AFTER THE FIRE REDESDALE RECOVERY
AFTER THE FIRE REDESDALE RECOVERY
A collection of photos and stories from people who were affected by the Redesdale Fire 7th February 2009
The project participants and facilitators acknowledge the impact of the Redesdale Fire on more than a hundred properties and their owners as well as the broader community. We hope this collection honours those who express their experiences openly and those who reflect silently and that it speaks in some ways to you, of you and for you.
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Project photography participants Wendy Anderson Briony Barker Clare Claydon Su Mitton Elaine Murphy Dave Waters Lorraine White Shannon White Thank-you to the fleet of local photographers and intrepid story gatherers who brought together this collection of images and reflective thoughts. This project was delivered by Deanna Neville, community development facilitator of Focus on Community and launched 21st November 2010, Barfold Hall. www.focusoncommunity.org
Photos & stories from: Norm Stacey Briony Barker Anita Stewart with Sidonia-Baynton Community Chris & Jo Smith-Sargent Erin Campbell Win Westernhoff Pamela & Julia Sievers Jenny & Phillip (Pip) Elston & family Beverley & Bernard Heathcote Bernie O’Connell Elaine Murphy Jan Elder Ginge Wait & Graeme Smith Alana Mitton Michael & Bernadette O’Sullivan & family Graeme & Patricia Scott
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Photos & stories from: Gordon Robinson Frank Hunter Marie Noonan Phillip & Susan Don & family Marieta Robinson Peter & Lorraine White & family Jessie Capdevila Phil Anderson Rachel C Dettmann & family Knox Dettmann Carolyn-Anne & Jimmy Boyd & family Andrew & Lisa Campbell & family Ivan & Cynthia Su & Terry Mitton & family Frances, Lucy & Mitchell Noonan Susana Varela
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Should I or shouldn’t I? Norm Stacey
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had left the sprinklers on the garden the night before so the ground was saturated. And the tank was empty. It was predicted to be a very hot day next day, so I filled the tank up that night. On the Saturday, when I got home from shopping about 12.30 or 1, I had a couple of stubbies and looked over the racing form. I was listening to the radio, to the races. Then I smelt smoke and went up to Jessie’s but couldn’t see anything, only smoke. So I went back and was sitting on the verandah reading the racing form and the next thing, Bang, it was there. Then you could see the smoke come over the hill, so I went to get the hose and by the time I turned the hose on, the fire was coming up the valley. So then I just worked at
putting the fire in the trees out. I kept on hosing the cattle yards down cos they kept on catching fire and I was keeping the garage with all my petrol and acetylene hosed cos if that had caught… There wasn’t time to do any more. Then every 10 minutes or so you would hide behind the shed so the wind wasn’t blowing at you to get your breath back and then you would run out and put out the trees that were on fire, and then run back again. You just had to push yourself. And you couldn’t see anything cos of the smoke. You get to a stage where you say, “Should I or shouldn’t I? Shall I run down to the dam?” But you always try and you just keep going.
What is really important in this world Briony Barker
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arrived in Barfold from South Australia in 1988. On 7 February 2009 when the weather had been so hot for such a long time, I had the feeling that it was not a good day. My experience of fires had been limited to small scrub fires in our local hills area and the fires in the Adelaide Hills in 1983 when the whole of the Mt Lofty Ranges above Adelaide were ablaze. Having endeavoured unsuccessfully to move my 95-year-old mother to a safer place during the week, I was now confronted with the responsibility of ensuring her safety immediately. Our plans of evacuation for her were limited by the availability of safer places for her to shelter. Once this was done I could turn my attention to the home front. The quiet after the fire in Barfold brought back the memory of the quiet I experienced as I drove to my parents’ home in the Adelaide Hills, after that fire was made safe, to ensure they were OK. No birds, no
wind – just an eerie silence. After this fire I was so fortunate that the house remained although all of the property – fences, stored hay, standing feed, and half the flock of pregnant ewes were gone. The strong feeling of ‘what is really important in this world’ was with me as I registered the fact that all of the people in the community were still here. I still have that feeling. No-one had perished. We are all still here! As part of a fire protection plan we have always used the animals to graze the paddocks on the north and west side of our home to keep grass short and growing for as long as possible. I have determined to make the house as fire resistant as is possible, open space with no trees around the house, wind breaks on the north side consisting of deciduous trees and plans for some stone walls. All that can be done will be done.
