. Horses were the main mode of transport in the early days. The road to Bogong had reached the lookout spur just beyond Roper’s Spur track just before the 1939 fires. The early forties saw rapid growth of the village, with single and married men’s quarters, workshops, mess huts and administrative offices. The facilities necessary for communal living were quickly in place- a post office, police station, co-op store, medical centre, community hall/theatre, tennis courts and school. Much of the temporary accommodation that housed groups such as the Albion Quarrying Company were in the area now under water.Pictorial history of the early years of Bogong Village including one photo taken following the devastating fires of 1939. Photos show the terrain in which Bogong Village was built, the early construction used for the temporary buildings and the housing and the amount of infrastructure required to accommodate the needs of the residents of the area including workers, their families and other support staff. Set of 9 black and white photographs and photocopies of photographs depicting early buildings at Bogong Village . Photos show very early construction buildings as well as the village in various weather conditions, including snowing and after bush fires. (some official SECV photographs) 1. Bogong Village in heavy snow 2. Bogong Township during heavy snow (SECV Official Photo) 3. VIP Lodge at Bogong in the snow 4. Bogong Village - circa 1940’s 5. Bogong Village under street lights 6. Lewis Construction Camp (SECV Official Photo) 7. Albion Quarrying Co. Camp (SECV Official Photo) 8. Tent camp and early buildings following 1939 fires 9. Typical house – Bogong Village 1. Handwritten under photo – August 1948 2. Printed under photo: STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 25.8.48 Time: 9am No:K 4680 Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works. Bogong Township 3. Handwritten on back of photo- V.I.P. Lodge, Bogong 4 – 5. No markings 6. Printed under photo: STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 28.11.40 Time: 1.40pm No:K284 Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works. Lewis Construction Camp 7. Printed under photo: STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 11.1.41 Time: 10.40am No:K294 Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works. Albion Quarrying Co. Camp – Bogong. Handwritten on back of photo: On the floor of the present dam 8. No markings 9. Printed under photo: STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 11.1.46 Time: 1.23pm No:K2181 Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works. Bogong – Typical House bogong village; 1939 fires; kiewa hydro electric scheme;

Fire at the Cathedral Hotel! Southward view Firemen in their shiny brass Merryweather style helmets battle a fire in the roof of the Cathedral Hotel, Tuesday 3 March 1936. It was located on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane and so named for its proximity to St Paul’s Cathedral, just visible at top left. The fire broke out in between the roof space and wooden ceiling of the hotel at around 4.30 pm, causing disruption to afternoon commuters – hence the banked-up trams along St Kilda Road. The hoses snaking across the roof have been dragged up through the hotel’s front door. The scene of devastation on the roof appears to be a result of both the fire and firefighting efforts. The panoramic background is dominated by the dome of Flinders Street Station, the wide, treed boulevard of St Kilda Road, and a densely built-up industrial area south of the Yarra with its elevated signage and substantial buildings. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie. Photographer notations on slide: "Fire at Cathedral Hotel Swanston St 1936 B104" Description: This photo, taken from an adjacent building, shows 12 firemen fighting a fire on the roof of the Cathedral Hotel, Melbourne. There is evidence of considerable damage to the roof of the building as a result of the fire and fire fighting efforts. The photo gives a feeling of elevation, as the firemen are in focus, with an out of focus panoramic background, showing the dome of Flinders Street Station, and St Kilda Road down to the Shrine. Research by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie: The Age reported on 4 March 1936 that the fire broke out in rubbish between the roof space and wooden ceiling of the Cathedral Hotel at 4.30 pm. “The Eastern Hill fire brigade was notified by telephone, and an almost simultaneous call was also received at fire brigade headquarters from a street alarm.” The firemen in their dark uniforms with brass buttons, gold epaulettes and shiny brass Merryweather helmets, stand out against the broken slate tiles and dislodged timber of the damaged roofing, all of which look blackened and in disarray. Two pale water hoses snake thickly across the roof. It is a scene of some devastation and chaos. Three chimney pots by contrast sit plump and strong against the damage. The Cathedral Hotel is located on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane, so named due to its proximity to St Pauls Cathedral (just visible at far left) on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets. This intersection is a hub and focus of Melbourne activity. The backgrounded Melbourne skyline, while not in clear focus, is of interest. On the right is the impressive dome of Flinders Street Station, with the clock at 4.50 pm. Its grand frontage, and some of the façade along Flinders Street, are visible. To the left is the wide and grand-scaled St Kilda Road, leading down to the Shrine of Remembrance. There are many trams on Princes Bridge (mostly heading northward), together with some trucks and pedestrians. The pedestrian walkway along Princes Bridge is wide, and the Bridge balustrade lined with flag poles. The middle background shows a large number of trees. This was the site of Wirths Brothers Circus, an impressive complex including an octagonal circus Hippodrome (5000 seat auditorium), Pleasure Park, roller skating rink, and Dance Hall. Today it is the site of the Melbourne Arts Centre. Adjacent to the station is a large covered area, still extant today as part of the Station precinct. Floating above the horizon is sign advertising 'DUNLOP', located in the formerly industrial area which is today’s Southbank. Port Phillip Bay is faintly visible in the distance. The city seems sprawling, but uncrowded, and well punctuated by trees. Two photos were included an Age pictorial, one showing the firefighters at work, the other a crowd scene at street level (see References). These images are not part of the McKenzie Collection. References: No title (1936, March 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205256255 FIRE AT A CITY HOTEL. (1936, March 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205256231 FIRE IN ROOF OF CITY HOTEL (1936, March 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 8. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11018696 Hotel Roof Fire Draws Crowd (1936, March 4). Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), p. 8 (DAILY). Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52000751 'Flinders Lane Melbourne 1966', Peter Andrew Barrett, Facebook, 12 June 2020, https://www.facebook.com/120943481324886/photos/a.512123662206864/3025002490918956/?type=3Photographer notations on slide: "Fire at Cathedral Hotel Swanston St 1936 B104".fires, 1930-1939, hotels

