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