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Fire Fighters MemorialPrint Page Print this page

20-June-2014
20-June-2014

Photographs supplied by Simon Scharf / Bryan Hardy

The monument commemorates five volunteer Geelong West firefighters who were killed in the December 1998 bushfire. It is erected at the site of the tragedy.

On 2 December 1998, a bushfire burned through private land and state forest near the township of Linton and fire fighters from the Department of Natural Resources and Country Fire Authority (CFA) were deployed to fight the fire.

At approximately 8:45 p.m., two CFA tankers and their crews were trapped and engulfed in fire following an unexpected wind change. The crew of one of those trucks, five men from Geelong, all volunteers from the Geelong West Brigade were killed. The coronial inquest examining the fire and the deaths was one of the longest-running inquests in the history of the state. This inquest led to changes in safety operating procedures in the CFA.
 

Location

Address:Kelly Road, State Forest, Linton, 3360
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -37.656944
Long: 143.566944
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Disaster
Sub-Theme:Fire
Actual Event Start Date:02-December-1998
Actual Event End Date:02-December-1998
Link:http://monumentaustralia.org.au/dis…

Dedication

Front Inscription

Garry Vredeveldt
10. 7. 1951 - 2. 12. 1998

Christopher Evans
1. 11. 1971 - 2. 12. 1998

Jason Thomas
2. 10. 1973  - 2. 12. 1998

Stuart Davidson
10. 11. 1970  - 2. 12. 1998

Matthew Armstrong
13. 10. 1981  - 2. 12. 1998

Inscription in Proximity

This Path Leads To The Memorial
Erected By The People Of Linton And 
Snake Valley To Honour The Five Geelong 
West Firefighters Who Died After Being
Trapped By Fire On 2 December, 1998

The Eight Pointed Star Represents The
Qualities Required By A Firefighter : 
Tact, Loyalty, Dexterity, Observation,
Sympathy, Explicitness, Gallantry
And Perseverance.

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au