His father and his grandfather were sleeper cutters before him but, sadly, Doug was the last man to work the Barmah Forest.
In 2009 it was declared a national park and the legend of the tough, nuggety man taking his axe and heading bush to carve out his own future, on his own terms, came to an end in this corner of the country.
As the last axeman in the forest, Doug decided it would be a crime to not the mark the occasion of his last cut.
The 76-year-old recruited his wife, Lorraine, and bared all for a photo shoot that was turned into a calendar.
‘‘My wife was sceptical at first, but I managed to talk her around,’’ Doug said.
‘‘I’ve spent plenty of years out there with only the company of my axe, so it seemed fitting.
‘‘It turned out to be a lot of fun. We had to do a few retakes because there were bits poking out from behind the axe that no-one needed to see.
‘‘I should have more sense at 76 but I don’t and here we are.’’
Doug said his idea was to take some humorous snaps and give them to friends, but it seems the idea has caught on.
‘‘I’ve given out almost 50 at this point. It’s a real concern if there’s more than a few people who want to see me without my kit on,’’ he said. ‘‘I know one has gone to Japan and another to England. I’ve even had some other cutters who said they’re going to do the same thing. The plan is to do another next year but I’m still brainstorming ideas.’’
To get a copy of Doug’s calendar with even more glamour shots, call him on 54824916.
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