WHITE GUM COUNTRY

Claire Newbey talking about her father undertaking clearing work after losing the family farm

Kwobrup was white gum country.Mainly white gum. There was some mallet, big mallet but mainly white gum near the Kwobrup Siding. Where our farm was more like Moort country but he was clearing the white gum.

Dad lived in a tent and looked after himself during this time.

Burning off took place around winter and spring so as to avoid starting an uncontrollable fire.

They were ringbarked months before, they would stack smaller wood all around the base of the white gum tree and burn them down. Then he would have to burn the whole tree. He would go around the fires until 12 o'clock at night and then build them all up again before he went to bed.

Sometimes it would take two goes, depending on the type of tree and how much dry wood you stacked around it.

He could control the fall by the wind. He would light the fire against the wind , so the fire would burn into the tree.

Occasionally the wind would change during the night and it would fall a different way.

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References:                 Article:      Claire Newbey

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Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2023