Major Workshops - North Altona

B Marsden

In 1947 the FCV purchased an area of land at North Altona from Brooklyn Quarries Pty Ltd. (Map here) In this article the site is referred to as North Altona, although the facilities and functions delivered on the site have changed dramatically since 1947.

The original allotment has been reduced by the granting of an easement to the former State Electricity Commission, the leasing of land to the local Italian community for the building of an Italian Social Club, and by the sale of a parcel of land on the southern boundary.

The current site is located in Kyle Road, North Altona – (Same map as earlier) In 2019 the area of the property was 2.31ha.

The land on the eastern side of Kyle Road, which is no longer part of the North Altona site, was originally used for the purpose of a FCV firewood storage depot and workshop. It was called the Brookwood rail-siding, and was one of several firewood storage depots close to and in Melbourne, the others being in Toorak, Fitzroy and Kew. These firewood depots were a part of the FCV's post-WW2  involvement in supplying firewood to meet community needs.

In December 1950 a large fire at this depot destroyed more than 3300 tonnes of firewood.

Wednesday 20th December 1950 (Media report extract )
The Argus Melbourne

The sky over Melbourne was red last night from fires through out the metropolitan area. The main outbreak was at Brookwood where a Forests Commission Fire wood depot was practically destroyed.

No estimate could be obtained of the damage last night but it is expected to run into tens of thousands of pounds. The fire will also seriously hit Melbourne’s winter firewood supplies, a shortage of which has already been forecast.

Facilities

This presentation will show you how this site is being used as at September 2019.

Central Store

The Central Store probably operated from the early 1950s and consisted of two adjoining buildings:

  • a steel-framed Quonset building clad in corrugated iron; set on a concrete slab measuring 100 feet x 41 feet. Two large steel corrugated iron clad sliding doors were installed at both ends of the building. Building No.1 also included an office which supported the operations for both buildings.
  • a prefabricated building purchased from Armco in the early 1950s. It had a steel portal frame construction and was 105 feet x 40 feet; set on a concrete slab with a corrugated iron roof and cladding. The building was equipped with two steel roller shutter doors. (See Fig 6)

Both buildings housed a wide range of stores for requisition by field and workshop staff, including tractor and fire pump spares, hose couplings, and camping equipment that was despatched during emergency fire periods.

This facility ceased operation in 1993. The two buildings were removed from the site, and the stores function was transferred to what was originally the Lands Department store in Maribyrnong.

Fire Protection Workshop

The original asbestos-clad workshop, which probably began operating in the early 1950s, had a floor space of about 1000m2 and consisted of a general office, a main workshop, hose room, electrical room, tool room, welding shop, spray paint booth and two internal garages.

In 1957 ED Gill, who was then the Assistant Fire Protection Officer with the FCV, prepared a publication presented to The Seventh British Commonwealth Forestry Conference in England. A chapter entitled ‘The Selection and Development of Fire Fighting Equipment’, detailed the rationale for the fire equipment purchased, developed and evaluated at the workshop

During the 1960s and 1970s the Workshop played a key role in fire tanker assembly, and the repair and maintenance of all FCV fire pumps, hose and ancillary equipment. In 1985 it was decided that the Workshop would, in future, place a greater emphasis on research and development, and that the existing fabrication and maintenance roles would be wound down. The facility became known as the Fire Equipment Development Centre. (see below).

Other Facilities

Additional facilities were constructed in the 1980s and 1990s, including:

  • a fuel store for oils, cleaning solvents and fuel was constructed in the early 1980s. Diesel and petrol bowsers, which were originally located next to the Central Store buildings, were removed.
  • a cleaning-bay for fire tankers, pumps and associated vehicles and equipment. (Fig 29)
  • an incendiary store for securing fire-related ignition equipment - including Delayed Action Incendiary Devices (DAIDS), Gun Operated Flamers (GOFs), blivets, incendiary capsules and ‘Fusee’ matches. (Fig 32)
  • a small radio laboratory.
Fire Equipment Development Centre

The Fire Equipment Development Centre was still in operation at the time this article was created and it included:

  • two Fire Cache buildings housing a vast range of fire equipment and associated spares, camping equipment, bottled water, pump and plumbing equipment plus many additional items to service the current regional work centres' needs.
  • an aviation rappel tower for the training of departmental rappel crews.
  • a large well-appointed workshop facility.
  • containerised camping equipment, which had been introduced in the mid-2000 era, and are an initial requirement during fire emergency periods.

By 2000 all the original structures on the site, including the asbestos-clad Fire Protection Workshop, had been replaced with new standardised green Colorbond buildings.

In summary, the site has undergone significant upgrade over the past fifty years - and of course it should have. These days it is a far cry from what I remember when I first visited the site in the late 1960s - a somewhat decrepit, over-grown thistle and grass covered property, with broken down fencing and scattered building materials.

 

Barry Marsden

Barry grew up in East Gippsland, Victoria, in the small timber town of Cabbage Tree which consisted of five sawmills (where his father was a bulldozer operator for one of the mills), a local store and a primary school. The family moved to Orbost in about 1955 when he and his two sisters commenced high school.