Closing time for the Theatre Royal Melbourne’s Theatre Royal opened 16 July 1855 at 236 Bourke Street, between Swanston and Russell, in the heart of the city’s entertainment district and it was comparable in size to London’s Drury Lane and Covent Garden. It was rebuilt in 1872 following a fire, remodelled in 1904, and demolished in 1933, due in part to the Great Depression, and also to the growing popularity of moving pictures. On the site was erected Manton’s department store, then Coles, Target, and now Kmart. The Quaker Girl, a 1910 Edwardian musical comedy with long running success in London, Paris and Broadway, opened in Melbourne at the Theatre Royal on 22 July 1933. Stars Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott were to become husband and wife, their Sydney wedding photograph now an iconic Australian image of that time. The theatre closed 13 November 1933. MCK080 Published: The Age 4 November 1933 Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie. THEATRE ROYAL (1933, November 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203364238 Additional research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer and librarian, Fiona Campbell: The Theatre Royal closed on 13 November 1933. During demolition in December, a worker was pinned by the legs under two tons of collapsing ceiling concrete. Miraculously he escaped with only a broken leg. A commemorative plaque was unveiled in 1937, displayed at the front of Manton's department store. The event was covered in The Age on 20 Dec 1937. It was a beautiful blue enamel and brass with the comedy and tragedy masks, one crying and one laughing, at the top with a timeline of the theatre underneath. Its whereabouts became unknown after the multiple changes with department stores on the site. In 2019 Greg Sampson set out on a mission to find it and in 2021 eventually tracked it down, on a wall behind the door of a staff tea room in Kmart. After much arduous lobbying by Greg it was eventually relocated to the Kmart arcade on the site where the Theatre Royal was originally located. Annette Cooper's history of Manton's and the Bourke Street site described the process of acquisition and demolition of the theatre: "Around 1933, the theatre came on the market – ‘a gift from heaven’ for its enterprising neighbours. Manton’s acquired the theatre and started planning for its demolition to enable the expansion of the store. William Manton and his sons, Jack and Ivor, watched the final production at the theatre, Harold Fraser-Simson’s musical comedy The Maid of the Mountains. 'It was, for the theatre-goers, a nostalgic last appearance, an emotional night, the end of an era. There were those who were mortified at the prospect of a store taking the place of their palace of dreams.' Even Whelan the Wrecker sensed the importance of the occasion and donated four bricks from the theatre to the National Museum of Victoria. They are the oldest bricks in the museum’s collection and form part of its Whelan the Wrecker collection." UNDER BIG FALL OF CONCRETE (1933, December 8). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved April 14, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243215969 The Relocation of the Theatre Royal Plaque, Greg Sampson, https://theatreheritage.org.au/on-stage-magazine/news/item/989-the-relocation-of-the-theatre-royal-plaque Photo of theatre interior, Arts Centre Melbourne, https://collections.artscentremelbourne.com.au/#details=ecatalogue.184409 OLD THEATRE ROYAL (1937, December 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205554847 AMATEUR ATHLETICS -- LIFE SAVING DISPLAY MEMORIAL PLAQUE UNVEILED (1937, December 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 15. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205554863 It's smart to be thrifty: the story of Manton's department store, Annette Cooper, https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/3%20Annette%20Cooper%20-%20It%E2%80%99s%20smart%20to%20be%20thrifty%2C%20the%20story%20of%20Manton%27s%20department%20store.pdfPhotographer notations on slide: "Theatre Royale 1933 B4". theatres, 1930-1939, fires, musicals, films, department stores, demolished buildings, commemorative plaques, incidents, concrete, whelan the wrecker, bricks, kmart, bourke street melbourne, manton's department store, theatre royal, coles, target

