Forest Yarns
The Rushworth forest has been harvested for timber since colonial days. Initially, during the gold rush, the tree felling was uncontrolled by the fledgling Victorian government. As time went by it was realised that unless there were some controls the forests would be completely denuded. The government has progressively introduced
Forest Yarns
Harvesting the leaves Originally, the blue and green mallee trees were cut down, leaving the stumps protruding from the ground. The timber was burned, then when the mallees re-sprouted to the required height, they were cut down by hand with a sickle. This was back-breaking work. The cutters also had
Forest Yarns
Unfortunately, there do not seem to be any records of how much charcoal was produced in the Rushworth forest in the second half of the 19th century. Into the 20th century, as government became more actively involved in the management of forests, more records were kept. In the 1917 financial
Forest Yarns
Stories from the Rushworth Forest
Forest Yarns
Stories from the Rushworth Forest
Forest Yarns
Aboriginal Connections
Forest Yarns
Introduction