Melbourne, Thursday 2 February 1939

[Mr. Lawrence]: You arrived at Toolangi on the 6th of January …What steps did you take, in conjunction with other officers, to arrest the further progress of that fire from the 6th to the 8th of January when, as we know, you left the area?
After making contact with Mr. Demby on the evening of the 6th January, we left early on the morning of the 7th January, between 5 am and 6 am to go to the fire.

There were 10 in the party. Demby, Barling and myself held a consultation and we decided that we would continue cutting a trail around the face of the fire. That had been started on the previous day. After working until some time after mid-day on Saturday, we realised that the trail we were cutting would not be very effective.

The wind was very choppy and changing, and in one or two places, it had jumped our trail. We held another consultation and decided that we would cut a fresh trail further to the east, where, although there was some thick scrub, the dry timber was very sparse. We returned very early on Sunday morning, the 8th of January. Unfortunately, about mid-day on the 8th of January, a very high wind rose, and that fire became unmanageable and out of control and we had to get out of the area.

What route did you follow when leaving the fire? – For a start we tried to go south, but we were cut off by the face of the fire. We then went easterly and again tried to go south by another track, but again we were cut off. We then had to turn on our steps and we got out in a northerly direction towards Glenburn. But then some miles north they again struck fire.

Have you learnt anything subsequently as to the supposed point of origin of that fire?
After getting out of that area by way of Glenburn, I returned to Toolangi along the Yea Road. When approaching West’s bridge, there were a considerable number of people about, and I made inquiries about the fire that had started that afternoon.

Those inquiries led me to believe that that fire definitely started between 2 pm and 3 pm on the 8th of January, and that it was lit by some person as a back break. Possibly someone may have become panicky that the big fire from which we had escaped might have extended and he may have burnt this back fire with the object of protecting property.

That is surmise, but I believe that fire to have commenced at that point on the afternoon of the 8th of January.

Read more about John Barling's death in the Oral History Section