Fire at the Cathedral Hotel! Bird’s eye view These firemen on the roof of the Cathedral Hotel are very bold in their approach to firefighting! One heroically aims a firehose at the roof while another holds onto the flagpole with one hand as he walks around the narrow edge, three storeys up! Onlookers from adjacent buildings make the most of their front row view, and The Age reported that on street level, hundreds of people gathered to watch, enthralled by “a thrilling spectacle when three firemen walked along the stone coping on the top floor of the building and, despite the clouds of smoke and sheets of flame which shot through the roof they ripped off the hot slate tiles and provided an outlet for the flames”. The Cathedral Hotel was built in 1883 and demolished in 1966 to make way for the City Square. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie. Photographer notations on slide: "Fire at Cathedral Hotel Swanston St City March 1936 B104" Description: View looking down on roof of the Cathedral Hotel showing 16 firefighters battling a fire. There is smoke coming through the roof. Onlookers watch from adjoining buildings, not perturbed by the proximity of the fire. The firemen look bold and impressive in their brass helmets. Research by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie: The Age reported on 4 March 1936 that the fire broke out in rubbish between the roof space and wooden ceiling of the Cathedral Hotel at 4.30 pm. “The Eastern Hill fire brigade was notified by telephone, and an almost simultaneous call was also received at fire brigade headquarters from a street alarm.” These red fire alarm call boxes were typically installed on street corners, and when the knob was turned, a pulsed electric signal corresponding to the box’s number was received at fire headquarters. A large detachment of firemen with full fire-fighting equipment, including two large extension ladders, were quickly on the scene, pouring vast quantities of water into the hotel, causing several hundred pounds of damage to hotel and guest property, but quickly bringing the fire under control. Lengths of hose had to be carried through the front entrance and up several flights of stairs. On street level hundreds of people gathered to watch, but were controlled by police in order to keep them at a safe distance and ensure that tram and motor traffic was not seriously disorganised. The crowd were enthralled by “a thrilling spectacle when three firemen walked along the stone coping on the top floor of the building and, despite the clouds of smoke and sheets of flame which shot through the roof, they ripped off the hot slate tiles and provided an outlet for the flames”. The firemen are noteworthy for their highly polished brass helmets, known as Merryweather helmets, based on those of French sapeurs-pompiers and introduced to the British Metropolitan Fire Brigade in London in 1868. Metal helmets are conductive, a safety issue as the use of electricity became widespread, so a composite cork and rubber helmet was introduced in London from 1936. In Queensland, traditional brass helmets remained in service until 1970. The firemen are very bold in their actions – one heroically aiming a fire hose at the roof of the building, another holding onto the flagpole with one hand as he walks around the narrow top edge of the roof, three storeys up! The onlookers from adjoining buildings are interested in the spectacle, rather than dismayed by the fire. Lettering around the building exterior reads "Cathedral Hotel - Erected 1883". Prominent signage for “Richardson’s whisky, brandy, gin & rum" sits along the edge of the roof. The Cathedral Hotel was located on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane. It was built in 1883, and its name derived from St Paul’s Cathedral on the south side of Flinders Lane. It was demolished in 1966 as Melbourne City Council wished to create a City Square. Robyn Annear notes that at the time, the development was referred to as “Whelan’s Square” due to the large number of buildings which needed to be demolished to create the Square. Ironically the Hotel had been the victim of a previous fire in 1917, when its then licensee, also named Whelan, was charged with two failed arson attempts. References: No title (1936, March 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205256255 FIRE AT A CITY HOTEL. (1936, March 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205256231 FIRE IN ROOF OF CITY HOTEL (1936, March 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 8. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11018696 Hotel Roof Fire Draws Crowd (1936, March 4). Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), p. 8 (DAILY). Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52000751 'Flinders Lane Melbourne 1966', Peter Andrew Barrett, Facebook, 12 June 2020, https://www.facebook.com/120943481324886/photos/a.512123662206864/3025002490918956/?type=3 Fire Alarm Call Box, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_alarm_call_box Research notes, 'A city lost and found', Robyn Annear, https://robynannear.com/docs/whelan-the-wrecker-notes.pdfPhotographer notations on slide: "Fire at Cathedral Hotel Swanston St City March 1936 B104".fires, hotels, 1930-1939

