Thermal images

By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE artist John Duncan Firth and his wife Barbara will leave Healesville knowing they have made a valuable contribution to the community.
For a number of years Mr Firth has donated paintings to the Healesville Fire Brigade for raffles which have raised many thousands of dollars.
The Firths had Tudor Lodge Gallery in Yellingbo, where they first donated a painting to Yellingbo CFA, before moving to Healesville where they set up Waterfall Gallery.
“I was probably too old when we came to Healesville to even think about fighting fires, but I never really ever wanted to become a fire-fighter, so I preferred to give a bit of encouragement and support through my painting,” Mr Firth said.
Mr Firth presented The Old 10th Tee at the RACV Healesville, valued at $2250, to Healesville CFA captain Graeme Bates last week and the brigade aims to sell $3000 in raffle tickets between now and when the raffle is drawn on 25 October.
The draw will take place at the Barbara’s Retirement and Moving Sale exhibition at Waterfall Gallery at 3pm.
The Firths have opted for a sea-change retirement, although there is very little doubt a few seascapes with the JDF signature are on the horizon.
“Barbara has been the backbone of the gallery since we started in Elsternwick and at Tudor Lodge and now here,” Mr Firth said.
“She has always wanted to live by the sea and so that’s where we are going – without the responsibility of running a gallery,” Mr Firth said.
Mr Bates said the brigade is fund-raising for a thermal imaging camera.
The $25,000 camera can be used in both house fires and bushfires to detect heat sources.
Brigade members will be selling tickets – $2 each – around the town and they will be available at the RACV Country Club and other Healesville businesses.