Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 1

Forest Fortnight #26 – Moscow Villa &

Bill Ah Chow ….

Thursday 24 October 2019 Moscow Villa has miraculously survived bushfires,

vandalism and the ravages of time and weather to

become an iconic visitor destination in the State forests

of East Gippsland.

But few people know the remarkable story about its

builder, Thomas William (Bill) Ah Chow.

Every organisation has a handful of colourful

characters and the Forests Commission had its share.

Bill was a Chinese ANZAC, farmer, roustabout,

horseman, fire towerman, legendary bushman and

epic storyteller of East Gippsland.

Moscow Villa was built on the picturesque Bentley’s

Plain and completed in January 1942, on the day the

Battle of Moscow was won. Don’t forget.. in 1942 the

Soviets were on the side of the Goodies fighting against

the Nazis..

While there are some variations to the story, which is

common with oral history, bush folklore has it that

Moscow Villa was visited at some stage in the mid-

1940s by a party of senior Forests Commission officials

from Bairnsdale, whereupon Bill was challenged about

his loyalty and the name of his hut.

Bill swiftly retorted that he was not a communist and

that the name was an acronym for…

My.. Own.. Summer.. Cottage.. Officially.. Welcomes..

Visitors.. Inside.. Light.. Luncheon.. Available..

Bill's quick wit and humour prevailed, and his hut

retained its quirky name.

Bill lived alone in his hut during the summer months

and returned to his family at Ensay in winter.

He also had a reputation for welcoming walkers,

fisherman and foresters into his comfortable hut to sit

around the fire, to share a meal, and enjoy an evening

of bush yarns.

With very little encouragement, Bill donned his

colourful robes for his guests and claimed to a

descendant of Chinese Royalty, but his family believes

it was more likely he picked them up from a second-

hand shop in Little Bourke Street.

From the late 1930s, Bill was the fire lookout at nearby

Mt Nugong. He rode his horse 3km up the mountain

each day and sat out in the open on a rock with his

heavy RC-16 portable radio and spare battery.

After unloading his packsaddles, Bill often let both his

horses roam free to make their own way home back

down to Bentley's Plain.

Bill had to wait until the summer of 1952/53 for an old

disused control tower, scrounged from the RAAF

airfield at Bairnsdale, to be erected.

Bill often boasted about his eagle eyesight but also

complained that the Forests Commission wouldn’t

issue him binoculars.

The new firetower was eventually equipped with an

alidade to record compass bearings to smoke sightings

and lightning strikes as well as a fixed radio set to

communicate with Bruthen and Swifts Creek.

Bill was paid a wage as a Fireguard plus allowances for

camping and for providing his own riding horse,

packhorse with packsaddle and saddlebags. Provisions

and fodder for his horses were purchased in Bruthen

and delivered once a fortnight by the local forest

officer assigned to oversee the area.

At the end of the summer fire spotting season, and

after the first good rain of autumn, Bill set off alone on

his horse along the many bridle paths that cross-

crossed the alpine country as far as the NSW border

throwing matches along the way to burn forest fuels

and reduce the bushfire risk.

When not on fire lookout duty Bill assisted local crews

with his beloved Clydesdale Horses building nearby

forest roads.

Moscow Villa and the nearby Washington Winch are all

proudly protected and maintained by DELWP staff

from Swifts Creek.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_William_Ah_C

how

https://noelfraser.smugmug.com/organize/William-

Thomas-AhChow

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 2

Moscow Villa which was built in 1942, has miraculously survived bushfires, vandalism and the ravages of time to become an iconic tourist destination in East Gippsland. But few know the amazing story about its builder, Thomas William (Bill) Ah Chow. Photo –

2018.

Thomas William (Bill) Ah Chow was very proud of his Chinese heritage and with little encouragement would don traditional

dress for his guests. Museum Victoria image. Circa 1939.

Studio image of Bill in his colourful robes. Circa 1930s. Source: Athol Hodgson.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 3

Undated newspaper clipping of Bill who often claimed to a descendant of Chinese Royalty, but his family believes it was more

likely he picked his robes up from a second-hand shop in Little Bourke Street. Circa 1950. Photo: Ah Chow family.

Bill died more than 50 years ago but his silk robes, hat, pants and slippers are safe keeping with his family in Gippsland. Photo: Peter

McHugh 2018.