Following high school Barry completed an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic at a local garage, Merlin Motors, a respected family business.

In 1966 he joined the Forests Commission at Orbost, initially working with the crew on the Errinundra Plateau road construction program where he was trained in the use of explosives to clear trees and rocks from the proposed road line.

Following a vehicle accident in late 1966, Barry took over the repair and maintenance of the Commission’s vehicle fleet at Orbost. In 1969 he married and transferred to Bairnsdale from where he maintained the region’s heavy plant equipment from a base at Bruthen.

So that he would have experience in the operation and procedures of a large workshop, in 1970 Barry was transferred to the Commission’s main plant engineers’ workshop in Newport, Melbourne, and in 1971 he joined the Commission’s Transport Branch as a Technical Assistant to the Transport Officer.

In 1972 Barry became Assistant Fire Equipment Development Officer at the Forests Commission’s Fire Equipment Development Centre at Altona and was promoted to Manager in 1983.

In 1988 he was sent to Canada on a six-week study tour hosted by Aviation Company - Conair to seek out alternative fire equipment technology and innovative ideas to improve on that which was in use by the Department in Victoria.

In 1990, with increasing interest in the use of Class A foams for quelling fire, Barry represented Victorian land management agencies on the North West Coordinating Group Fire Equipment Working Team’s Task Group for International/Interagency Foams and Application Systems. From 1992, he represented the Department at annual forums of the National Fire Equipment Development Officers Group whose aim was to co-ordinate the research, development and supply of fire equipment by member organisations of Fire Control Officers Group.

Barry represented Australia at the International Fire Equipment Working Group and Fire Equipment Working Team biannual joint meetings to share current trends, innovation and experiences in firefighting. He continued to participate at both National and International fire equipment forums until his retirement in 2010.

Hosted by the Overseas Projects Corporation in 1995, Barry was sent to Western Samoa to train local fire personnel in the use of fire fighting equipment purchased from the Department, and the operation of Class A foam technology.

In 2000 and 2002 he was part of an Australian contingent of fire fighters who travelled to the USA to assist American fire crews combatting large forest fires during extremely dry conditions. Queen’s Birthday Honours saw Barry awarded an AFSM in 1988 for distinguished service as a member of the Victorian Fire Services, and an Order of Australia (AM) in 2012 for Service to Public Administration in Victoria in the Fire and Emergency Services Sector and to the Development of Innovative Fire Fighting Equipment and Technologies.

 

Barry Marsden

Barry grew up in East Gippsland, Victoria, in the small timber town of Cabbage Tree which consisted of five sawmills (where his father was a bulldozer operator for one of the mills), a local store and a primary school. The family moved to Orbost in about 1955 when he and his two sisters commenced high school.

Following high school Barry completed an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic at a local garage, Merlin Motors, a respected family business.

In 1966 he joined the Forests Commission at Orbost, initially working with the crew on the Errinundra Plateau road construction program where he was trained in the use of explosives to clear trees and rocks from the proposed road line.

Following a vehicle accident in late 1966, Barry took over the repair and maintenance of the Commission’s vehicle fleet at Orbost. In 1969 he married and transferred to Bairnsdale from where he maintained the region’s heavy plant equipment from a base at Bruthen.

So that he would have experience in the operation and procedures of a large workshop, in 1970 Barry was transferred to the Commission’s main plant engineers’ workshop in Newport, Melbourne, and in 1971 he joined the Commission’s Transport Branch as a Technical Assistant to the Transport Officer.

In 1972 Barry became Assistant Fire Equipment Development Officer at the Forests Commission’s Fire Equipment Development Centre at Altona and was promoted to Manager in 1983.

In 1988 he was sent to Canada on a six-week study tour hosted by Aviation Company - Conair to seek out alternative fire equipment technology and innovative ideas to improve on that which was in use by the Department in Victoria.

In 1990, with increasing interest in the use of Class A foams for quelling fire, Barry represented Victorian land management agencies on the North West Coordinating Group Fire Equipment Working Team’s Task Group for International/Interagency Foams and Application Systems. From 1992, he represented the Department at annual forums of the National Fire Equipment Development Officers Group whose aim was to co-ordinate the research, development and supply of fire equipment by member organisations of Fire Control Officers Group.

Barry represented Australia at the International Fire Equipment Working Group and Fire Equipment Working Team biannual joint meetings to share current trends, innovation and experiences in firefighting. He continued to participate at both National and International fire equipment forums until his retirement in 2010.

Hosted by the Overseas Projects Corporation in 1995, Barry was sent to Western Samoa to train local fire personnel in the use of fire fighting equipment purchased from the Department, and the operation of Class A foam technology.

In 2000 and 2002 he was part of an Australian contingent of fire fighters who travelled to the USA to assist American fire crews combatting large forest fires during extremely dry conditions. Queen’s Birthday Honours saw Barry awarded an AFSM in 1988 for distinguished service as a member of the Victorian Fire Services, and an Order of Australia (AM) in 2012 for Service to Public Administration in Victoria in the Fire and Emergency Services Sector and to the Development of Innovative Fire Fighting Equipment and Technologies.