
Dear Monument Australia visitors, we are a self-funded, non-profit organisation, dedicated to recording monuments throughout Australia. Over time the costs of maintaining this website have risen substantially (in fact they are probably larger than those of many companies who exist for profit). In the past we have borne all the costs associated with maintaining the website but we are now having difficulties in paying the monthly expenses.
30-November-2020 : We are aware that some organisations, individuals or companies may have received an email requesting donations to assist Monument Australia. These emails are not authorised by Monument Australia and we do not know the person who sent them. You should not make any payments to any bank account details in the email. We only use the Paypal “Donate” button on this webpage to accept donations.
If Monument Australia is useful to you, please make a donation to keep this historical and educational resource available. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Gary "Dutchy" Vredeveldt & Fire CrewPrint Page 
A monument commemorates Gary "Dutchy" Vredeveldt & his crew mates from Geelong West Volunteer Firefighters who lost their lives while protecting Linton from a bushfire in 1998.
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. |
Details
Monument Type: | Monument |
---|---|
Monument Theme: | Disaster |
Sub-Theme: | Fire |
Actual Event Start Date: | 02-December-1988 |
Actual Event End Date: | 02-December-1988 |
Dedication
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