Coming together
Anita Stewart with Sidonia-Baynton Community ur family had a very close connection to O the Baynton Church. My great grandfather donated the land to build the first church
in 1882, and my father was one of the local volunteers who built the ‘new’ church in 1963. For six generations the Thomson family had worshipped there. It was where we gathered for funerals, weddings, and baptisms. The church was beautifully furnished with gifts from various local families and included antique gas lights, a beautiful organ given by the Walker family in the early 1900’s, and crafted wooden furniture donated to the new church. When at a service I felt a special connection to my forebears. In the last 20 years the church had become ecumenical and a focal point for the Baynton and Sidonia families to gather for special services. The Christmas Carol service always had a capacity congregation. The new church had large windows and everyone appreciated the magnificant views. This closeness to nature and beauty created a special feeling for many worshippers. I experienced a feeling of peace and closeness to God when worshipping. My first reaction to hearing it had burnt was one of disbelief and when I saw the damage I had an overwhelming feeling of sadness. Even now as I attempt to write about my feelings I
am tearful. These feelings later turned to depression and the self blame for not doing more to remove the fire risk created by the large pine trees, and then to anger when it was decided by the church hierarchy that the fully insured church would not be rebuilt. This decision was reached by people most of whom did not come to see the devastation and who could not understand the importance of this church to Sidonia. Unfortunately they considered the financial and changing demographics and failed to understand the emotional bond we had with the church and all it stood for in this community. It is likely that I will always experience sadness when I allow myself to remember the loss of the church but I hope to cease feeling angry at the lack of compassion shown by the church hierarchy. On the positive side the feeling of living in a caring local community of Sidonia has never been stronger than it has been since the fire. It is great to have the support of your neighbours. I really enjoyed coming together as a community for this photo and there was a great feeling of shared experiences with the group and I feel that I am now ready to move on after the fire.
The dream
Chris & Jo Smith-Sargent
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’m not going to write about ‘the day’ because we all know what happened, what we all went through, the stress of not knowing what was going on, the stress of waiting for it to come our way, what to do when it does, were we prepared enough? I would rather not go back to re-live it. What I will write about is what we got out of it. We moved to the country five and a half years ago. When we bought the property it was wet, boggy, lush green and fire risk did not even cross our minds. Our dream was to give our children a back to basics lifestyle, run a small holding, plant a small vineyard for our own indulgence and create some kind of productive business for our retirement. Two years ago, we started preparing the soil and the land for a Walnut Grove. Did you know that 95 percent of walnuts consumed in Australia are imported from overseas? So as a person who is conscious of our surroundings and the imprint we make into our planet, this was a great opportunity to help the deteriorating environment.
Chris never doubted for a moment whether we should carry on with our dream. I, on the other hand, started to question if we had done the right thing - moving to the country. Had we put our children in danger? And then the friendships grew, the connectedness, the comfortable understanding we all share, the compassion for loss and the willingness to help, support and care for one another developed. I found strength and inspiration from watching others start a new beginning. Although it has taken some time – I have come to realise that we have done the right thing. Redesdale is a beautiful place with beautiful people in it and it has taken me nearly 20 years to feel like I have finally found my home, a place where I belong with people I love around me, so could I let an event like a bush fire, which has happened only 3 times in 150 years, change my mind? I don’t think so. 2015 – Please come and visit our soon to be Walnut Grove!!
We got through it Erin Campbell
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hen the bush fire went through Barfold I was really scared for my family, friends and all the animals.
I had raised from one day old. Elaine had to put him down because his lungs were bunt and he wasn’t able to breathe properly.
My mother and I were on the computer in Adelaide looking at how many fire trucks were near Barfold.
All the time we were fencing and pulling fences out. It kind of dragged on a bit.