SEPIA PHOTOGRAPH OF FIRE BRIGADE DEMONSTRATION IN CLUNES 1939 .DISTRICT FIRE BRIGADE DEMO 1939local history, photography, photographs, fire brigade

A black and white photograph taken of a pulpwood harvest that was carried out after the 1939 Black Friday bushfires. The Black Friday bushfires on January 13th 1939 were one of the worst natural disasters in Australian history, burning nearly two million hectares across Victoria and claiming 71 lives.A black and white photograph taken of a pulpwood harvest that was carried out after the 1939 Black Friday bushfires.pulpwood harvest/ post 1939 fires 554marysville, victoria, australia, 1939 black friday bushfires, pulpwood, photograph

Apple tree orchard after 1939 Fires at PomonalBlack and white photo of what looks to be an orchard as fruit on the ground.stawell

A page from a calendar with a black and white photograph taken at the Anderson No. 2 Mill at Marysville. The mill was rebuilt after the 1939 Black Friday bushfires.A page from a calendar with a black and white photograph taken at the Anderson No. 2 Mill at Marysville."Anderson No 2 Mill at Marysville, rebuilt after 1939 fires. Note how straight the timber was stacked, by hand!"marysville, victoria, australia, 1939 black friday bushfires, calendar, photograph, andersons no. 1 mill, andersons no. 2 mill

In 1940 Field Headquarters for the Kiewa Scheme were established at Bogong with office, workshop facilities and accommodation for workmen, staff and some families constructed. (There had been a 'tent camp' on this site in 1939 but was destroyed by bushfires) Construction of accommodation continued until 1947. A total of 40 houses plus a hostel for single staff, post office, police station, medical centre and primary school all with water and sewerage and electricity supply. The staff hostel was known as Kiewa House and is now occupied by the Education Department. Lake Guy was named after Mr. L.T. Guy who was the Resident Engineer in charge of construction work and associated activities on the Kiewa area. He held this position from 1939 to November 1946 when he was transferred to Head Office. The Bogong Township was developed firstly as an accommodation centre (base camp) for construction workers employed under the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme. Due to the influx of European workers into the Township the beautification of the immediate surrounds (gardens etc.) had a distinct European flavour. This environment has been very beneficial for tourism in later years. At the completion of the scheme, in the 1960's, the village was opened to public/tourism use. Strict environmental control has not allowed for any extensive redevelopment in tourist accommodation and basically restricted it to the accommodation initially built for the construction workers. Activities such a bike riding, snow skiing, restricted horse riding and bush walking on the Alpine plains and mountains are now a viable part of the Kiewa Valley Tourist Industry. The lake is one of the many water storage reservoirs used to supply the power stations their main power to run the huge turbines generating the final product, electricity. Evidence can be seen of the 1939 bushfires.Set of 7 identical black and white photographs of Bogong Village after 1939 bush firesHandwritten on the back of one photo - Bogong Village approx. 1940, after 1939 bush fires. Staff residences to left. Kiewa House, General offices and test lab to the right. Hand drawn map on the back of one photo.bogong village, secv

Scene showing soil erosion after 1939 bushfire. Black and white photograph of a ravine down the side of a hill. The erosion has resulted from the 1939 bush fire.stawell

Linton fire station pre 1939 - at LHS is the Linton weighbridge used until the 1930s. The lamp on the fire station was powered by gas.Small black and white photograph of wooden building, with small hut on LHS, gas lamp in centre and large expanse of road in front."Front of the old/ fire brigade at/ Linton/ Linton weigh bridge".linton weighbridge, linton fire station

