Kurth Kiln Park, covering 3,500 hectares, contains a range of
forest types and other interesting features awaiting exploration.
Located a short distance east of Melbourne, the park is mostly
known for it’s kiln used during the Second World War to make
charcoal for gas producer units fitted to motor cars. The
‘producer gas’ was a substitute fuel for petrol which
was rationed at the time.
Flora & Fauna - The diversity of plant life attracts a range of
wildlife including wombats, Swamp Wallabies and echidnas. There is
also a diverse mammal population active mostly at night. They
include possums, Yellow-bellied Gliders, Sugar Gliders and Greater
Gliders that glide for up to 100 metres from tree to tree. Bush
rats and antechinus (marsupial mice) may be spotted scuttling about
on the forest floor.
The park has several plant communities ranging from Mountain Ash
forest and riparian forest to shrubby foothill forest and swamp
heathland. These support a rich flora and contain the rare plant
Long Pink-bells, Tall Astelia and Brickmakers
Saw-sedge.
I was curious about the
plants so I found this.
Of the species of
instream flora that occur in the Woori Yallock catchment, four
are
considered threatened in Victoria. The showy willow-herb (Epilobium
pallidiflorum) is
considered as depleted in Victoria, the forest sedge (Carex
alsophila) is considered rare
and brickmakers’ saw-sedge (Gahnia grandis) and tall astelia
(Astelia australiana) are
considered vulnerable. Tall astelia is also listed on the Victorian
Flora and Fauna
Guarantee Act 1988.
Heritage
DID YOU
KNOW?
The story of Kurth Kiln
began with Australia's declaration of war in September 1939. When
petrol rationing was introduced in October 1940, charcoal was seen
as the most practical alternative. Dozens of charcoal kilns were
constructed in various state forests. However, charcoal was never a
great success. It was dirty to use, produced 40 per cent less power
and conversion units for cars cost 100 pounds – 18 times the
weekly wage in 1941. Added to this, units had an alarming tendency
to catch fire.
The plant at Kurth Kiln closed at the end of the war but the tall
kiln with its iron chimney remain. It is a rare example of a
relatively intact charcoal burning kiln and the only one of it's
type in Australia.
Kurth Kiln was built during the Second World War to make charcoal.
It was developed and patented by Professor E.E. Kurth of the
University of Tasmania.
Most of the charcoal was used in gas producer units fitted to motor
cars to produce a combustible gas as a substitute for petrol which
was heavily rationed during the war. Display boards around the kiln
explain the process used to produce gas.
The
Cache
1 litre Sistema
container
FTF
Prize