Later when I went over and looked around, seeing a lot of things not there or burnt was really heart breaking. Then I got some good information. A fire truck from Inglewood had pulled up outside the house and Elaine asked if they could stop the fire from going to the hay shed which thankfully they did and, all thanks to them, Brenda, Sandra, Craig, Fiona and Greg still have their houses. I was really sad because as well as those sheep which had been burned to death, Elaine had to put down many of our other sheep and also my pet goat Bubbles, who
But we got through it, and had all different people to come and help, they gave up their own time to help people recover. Briony did a lot of cooking for the people who came to help us. When we finally got our fences done it was a nice feeling. But then not so long ago it rained a lot and destroyed some of them, pulled end assemblies out of the ground, and carried big round hay bales down the river. That’s my story of the Black Saturday and the recovery.
The learning curve Win Westerhoff
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he fire made me incapacitated for a number of months with smoke inhalation and a knee injury. It took me a while to get over it and also going through the contents of the shed was a bit daunting. Then the real learning curve started. Like building a new shed. Out of rammed earth. One shed to replace the nine sheds we lost in the fire. My job was mixing the clay and sand and keeping it up to the rammers. It had to be mixed exactly right or the wall crumbled when they took the formwork down. Post ramming. Of course I have put up lots of fences, but never using a post ramming machine before. But I figured it out. Eventually. And designing a new fire fighting system. It will need to be more effective than the last one. Trying to work out where to put the tanks and where to put the stand pipes. I tried to make it as simple as possible, so even the Boss can use it. I had it clear in my
head, but then I talked to lots of people and they all had different ideas. And then I had to draw it on paper, again and again. In the finish the plan came out really clear. Then there was this chook pen. The mud bricks were burnt in the fire that made them clinker-like and brittle. Also they were all different sizes. So it was like putting a jigsaw together. Unfortunately the jigsaw took quite a while. And you had to cover it all up when it rained. With the chook pen finished and the chooks installed, my reward was to start on a new job. Laying a brick path around the house. I got towed around by the Whacker and I cut bricks to shape till my hair was red with brick dust. Gee, the shower felt good that night! Now all I have still to do is build the horse yards, put in the watering system for the orchard, and one for the horse yards. I got to move the windmill and build the fire fighting system. For me, the list goes on!
Tug of war with the garden hose Pamela & Julia Sievers
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e knew it was going to be a bad weekend when the Men’s Saturday Pennant Bowls was cancelled early Friday. From the time we could smell the smoke, it was slow agony waiting for the fire to actually arrive. Peter and I were as prepared as we could be, and despite being told not to come home, the girls (in their 20’s) avoided the road blocks and were here to help. Their young legs were a godsend. The horses were the worst behaved. Bolting everywhere when the spotfires started all over the paddocks. They eventually settled with the bulls, though one big bull pushed his way into the south side of the house – shade, green grass and shelter from the wind: he happily stayed there for hours. The telephone going off so early was a bother as to receive a mobile call we have to stand on one leg and face north on top of the water tank. Too old for that!
When the fire and heat melted the hoses at the shearing shed, Pam came to get some of my garden hoses. That nearly caused trouble. But they got the fire out before too much damage was done. So much assistance was quickly offered. When I was asked if we wanted counselling, I declined, saying that we had a fridge full which we shared with neighbours at night. I don’t think the lady knew what I meant. But the community spirit was the best tonic. The young grandson loved helping feed the cows – seeing the big round bales bounce down the hills – it made the chores easier. This was the fourth dastardly event here in ten years. Two lots of OJD, the drought and then these fires. But it has now rained, the fencing is finished and there is heaps of grass. So off we go again!
Family has always been important
James, Kate, Jenny, Sarah & Pip Elston (with Mitch the dog)
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garden grow, which all helps in the healing process.
Fighting a fire on your own property is quite different from fighting as a CFA volunteer. Our fire pump didn’t start, so we were restricted to a gravity fed hose, buckets, mops and rakes when the main front hit us. We were lucky a private fire-fighting unit was protecting another house on the property, and the CFA tankers arrived in time.
