Two burnt cars among smouldering trees on the Acheron Way gave the searchers their first intimation of the tragedy that befell the seven persons in their desperate efforts to escape the fire which swept east from Healesville to the Acheron Valley on Tuesday night.

On Tuesday night, Mr Ken Kerslake, a timber splitter at Feiglin’s mill, realising the danger, decided to make a dash to the safety of Marysville road. Taking his wife and daughter, Ruth, aged 5, in his tourer car, Mr Kerslake set out from the camp on the five and a half miles dash to the Marysville road.

They were followed by Frank Edwards, Mr Kerslake’s brother, in his open car, and about two miles from their home are said to have taken on board three Greek quarry workers who had left the shelter taken by other men in a creek. At dawn on Wednesday Mr J Ablett, walking along the Acheron Way, found Edwards’ car on the edge of the banked roadway. On the ground near the driver’s seat the charred household goods which he had tried to save from the Kerslake home.

A little farther on Kerslake’s car was jammed against a burning tree. Half a mile nearer the Marysville road Ablett found the body of Mrs Kerslake, huddled on the roadway. Near her was the body of her husband, who apparently had gone back to her assistance. A few yards away lay the body of their daughter, and about 10 chains on was the body of one of the Greeks, but no trace could be found of the other two Greeks.

The people were only two miles from safety when their car apparently crashed into a fallen tree.

[HG, 14/1/39]

Read more about the Kerslake family tradegy in the Oral History Section

Koalas, eagles, (including Horatius, the eagle trained for falconry), black cockatoos, Wendy the Flinders Island wombat, and other rare fauna were domiciled in the bedrooms of a house in the sanctuary, and plans were made for the building to be drenched with water from a four-inch main in the event of the outbreak reaching the sanctuary.

[HG, 14/1/39]