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Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 1
Forest Fortnight #17 – Blue Wiggles ….
Wednesday 3 July 2019 …. Initially, rudimentary fire basecamps were set up in
small clearings in the bush near a river, but still close to
the fire’s edge.
Fire crews were also expected to remain self-sufficient
for the first 72 hours or so until better arrangements
for food and supplies could be made. Left in the
meantime to scrounge around in the bottom of the fire
trailer for unlabelled tins of stuff to chuck into a
homebrewed swill of hashmagandy*.
But poor hygiene facilities and crap food often led to
crews going home sick with tummy bugs.
Under growing union pressure and particularly as
women began to be routinely employed on summer
fire crews the Department was forced to make some
serious improvements to camp facilities.
Over time basecamps became more comfortable and
well organised with hot showers, toilets, power,
medical services and decent cooked food.
But as camps became larger and more complex, they
needed extensive flat areas to spread-out and with
access to 240V electric power, running water, parking
space, bitumen roads to transport shipping containers
of camping gear and so on. These new requirements
inevitably resulted in camps withdrawing from small
clearings in the forest and back into major towns.
And with basecamps often set up so far away, crews
had to travel many hours on dusty roads to get to the
fire edge before they could even start work, which was
not only exhausting but also hard on vehicles. So
maybe some of the previous agility and nimbleness
was lost with the move out of the bush… but that’s for
others to decide.
Previously known under a gaggle of disparaging guises,
such as camp commandants, Colonel Klink’s, tent-
peggers, supply-wallahs, quartermasters, blanket-
counters, barcode-ninjas, clipboard-firefighters,
chandlery, providores, victuallers, gofers,
procurement, grey ghosts (dustcoats being the uniform
of choice for crusty old storemen), cut-lunch
commanders, camp cooks, ration-assassins, kitchen
hands, dixie-bashers and many others.
Nowadays they are identified with the more gracious
collective noun of Logistics Officers, but even more
affectionately as the Blue Wiggles.
Importantly, these ever cheerful and helpful folk,
quietly and tirelessly going about their business in their
royal-blue vests, were able to make the most amazing
things magically appear…. as if out of thin air.... just
don’t ask too many questions.
The much beloved Max Stewart from Gippsland was
the Dumbledore or Grand Sorcerer of Logistics and
helped paved the way.
And let’s not forget Barry Marsden’s enchanted wand
safeguarding Aladdin’s Cave of Wonders stashed away
at the strategically located Altona North fire cache.
I spent the latter part of my career press-ganged as a
L3 Planning Officer (i.e. Yellow Wiggle) and one day
while standing self-absorbed at the photocopier and
pointlessly grumbling about something trivial one of
the jolly widget-counters cleverly quipped that
“logistics is the ball and chain of campaign firefighting”.
It’s also very true that when things are running
smoothly along the supply-chain nobody notices but
there is hell-to-pay if the dunny paper runs out !!!
So… let’s give thanks and high praise to all those Blue
Wiggles out there conjuring up their wizardry to make
our lives so comfortable and safe…
Abracadabra !!!
*hashmagandy – a hodgepodge bush stew made with
whatever ingredients were at hand. It became famous
in the classic 1954 Australian outback documentary
“The Back of Beyond” about the Royal Mailman, the
original Tom Kruse.
1978 bushfire – Corryong.
Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 2
Fire crews often walked long distances and slept on the ground. Here an assessment crew joins up with the Briagolong crew near Waterford to cook up a meal. Circa 1950. Photo: Athol Hodgson.
Fire crew heading out from Bindaree in the late 1950s. They needed to take everything with them. Photo: Joe Morley.
Basecamp at Cobbannah – circa 1965. Photo: Barry Marsden
Fire crews were expected to remain self-sufficient for the first 72 hours or so. Circa late 1970s. Photo: Barry Marsden
The Camp Commandants salubrious HQ. Circa late 1970s. Photo: Barry Marsden
Base camp Beechworth. Note the chimneys of the Aldershot ovens used to cook meals on. Circa: late 1970s. Photo: Rocky Marsden.
Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 3
Lesson number one for new recruits… don’t upset the camp cook or the dixie-basher.
The rusting remains of a FCV Aldershot Oven at Shelley Camp. 2019. Photo: Peter McHugh
A hole in the ground and a bit of rough hessian strung up between the trees for some privacy became the standard bush dunny. Circa
late 1970s. Photo: Barry Marsden.
A wooden duckboard, a bit of canvas and a 44-gallon drum choofer to make some hot water to hang in the canvas shower
bag…Bliss. Photo: Athol Hodgson.
Surge-capacity camp at Surveyors Creek. Caledonia Fire 1998.
Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 4
Improvements were made with catering trailers. Circa mid-1980s. Photo: Rocky Marsden
A big investment was made to set up the North Altona fire cache after the 1939 bushfires. A large parcel of industrial land in a
strategic and central location was wisely purchased by the Forests Commission way back in 1946.
Inside Aladdin’s cave at the North Altona fire cache. So much amazing stuff….2009.
There was always at least rudimentary first aid with Dettol and Band-Aids at fire base camps. Bill ah Chow. Circa 1950.
A cheerful group of Blue Wiggles at Colac. A very professional outfit making life at bushfires and planned burns more comfortable and safe. Photo: Donna Burns. April 2018
Another cheerful Blue Wiggle as a basecamp manager established for 220 firefighters at Birregurra. Photo: Nathan Dyer - Geelong
Advertiser. Jan 2016.
Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 5
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