The Chinese museum in Melbourne gave this advice.

Mr. Ah Chow is dressed in a way that imitates a Mandarin or official of the Qing Dynasty. His hat looks like a mandarin style hat, a Qing dynasty official's headwear, although it's quite unlikely that

he was actually a Mandarin. The button atop the hat usually indicated the wearer's rank. His robe fastens up to the neck with

buttons, which is typical of Manchurian style men's clothing of the Qing dynasty also. He is not wearing a rank badge, which denoted official status. This kind of garment was also normally worn with a separate collar, which Mr. Ah Chow is not wearing in any of these

pictures.

Bill tried twice to join the army but was initially rejected because of his obvious Chinese appearance. Undeterred, he reapplied and was accepted in June 1917. Bill served on the western front and

was not only gassed but also wounded three times, once seriously of a gunshot wound to his right shoulder on 31 July 1918. This

photo after the War shows Bill gingerly holding his right arm. His injuries affected him for the remainder of his life. And like many

men of his generation, Bill rarely spoke of his wartime experiences. Photo: Ah Chow family

Bill Ah Chow loved his horses. At home at Ensay. Circa 1950. Photo: Ah Chow family.

The Forests Commission employed Bill and his horses to build roads on the Nunniong Plateau in the 1940s. Photo: Ah Chow

family.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 4

Bill Ah Chow at Nunniong with his beloved workhorses in Jan 1940. Photo: Jim McKinty.

Moscow Villa with its iron chimney – circa 1950. Photo: Ah Chow family.

Moscow Villa was built in January 1942. Complete with the famous red sign hung on the gate. Photo - circa 1945. Source: FCRPA

Collection.

Bill had a reputation for welcoming walkers, fisherman and foresters into his comfortable hut to sit around the fire, to share a

meal, and enjoy an evening of bush yarns. The washroom was behind the canvas screen. Photo: Ah Chow family

Inside Moscow Villa was cosy. It had timber floors and a large iron fireplace. Circa 1951. Photo: Ah Chow family.

Inside Moscow Villa after recent renovations. The large stone chimney was added in 1975 by local crews from Swifts Creek.

Source: DELWP

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 5

Collecting water from the creek at Moscow Villa. Photo: Ah Chow family. Circa 1951.

Moscow Villa in 2006.

The large stone chimney was added in 1975 by local crews from Swifts Creek. Photo - 2018.

At the end of the summer fire spotting season, and after the first good rain of autumn, Bill would set off alone on his horse along

the many bridle paths that cross-crossed the alpine country as far as the NSW border throwing matches along the way to burn forest

fuels and reduce the bushfire risk. Photo: Ah Chow family.

Celebrating the history of forest and bushfire management in Victoria – (Peter McHugh – 2018-19) Page 6

Bill doing a bit of burning off around Moscow Villa. It looks like he is on his way to church… he has a tie on. Photo: Ah Chow family.

Bill helped to build Commins Hut and cattle yards on nearby Quinn’s Plain in 1937 for James (Jim) Commins and Charlie Duke

who leased the Nunniong Cattle Run. It was used when mustering stock and Bill Ah Chow also stayed there prior to building his own

hut, Moscow Villa, in 1942.

The Forests Commissions network of fire lookouts (hilltop clearings) and fire tower structures in 1945. Mt Nugong was a

lookout until a tower was built in 1952/53 from scrounged materials from the RAAF base at Bairnsdale. Source: State Library.

Mt Nugong tower and Stanley Hut under construction in the summer of 1952/53. This first tower survived two more decades before a storm blew it down in 1974 and was rebuilt. The third

tower is now on Mt Nugong. Photo: Athol Hodgson.

The nearby Washington Winch was imported into Australia in 1920 and operated initially in Western Australia before being

purchased by the Forests Commission for 1939 bushfire salvage logging the Central Highlands around Noojee. It was later sold and

moved to its present site by local sawmilling company Ezards in 1959 where it operated until 1961–62. It remains the only high lead-skyline logging system left in Victoria and is listed on the

State Heritage Register. https://www.facebook.com/groups/forestcommisionheritage/per

malink/3066792930013703/

Bill (standing third from left and wearing a tie) with the Ezards logging crew. Photo: Ah Chow family.