Summary

Large lump of melted metal, probably aluminium, from an alloy wheel. It came from the remains of a camper trailer which was stored at Bob and Ercil McIlvena's property at Haven, near Horsham. The camper trailer was destroyed by the Vectis (Remlaw) Bushfire on 7 February, 2009.

This is part of the Victorian Bushfires Collection, which includes an interview with Bob and Ercil McIlvena and other fire affected artefacts from their property.

Physical Description

Irregular shaped lump of melted metal, probably aluminium. The metal is scattered with ash and debris from other burnt matter, particularly on the underside.

Significance

This object is part of a small collection of items documenting the impact of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires on a hobby farm in Haven, near Horsham, and is a reminder of the range and extent of the fires throughout Victoria on that day.

It is an example of the transformative power of extreme heat on metal. Aluminium has a melting point of 648°C (1200° F) compared to 1426°C (2600° F) to 1482°C (2700° F) for steel. Puddles of alloy and other melted metals were a common sight near the burnt-out remains of cars, caravans, trucks and trailers.

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