THE Tolmie and District Fire Brigade will celebrate its 85th anniversary on the weekend of their open day on Sunday November 17.
Over the course of the last year, brigade members alongside the Tolmie community agreed on a vision for enhancing the CFA station building, to develop a mural design for the south wall and the front of the building, in celebration of the milestone birthday.
They hoped to capture the CFA’s role in the protection of the community and the local environment.
The final design features the Southern Greater Glider and the Regent Honeyeater, both considered endangered and occasionally seen within the Tolmie district.
Some of the other species displayed include the critically endangered spotted tree frog which sits on a CFA member’s gloved hand, a native bee, and the alpine butterfly against a striking blue background.
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Another feature within the mural is the candle bark gum and foliage, being one of the predominant species of eucalypt in Tolmie.
Brigade captain Milton Taylor has been a CFA volunteer for 18 years, after moving to the area with his young family from the Dandenongs.
“This was just before the 2006 to 2007 bushfires which lasted for weeks,” Milton said.
“It was quite the introduction to what the CFA does.”
Milton said their artist and brigade member Liam Ferguson developed the design over a period of several months.
“When Liam presented the concept to the members one night at a meeting the reaction was very enthusiastic, which was quite gratifying," he said.
“Later on we even did a projection of the design onto the walls one night so that everyone could see what it would look like at full scale.
“Then we shared the initial concept with some of the other local community groups in Tolmie including the Tolmie Recreation Reserve committee, the Tolmie Social Club and the Tolmie Sports Association, because the CFA building sits within the community precinct.
“The feedback we got led to a version of the design, which is the one now being painted.”
Liam started painting the actual mural only around two weeks ago, but progress has been rapid and he is aiming to have it fully complete by Open Day.
“We are now at the stage of the detail imagery being painted by aerosol, after having completed all the masking and background areas,” Milton said.
“We wanted the mural to help beautify the station building in what is a pretty setting, and for it to serve as an interesting focal point in the area.
“We hope it will enhance awareness about the CFA’s purpose through its local volunteer structure in protecting both the community and the environment and reducing the impact of fires.
“It’s also a great talking point for when we personally engage with local community members around the station.
“Apart from Liam’s time in creating the mural, which is his gift to the community, the materials and other costs has been funded with a grant of $8500 from the Community Bank Mansfield and District and the Community Enterprise Foundation.”
The Open Day on November 17 will run between 10am to 2pm.
“There will be kids activities including facepainting, so we just encourage people to bring their family,” Milton said.
“The mural will be formally unveiled at 11am with a few formalities, followed by a free BBQ lunch and entertainment throughout the day.
“At 1pm there will be a community information session which we encourage local residents to attend, in preparation for the Summer ahead.
“This is particularly important for people who have settled in Tolmie in the last two to three years and who may not have a properly developed fire plan."