Front cover has a photograph of Sharon Guest and her daughter Patricia in the ruins of their Mt Macedon home, Ash Wednesday.non-fictionThe story of bushfires in Australiaforest fires, bush fires, australia, history

MEYER COLLECTION - FALLS CREEK PHOTOS In 1947 a determined group of like-minded State Electricity Commission (SEC) staff including Ray Meyer, the chief surveyor of the Kiewa Hydro-Electric Scheme, had a common interest that revolved around the skiing potential of the snow-covered high plains which included what is now the resort of Falls Creek. The six SEC employees, Toni St Elmo, Ray Meyer, Jack Minogue, Lloyd Dunn, Adrian Ruffenacht and Dave Gibson (together with their families) banded together to secretly build a 'hut' that was the first ski lodge at Falls Creek. Using a road built in 1930s to gain access to Falls Creek, their hut project was carried out in secret as efforts by other skiers were blocked by H.H.C. Williams – the engineer in charge of the Hydro Scheme. In 1946 Ray Meyer made a trip to the Lands Office in Melbourne. He came away with a 99-year lease on three acres that was ideally suited for a hut designed by Lloyd Dunn. Adrian Ruffenacht (Design Engineer for the KHS) had suggested where the group should build because of easy access to a spring for water. Much of the building material required was scavenged from derelict huts on the high plains. Due to the need for secrecy, the determined group worked on the hut in the evenings and weekends to avoid detection. During the building period the group had met at Echidna Rock (now known as Eagle Rock) where Skippy St Elmo announced, "This is my favourite ‘Skyline’.” And so the first lodge in the area at Falls Creek Ski Resort came into existence. With the development of the International Poma in the 1970s, the Skyline Lodge, which was sited between the ski-lift’s pole one and pole two, was demolished. However, the legacy of Ray Meyer, Toni St Elmo, Jack Minogue, Lloyd Dunn, Adrian Ruffenacht and Dave Gibson and Skyline lives on in the vibrant atmosphere of Falls Creek Resort. The MEYER COLLECTION documents developments on the Kiewa Hydro Scheme and their life at Falls Creek from the mid 1930s to 1960s.This image is significant because it depicts a member of a pioneering family of Falls Creek area, and one of the founders of Skyline Lodge.A black and white image of Joan Meyer in Diamantina Hut. The hut on Mt Hotham, was built originally as a Country Roads Board workers hut in the early 1920s to shelter workers who were building and maintaining the Great Alpine Rd. It was rebuilt in about 1968 as the original hut was burnt down in the 1939 fires.falls creek, victorian snowfields, joan meyer, diamantina hut

Originally written for children and family between 1998-2000. This book of memoirs provides a personal insight to the history of Maffra in the first half of the 20th century.A 296 pp spiral bound book with a green cover titled Like It Or lump It. It was written by Stan Hunt and tells of his and his family's experience of the 1939 fire in which he was caught as a child as well as the sugar beet industry in Maffra where he worked at as a teenager. The author describes carting the beet and working in the factory where they processed the beet.Inside front cover - autographed by Stan Huntmaffra-history-memoirs hunt-stan

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.Two 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, weir's, local history

In the mid to late 1930’s survey outposts were established to plot the early stages of the Kiewa Hydro Electric System for the SECV in the Bogong High Plains. Before any roads were built, the old cattleman’s tracks were used with packhorses to deliver supplies, wages and mail and collect timesheets and correspondence from the workmen and dam builders living in canvas tents and at the outlying survey posts. The trip up the mountain was long and hard and dangerous for both horse and man Most of the men of the survey teams were not bush-men and were often ill equipped for the harsh weather and living conditions of bush camping, often arriving in their city clothes ready for work. The tent city at Bogong was destroyed by bush fires in 1939 after which an access road was built from Mt Beauty to transport building materials for more permanent dwellings for workmen. Pack horses continued to be used for transporting goods etc. to workers further up the mountain.Without the work of horsemen and their pack horses providing supplies and communications for outlying outposts, surveying and early planning for the Kiewa Valley Hydro Electric scheme could not have gone ahead and the dams and power stations which support the system could not have been constructed. The Hydro-electric scheme, and the workers who planned and built it play a major part in the early history of the Kiewa Valley and many original families still remain living, or have ties with the local area.: Set of 21 black and white photographs and copies of photographs depicting the pack horses and the men who handled them, transporting supplies and correspondence to the outlying camps and survey posts in the Bogong High Plains, via the rough cattlemen’s tracks. Photographs also show the early tent camps of the workers. Some photos mounted on A4 white paper. Some photos enlarged to A3 poster size for display1. Handwritten on back – Max Lawrence 2. -8 No inscriptions 9. Handwritten on back- Packing in supplies for early workers of the Kiewa Hydro scheme. There were no roads in the early days of the scheme 10. Printed on bottom of photo- Roper’s cattle on road below Howman’s Gap 11. Handwritten on back – Roper’s et al about to leave for the high plains 12. Printed under photo- Syd Ryder at the Pretty Valley Cut-Out (JBR) 13-16. No markings 17. Printed under photo- Gwen Talbot visits the Camp area. 1937 18. Handwritten on back- 14/1 Barbara Talbot 19. No markings 20-21. No markings 22. Printed under photo- STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA. Date: 15-3-45 Time: 8.0pm No: K 1838 Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works, Investigations 1944-1945 – Survey Camp at Young’s Hut pack horses; bogong high plains; survey posts; supplies delivery

