Mt Torbreck memorial

[Diamir]

With a free day and semi-rubbish weather on the forecast I packed the kit and headed for the Rubicon Range after a few hours fishing the Pondage.
I've topped out Mt Torbreck in all seasons but never taken the brief but scenic walk up to the Avro Anson memorial site.
The track has been well cleared of regrowth since my last few visits which is both good and bad I guess. A trail bike or two have clearly been blurting up the track to the memorial which is very disappointing to see. Also right beside the monument various small fires have been lit. Leaving behind burnt tins,plastic and all sorts. I took what I could fit in my pack without soiling it with rusty water in the process.

It's a shame to see this happen especially to what is a tribute to four airmen who died in service of their country.

If you haven't taken this short hike up to the site I encourage you to do so. A great piece of history but also a sad tragic event that took place in 1940.
There is a pile of information in laminated sleeves for your perusal in front of the cairn. Please leave them be. Copies are available online I believe. And likewise with any aircraft debris on display or found bushwacking if you're as bonkers as myself and enjoy that kind of thing.
Good one for the kids too with a nice wide track and reasonable gradient.

Cheers,

Dougal

[Earwig]

Hopefully this is a link to the brochure.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/37454303/br_159_Mount_Torbreck_Avro_Anson_Crash_Memorial.pdf

[peregrinator]

There were three articles in recent editions of Bushwalking News Victoria on the track restoration work that made this walk possible. A bushwalker named Anthony Dykes organised the work and wrote these reports -- there are some interesting photographs. I don't know who he is but offer my congratulations just in case he reads this. Interesting too is how committed people can get the authorities (DEPI, now DELWP, in this case) to get active.

http://www.bushwalkingvictoria.org.au/files/Newsletters/BNV_-_September_2014.pdf
http://www.bushwalkingvictoria.org.au/files/Newsletters/BNV_June.pdf
http://www.bushwalkingvictoria.org.au/files/Newsletters/2013_December.pdf

[north-north-west]

Interesting.
I've been to Torbreck but never even knew about the Memorial.

[Diamir]

Interesting.
I've been to Torbreck but never even knew about the Memorial.

Well worth the visit. Just approach from the Eildon-Jamieson Rd. Be warned there is an abudance of downed trees on the road in and one of them would have scarcely been wide enough for your average sedan let alone a decent sized 4wd. But generally access to the memorial track is okay.
You can't miss the log as pictured above.

[Anthony D]

Great to see that people have been getting up to the A4-4 Avro Anson Memorial at Mt Torbreck!

My name is Anthony and I've been heavily involved in the restoration of this historically significant site. The booklet that Diamir refers to can be found in electronic version here https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/374 ... rbreck.pdf It covers the history and timeline of events at the memorial site from the 16th of May 1940 right up until the 25th of July this year. For even more info go to the Mt Torbreck Wikipedia site and click the external links at the bottom of the page

Diamir. What signs can you see that motorbikes have been on the track? When we were there in July we were using a bobcat to clear some of the track and ferry the required materials to the site so we could complete our engine mounting task. The bobcat had tracks that are similar to an excavator that could be confused with a motorbike tread as the their tread patterns are similar.

If you could clarify that they are definitely motorbikes it would be much appreciated as I will liaise with DELWP about blocking the entrance with logs or rocks to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately though sometimes this can attract these types even more.

[Anthony D]

As a comparison to the last photo in the OP - the photo below was taken in Nov 2013 at exactly the same spot.

[Diamir]

Great to see that people have been getting up to the A4-4 Avro Anson Memorial at Mt Torbreck!

My name is Anthony and I've been heavily involved in the restoration of this historically significant site. The booklet that Diamir refers to can be found in electronic version here https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/374 ... rbreck.pdf It covers the history and timeline of events at the memorial site from the 16th of May 1940 right up until the 25th of July this year. For even more info go to the Mt Torbreck Wikipedia site and click the external links at the bottom of the page

Diamir. What signs can you see that motorbikes have been on the track? When we were there in July we were using a bobcat to clear some of the track and ferry the required materials to the site so we could complete our engine mounting task. The bobcat had tracks that are similar to an excavator that could be confused with a motorbike tread as the their tread patterns are similar.

If you could clarify that they are definitely motorbikes it would be much appreciated as I will liaise with DELWP about blocking the entrance with logs or rocks to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately though sometimes this can attract these types even more.

Thanks for the reply Anthony and i commend you and all the others who have worked on clearing the track. Fantastic effort. Definitely motorbike tracks mate no mistaking them. And they were fresh enough to have been from the day prior to my visit at a guess. Maybe a tight wooden dogleg at the entrance would keep them at bay ?

[Anthony D]

Thanks mate. The threat of motorbikes using it was always going to be a risk opening the track back up after all these years, but a risk we were prepared to take to take as it had virtually disappeared from public knowledge.

We're heading back up there next month so we'll take a look at creating a barrier of some sort - in the meantime Ill speak with my DELWP contact to see what they can do.

For yourself and anyone else that's interested, put Jan 23rd 2016 on your calendar as will be having an 'official re-opening' on this day to coincide with the 75th anniversary that the men were found. Family members, RAAF, local government and various other local dignitaries will be in attendance.

http://www.snappytv.com/tc/713639/197287

[Anthony D]

The weekend just gone we had a working be at the Mt Torbreck memorial site. Based on Diamir's info of trail bikes using the track, we built some barriers at the entrance that should keep them out.

[Diamir]

Sorry haven't been able to get online recently. Great job mate! Should deter them enough hopefully. Good on you lot for putting the effort in.

[Anthony D]

As mentioned in an earlier post about the 75th anniversary and 'official' track re-opening on the 23trd January - we are now only 2 and half weeks away!

Months ago I put in a request to the RAAF to attend the commemoration service next year and I've recently received written confirmation that they will be in attendance. Not only will a RAAF representative be at the memorial site at the service, there will also be a flyover directly over the memorial site by a RAAF Pilatus PC9 (same type of aircraft the RAAF Roulettes use)

The 75th anniversary and memorial re-opening dedicated to the crew of Avro Anson A4-4 is shaping up to be an event not to be missed!

Details in the attached

Hope to see you there.

Cheers

[neilmny]

Great work Anthony, congratulations.

[Anthony D]

https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/3 ... p=st#page1

[neilmny]

Congratulations Anthony, I saw it on the News last night, a great effort, something to be very proud of.

[Anthony D]

Thanks Neilmny.

It was a very special day and an absolute honour to give something back to those families after their loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom all those years ago.

[Anthony D]

July 30

[neilmny]

Nice work AnthonyD