Peter Collier, Stanley Gillett & John ByrnesPrint Page

The monument commemorates Peter Francis Collier, Stanley Raymond Gillett and John Desmond Byrnes who were all killed in a helicopter accident in April 1978.  The Bright Memorial Arboretum was developed in their memory.

The helicopter was a Hughes 500 VH-CHD op­erated by Jayrow Helicopters under contract to the Forests Commission and was engaged on a fuel reduction burning operation.  The helicopter carrying out a fuel-reduction burning operation crashed near Wandiligong on 19 April 1978. Two Forest Officers, Peter Collier & Stan Gillett & the pilot, John Byrnes, lost their lives. It was decided to develop the former Seed Garden into a Memorial Arboretum in memory of those killed.

The Bright Memorial Arboretum is situated in Mountbatten Avenue, Bright. This area, originally a Forests Commission Victoria Pine Nursery, was converted into a Seed Garden in 1973 with the aim of supplying seed for the Forests Commission Victoria nurseries at Macedon and Creswick. A wide variety of trees were planted, not all were successful.

The Memorial Arboretum was officially opened on 14 December 1984. Shortly afterwards the Forests Commission Victoria was reorganised and, with changing personnel, the Memorial Arboretum only received minimal maintenance.

In May 2002, a Friends of the Bright Memorial Arboretum was formed and now has over 40 members. The Friends Group is an advisory body to the Department of of Sustainability & Environment, which is very supportive. It is planned that regular maintenance will be carried out and further development will take place as funds become available.

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Dedication