Historical information

Bushfire Prevention Week was initiated by the Forests Commission in 1930.
Victoria’s State Governor, Lord Somers, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir Harold Luxton and the newly appointed Minister for Forests, William Beckett launched the innovative campaign with great flourish to 250 invited guests at Melbourne’s opulent Town Hall on Monday 13 January 1930.
Special church sermons had been held previously on Sunday.
The packed program of gala events included lavish luncheon talks at city clubs, scholarly lectures broadcast on the wireless, together with daily articles in the Melbourne and country press about the pressing need for fire prevention.
The slogan for the ground-breaking campaign was… Prevent Bush Fires – It Pays…
The Shell Petrol Company of Australia supplied 15000 windshield stickers, the British Australasian Tobacco Company donated a large supply of stamp stickers, while many other companies drew attention to the campaign in their newspaper advertisements.
The Victorian Railways and many city firms displayed special fire posters, while Bryant and May posted messages on their limited-edition matchbox covers which are now highly prized by phillumenists (i.e. matchbox collectors).
The Postmaster General's Department franked postage stamps and letters with special bushfire slogans.
While plainclothes police were secretly deployed to the bush to arrest potential arsonists.
Canvas and enamel fire prevention signs were erected on most roads leading to forest areas.
Letters to the Editor later appeared in many city and country newspapers extolling the virtues of Bushfire Prevention Week and urging for its continuation as an annual event.
Although a new idea for Australia, the Canadian Forest Service had been running a similar program for a few years.
The Forests Commission in its 1929-30 Annual Report, under the title of "Propaganda", noted with some glee…
"One of the most gratifying features of the ''Week" was its low cost to the Government, the major part of the publicity material being donated by private firms."
And so for the next 50 years until the 1980s, Bushfire Prevention Week continued unabated with the Forests Commission producing a series of coloured “Magic Lantern” slides which were manufactured by Alex Gunn and Sons in Collins Street Melbourne for screening at Val Morgan cinemas.
The slides famously introduced the menacing character, Willy Wildfire, warning motorists to be careful with matches.
Now known as Fire Action Week, it remains a key event in the annual calendar for both DEECA and the CFA and is still going strong...

Significance

These canvas fire awareness signs were used right throughout the period of the Forests Commission until the mid 1980s

Physical description

Bushfire awareness sign

Inscriptions & markings

Protect your forests from fire