A description of efforts to fight the bushfires in Gippsland in 2003, including maps and illustrations. This volume was published as a tribute to the work of staff and volunteers who put themselves at risk to protect local communities. It shows the impact on those communities in Victoria and the support they gave to those involved in fighting largest bushfires in Victoria for 60 years. The Alpine bushfires started on 8th January 2003, a day of Total Fire Ban. Lightning ignited 87 fires in the North-East and East Gippsland regions. Eight of these fires were unable to be contained; they joined together to form the largest fire in Victoria since the Black Friday fires in 1939. The majority of the area burnt in Victoria was public land, 1.19 million hectares of parks and forests, including 60 per cent of the Alpine National Park and 81 per cent of the Mt Buffalo National Park. Firefighting efforts were made difficult in hard-to-access, remote forest terrain. Approximately 90,000 hectares of private land was burnt.This book is significant because it documents the 2003 Victorian Bushfires and serves as a tribute to the CFA staff and volunteers who fought them.This publication of 119 pages features text, colour images, maps and detailed information related to the 2003 bushfires in Victoria.At bottom of front cover:- CFA Victoria Logo Victorian Government Logovictorian fires 2003, cfa (vic)

Saw Mills Halls Gap (Childe’s Glenbower Creek). Part of a collection of Photographs by Mr. O.G. Armstrong as commissioned by the Shire of Stawell for the Inter-colonial and Paris Exhibition in Melbourne in 1866. During the years of gold, the hardwood forests around Stawell were ravaged to provide timber for the mines. It was used undergrounds to shore up workings, and millions of feet of it were fed into furnaces and kilns in which the quartz was roasted. In the years after the gold boom, hardwood from the Grampians was milled for building timber. Wherever there are large tracts of natural bushland, fires are always a danger. A huge fire in January 1939 caused havoc in the Grampians, burning out towns and sawmills such as the one pictured. There have been no sawmills in the Grampian since that fire. stawell industry

