Historical information

The Forests Commission and its successors continuously encouraged bushfire research and innovation.

In 1946 a large parcel of industrial land was purchased at North Altona as a fire cache and workshop.

The Altona workshop became a hotbed of new technological innovation… an exhilarating place where lots of things were invented and tested.

In fact, a lot of Australia’s pioneering equipment development was led by staff from Altona, often in collaboration with other State forestry and fire authorities. The CSIRO also contributed significantly.

The US Forest Service, the US Bureau of Land Management and US State agencies such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire (CalFire) as well as the Canadian Forest Service faced similar challenges and proved strong and willing partners in sharing knowledge, ideas, equipment and expertise over many decades.

This collection of badges is testament to the relationships that were forged across the globe with the Altona workshop.

Physical description

Large display panel featuring many fire service badges