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Gary "Dutchy" Vredeveldt & Fire CrewPrint Page Print this page

30-December-2016
30-December-2016

Photographs supplied by Sandra Brown

The plaque was erected in memory of Gary "Dutchy" Vredeveldt & his crew mates from Geelong West Volunteer Firefighters who lost their lives while protecting Linton from a bushfire in 1998.

The plaque is located at the base of the Geelong Fireman Bollard  which represents the Geelong Fire Brigade. 

On 2 December 1998, a bushfire burned through private land and state forest near the township of Linton, Victoria. Fire fighters from Department of Natural Resources and Country Fire Authority (CFA) were deployed to fight the fire. At approximately 20:45 hrs, 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:Eastern Beach Road & Yarra Street, Geelong, 3220
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -38.145011
Long: 144.365231
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Tragedy
Actual Event Start Date:02-December-1988
Actual Event End Date:02-December-1988

Dedication

Front Inscription

In Memory Of Our Friend 
GARY "DUTCHY' VREDEVELDT 
     And His Crewmates

Mathew Armstrong   Chris Evans
Stuart Davidson        Jason Thomas

Who Gave Their Lives Fighting The 
      Linton Bushfire
   2 December 1998

The Robertson family
Paul Robertson Car Sales

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