Bogong Village, which was known as “The Junction”, is well recorded. The first tent camp was at the junction of Pretty Valley and Rocky Valley streams in the early 40’s. Further downstream were the sawmill, stables and blacksmith’s forge. Horses were the main mode of transport in the early days. The road to Bogong had reached the lookout spur just beyond Roper’s Spur track just before the 1939 fires. The early forties saw rapid growth of the village, with single and married men’s quarters, workshops, mess huts and administrative offices. The facilities necessary for communal living were quickly in place- a post office, police station, co-op store, medical centre, community hall/theatre, tennis courts and school. Much of the temporary accommodation that housed groups such as the Albion Quarrying Company were in the area now under water.This group of photographs are a pictorial record of the early history of the Kiewa Hydro Scheme, the people who worked in the background supplying administrative support and the workers and their families. It also shows a glimpse into how a large group of people from very diverse backgrounds came together to enjoy social activities and share each others companyGroup of 10 black and white photographs and photocopies of original photographs of varying sizes (some official SECV photos) Some Photos are labelled with the date and the names of SECV staff members. Depicting early life at Bogong Village 1. Group photo – Kiewa House Residents 1.8.41 (SECV official photo) 2. Female staff residents 3. Female office staff 4. Kitchen staff – Junction Mess (SECV official photo) 5. Male administration staff Bogong 6. Bogong Social Club fancy dress ball, 1940 7. Wives and children of SECV workers 8. Children in fancy dress 9. Opening of Volunteer Air Observers post 1943 10. Flag raising at opening of Volunteer Air Observers post 1. Printed under photo: STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 1.8.41 Time: 12.30pm No:K 435 Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works. Kiewa House Residents Back Row L to R: S.A. Salmon, W. Strachn, T.A Connors, W.J Norman, R.C Grealey, R.D Hegarty, Mrs Hegarty, W.R Morgan, S.A Clarke, P. Morgan, P.J. Harnetty, G.W Crouch. Front Row L to R: W.L Godfrey, R.S Hollands, Pte. R Charlesworth, R.L Dunn, N Caldwell, L.T Davies, I Webber, H.L Kendall, P Tiller, Ricky Hegarty, L.T Guy, M.C Cox, K.F Calder, D.S Gibson 2. Printed on bottom: Staff who lived at Kiewa House and worked in the Administration Office c 1943 Handwritten at bottom Priscilla Johnson (nee Reid) At top of page A GOOD LIFE: WOMEN’S RECOLLECTIONS OF LIFE IN THE UPPER KIEWA VALLEY 3. Printed under photo- Office Staff – Bogong 4. Printed under photo: STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 18.5.40 Time: 11.05am No:K 103. Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works. Kitchen Staff- Junction Mess. Opening night of the new staff mess Bogong. 5. Printed under photo -Administration staff Bogong 6. Printed under photo- The social club raised money for patriotic fund from fancy dress nights. (1st Fancy Dress Ball, Bogong 1940) 7. Printed above photo: ---- and family life begins (1942 Bogong) 8. Printed under photo: A favourite photograph 9. Printed under photo: STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 24.5.43 Time: 2.8pm No:K 1151 Kiewa Hydro-Electric Works. Bogong- Squadron Leader Leggett speaking at opening of Air Observer’s Post 10. Printed under photo: Raising the flag at the opening of the Volunteer Air Observer’s Post at Bogong - 1943 bogong village; kiewa hydro electric scheme; social activities; community clubs

Saint Teresa's (St. Theresa's) Boundaries|Archbishop D. Mannix|Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Murply, Rev. Fr. Walsh|President A. J. Strachan|Team's Chairman L. Donchi|Photo Old church after 1939 fire|Photo Old Our Ladies Hall|Photo St. Teresa's during construction|Photo Parish Hall Committe 1926 T. Fox, M. Martin, J. Donovan Rev. J. P. Carney, P. Cannon, Mr. Maher & Mr. M. Laffan|Photo St. Teresa's at completion|The History Of oue Parish|Photo Fr. Francis Ryder|Photo Fr. James Egan|Photo School Childrenst. theresa's church, church, adelaide street, albion

Considered in terms of both loss of property and loss of life, the Black Friday bushfires on 13 January 1939 were one of the worst disasters to have occurred in Australia and certainly the worst bushfire up to that time. The fires burnt 2 million hectares, 69 sawmills were destroyed, 71 people died, and several towns and sawmills were entirely obliterated. Among those killed were four men from the Commission The subsequent Royal Commission conducted by Judge Leonard Stretton has been described as one of the most significant inquiries in the history of Victorian public administration. Its recommendations led to sweeping changes. In addition to building dams and water points, the Stretton Royal Commission recommended expanding and controlling the use of bushfire dugouts at forest sawmills. Well-constructed dugouts had saved the lives of many sawmill workers and their families during the 1939 bushfires. But in some locations, they had proved fatal. Dugouts became mandatory for those few sawmills that remained in the forest after the 1939 fires. Many remote logging coupes and FCV roading camps also had dugouts. The local District Forester was required to make annual pre-season inspections of all dugouts on State forests and those within the Fire Protected Area (FPA). Some were built privately on private land. Most were primitive construction with a log or corrugated iron roof covered with earth. A hessian bag often hung at the entrance to keep the heat and smoke out. But they were dark and damp with snakes and other creepy crawlies often lurking inside. By 1940-41 there were 19 new dugouts constructed by the Commission and a further 128 by forest licensees. Ten years later there were 8 new Commission dugouts and 21 new ones built by other interests. By 1960-61 the rate of new builds was declining but the Commission still managed 103 dugouts while 127 were looked after by others. However, as the forest road network improved and gave all-weather access to modern two-wheel-drive vehicles the reliance on dugouts receded.Large metal sign that was positioned near forest dugoutsbushfire, forest signs, forests commission victoria (fcv)