Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 1

Surround and drown ….

Thursday 22 August 2019 Remember last week’s story about Alf Lawrence and

the Fire Chiefs…

Well… among Alf’s many pressing priorities trying to

rebuild the Forests Commissions firefighting capacity

after the catastrophic 1939 bushfires were to invest

heavily in modern vehicles and equipment.

Acquisitions included new powered pumps, fire

tankers, crawler tractors, chainsaws, as well as the

development of aerial firebombing, and a statewide

radio communications network - VL3AA.

The flush of war surplus equipment was either

allocated directly to Forest Districts or stored in a

purpose-built cache established on industrial land

purchased in 1946 at North Altona.

Pumps like the ever cantankerous high-pressure Pacific

Marine and the trailer-mounted Coventry Climax used

as quick-fills gave firefighters a much greater capacity

than ever before to put the “wet stuff on the red stuff”.

And although the emphasis has always been on dry

firefighting techniques, characterised by prolonged

campaign bushfires in remote and mountainous

locations, the new pumps were fitted to vehicles and

tankers so it then became feasible establish long

canvas hose relays to get water much closer to the fire

edge to “surround and drown”.

Because the Forests Commission had continuously

encouraged fire research and innovation, the Altona

workshop became a hotbed of new technological

thingumajigs… a marvellous blend of “Aladdin’s Cave of

Wonders” coupled with “Wallace and Gromit’s”

madcap contraptions… an exhilarating place where

lots of gizmos were invented and tested… mostly with

astounding results... but nearly always with some

head-scratching frustrations… and thankfully not too

much explosive mayhem.

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.

The Forests Commission made a big investment setting up the North Altona fire cache after the 1939 bushfires. A lot of war

surplus equipment was acquired. A large parcel of industrial land in a strategic and central location was wisely purchased way back

in 1946. Source: FCRPA collection.

A short silent film of the FCV fire equipment depot including demonstrations at Albert Park Lake – circa 1948.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOxjhMvbDBk

This display of badges of forest and fire organisations from all over the world sits at the entrance to the Altona North workshop. It’s a

testament to decades of fire research, innovation and collaboration. FFMV staff deserve to feel justifiably proud of these

quiet achievers and their legacy... so find time to check out the amazing museum… Photo: Rod Johns 2019.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 2

Just what every well-dressed firefighter needs… a four-gallon metal knapsack and spray-pump developed at Altona. Circa: 1940.

Source: FCRPA collection.

Coventry Climax “Godiva” pumps were shipped over from the London after the Blitz in WW2.

The cantankerous high-pressure Type Y pacific marine pump. A bugger of a thing to start and always guaranteed to take skin off

your knuckles. They had very high fuel-oil mix so blew great clouds of smoke and screamed at high revs.

Tank stand. Source: FCRPA collection.

Champion vehicle-mounted pump. Circa 1948. Source: FCRPA collection.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 3

Slip-on. Source: FCRPA collection.

High pressure Johnston Tremblay HOK pump. It was invented in about 1940 by Mr. J. Tremblay, fire-chief & director of public

safety for Montreal.

100-foot spray through 1/2" nozzle from a Johnson Tremblay pump - model HOK.

Quench Quick portable fire pump.

Hose relay using a Johnson Tremblay pump at Bright.

Line-up of trailer pumps. Source: FCRPA collection.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 4

Coventry Climax and knapsack. Source: FCRPA collection.

Dennis Fire Pump. Source: FCRPA collection.

Hale F.F.U. trailer pump unit. Source: FCRPA collection.

Canvas relay tank and two-stoke pacific marine with its characteristic smoke screen. Source: FCRPA collection.

Just like today – annual pump schools were a pre-fire season requirement for all staff and crew. Competitions were once held

between districts. Source: FCRPA collection.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 5

A large number of fire dams were sunk in the bush. Source: FCRPA collection.

Self-supporting relay tank – 1962. Photo Barry Marsden.

https://www.victoriasforestryheritage.org.au/activities1/fire/fire-equipment/305-relay-tanks.html

Hose-drying tower - Bruthen Forest District

Furphy firefighting kits were sold from 1905. This advertisement for a 1948 model featured glowing praise from a satisfied

customer. “One man and a furphy at a bushfire are more useful than 30 men with beaters”. The Department purchased a number of water carts and they can still be found rusting around the place

in depots.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 6

Furphy water tanks were made in Shepparton and fitted out with pumps and hoses as firefighting carts from about 1905. The carts became legendary during WW1 because of their association with

the Diggers rumours and dubious stories. A large number of Furphy water tanks were purchased.

Watering new seedlings at the You Yangs with a Furphy water cart. Photo: Joe Morley – circa 1964.

Furphy fun facts ….

The Furphy Water Cart is an iconic part of Australian manufacturing history. Troops gathering around the cart during

WW1 to have a drink of water would often swap stories and embellish them along the way. This lead eventually to the term

'furphy' entering the Australian vernacular meaning a rumour or false story (or BS).

Most people have probably heard ...

“GOOD, BETTER, BEST - NEVER LET IT REST - TILL YOUR GOOD IS BETTER - AND YOUR BETTER, BEST."

But the random squiggles across the centre of a Furphy water tank are not Arabic writing as many believe but Pitman Shorthand that

translates as …

“'WATER IS THE GIFT OF GOD, BUT BEER AND WHISKY ARE CONCOCTIONS OF THE DEVIL, COME AND HAVE A DRINK OF

WATER”.

Although there look to be several versions that evolved over the decades, this 1942 cart also has an illustration of a stork holding a baby with more squiggles underneath, also in shorthand, which is

a quote often first attributed to the WW1 Prime Minister Billy Hughes -

"PRODUCE AND POPULATE OR PERISH”.

Two Furphy water tanks are at the North Altona workshop. Photo: Peter McHugh 2019.

Dugouts were required at those sawmills that remained in the bush after 1939. Although there was pressure to relocate sawmills

and associated small settlements to outside the forest estate. Photo: Rolly Park, District Forester at Powelltown - 1945.