A Brief History the A.C.T. Bush Fire Council

The severe bushfires which caused widespread damage in the Australian Capital Territory in January 1939, was the subject of enquiry by a Bush Fire Committee appointed by the Minister of State for the Interior, the Honorable J. McEwen, M.P.; among the recommendations was one favouring the appointment of a permanent Bush Fire Council to organise the prevention and suppression of bushfires in the A.C.T.
The inaugural meeting of the Council was held on the 18 August 1940. The membership of Council were the following:

• Mr C. E. Lane-Poole - Inspector General of Forests
• Mr C. R. Cole - The Chief Fire Control Officer
• Mr F. N. Snow - Rep. of the Queanbeyan Branch of the Graziers' Association of N.S.W.
• Mr F. Southwell - Rep. of the Federal Territory Rural Lessees Association
• Mr J. E. Morrow - Chief Lands Officer of the Department of the Interior

Office Bearers of the first Council were:

• Chairman - Mr C. E. Lane-Poole
• Vice-Chairman - Mr C. R. Cole
• Secretary - Mr R. G. Kappler

Chairman of Bush Fire Council:

• Mr C. E. Lane-Poole 1939-44
• Mr R. G. Kappler 1944-54
• Mr C. R. Cole 1954-58
• Mr D. W. Shoobridge 1959-61
• Mr R. G. Green 1961-62
• Mr E. Cavanagh 1962-68
• Mr M. W. Edgerley 1968-79
• Mr V. M. Jeffery 1979-91
• Mrs C. Parsons 1991-93
• Mr G. Gaskill 1993-94
• Mr J.M. Sandison 1994-97
• Mr D. Broderick 1998-2000

Chief Fire Control Officers:

• Mr C. R. Cole 1939-40, 1944-54 **
• Mr L. D. Pryor 1940-44
• Mr S. R. Margules 1954-58
• Mr R. J. Slinn 1959-61
• Mr J. T. Kellow 1961-64
• ? 1964-65
• Mr I. D. Lamb 1965-65
• Mr A. Fearnside 1966-74
• Mr R. Fenwick 1974-78
• Mr C. L. Parsons 1978-85
• Mr R. Fenwick 1985-87
• Mr P. W. Lucas-Smith 1987-Present

(** 1940-44 the war period when Lt. Col. Cole commanded the A.I.F. Forestry Unit)

Sources for above information:

A.C.T. Bush Fire Council Annual Reports

'Forests and Forestry in the Australian Capital Territory' by M. R. Jacobs