We are more conscious of what needs to be done if it happens again, more prepared although there is still more to do.
he Redesdale fire burnt about 1,000 acres of our property, 17km fencing and 50 sheep. Luckily our cattle, hay and buildings were not burnt, and we’ve been able to move on from the experience.
We were physically and emotionally exhausted and grateful for the help and support of friends and family in the following days and weeks. Fences have been rebuilt with the assistance of volunteers as well as help to clean up the garden. Regeneration of trees came almost immediately, and a good season has helped the pasture and
The fires in some ways gave us a fresh start and our farm will probably be in better shape than it was before the fires, due to the new fences that have been built and the pasture renovation done.
We have had to reflect on what is important to us in this life on earth. Yes it is nice to have material possessions, but we’d far rather have lost our house or livestock than to lose one of us. While we have always thought that way, the fires have made it more entrenched and we act on it more. Family has always been important but now it is even more so.
We still have the view!
Beverley & Bernard Heathcote
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mm … a good question. I doubt Beverley or I could offer a very clear answer as to how Black Saturday has affected us. I don’t think either of us lost any sleep that fateful night or any that followed, which we still find surprising, but trying to make our minds up on the thorny question of rebuilding, or not, has certainly led to a lot of tossing and turning. While we were probably lucky not to have been at Glenpiper that day, we will always torment ourselves with the unanswerable question: If we had been there could we have saved the house, or worse, not been here to write this short piece? One thing these disasters do is bring home the reality of the terrible and unstoppable force of nature and, eventually, its resilience and that of one of its sub-components, we humans.
The further we move in time from the devastating image of the burnt ruins of a house (but not home) we loved, from the moonscape scenery, from our old horses, from the regular routine trips up from Melbourne, the more the memories of what was our life for over twenty years fades away to become another of life’s adventures … gone but not forgotten. The fire was clearly a turning point in the lives of all those affected, ours included, so the question we also face is where to from here? The one thing the passage of time, and our age (both very much on the wrong side of thirty!), hasn’t helped with is making quick clear-cut decisions. The past is just that, while the future may be what we strive to make of it.
Pleasing to see Bernie O’Connell
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eing the school bus driver for the Sidonia Baynton area, I saw first hand the devastation that the fires caused and how it impacted on myself plus the families and children throughout the area. Firstly, as the school bus driver I was confronted with Kennedys Bridge being completely burnt down, and this meant that the bus had to be stopped at this point and turned around to retrace my route which incorporated part of the Burke and Wills Track then back onto the Baynton Road. Having to pick up the White children on the other side of the bridge on the Sidonia Road was impossible. This then caused the White parents to transport their
children to the Sidonia Baynton intersection where they then caught the bus. Unfortunately this scenario repeated for quite a considerable time, until the council made a makeshift by-pass road around the burnt-out Kennedys Bridge. Obstacles such as burnt-out trees falling across the road also caused more drama for both me and residents in the fire-strickened area. It is pleasing to see that council have erected a brand new bridge which was completed just in time before we had that drought-breaking rain.
So we move full circle Elaine Murphy
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his CFA uniform is very special to me. On the morning of the fire the weather was just horrendous. I put on most of my uniform early in the morning as I expected to receive a call-out on the fire truck. I had my CFA pager with me – and that kept me informed about the progress of the fire. The uniform gave me the protection to fight, to defend my house and sheds, alone, and to open gates so that animals could find a refuge. Waiting as the smoke appeared, billowing, black, yellow and grey, I looked out from behind sheds so as to avoid the killer radiant heat. The fire front upon me – the force of the wind, the poor visibility, debris being hurled horizontally into my face and body. Help arriving in the form of the Inglewood fire truck with a crew of five! Pumps, water, hoses – and slowly gaining the upper hand. House saved, paint blistered, lagging burnt off domestic water pipes, sheds destroyed, fences collapsed and worst of all – animals to shoot as they were too severely injured. Then help arrived – friends to erect temporary fences, strangers sent hay, businesses sent animal supplies, and fencing materials arrived.
Work parties arrived from Churches, Service Clubs and friends. Pamper packs and household items sent from caring groups. So much thoughtfulness, so much concern – enough to make you weep. Then the magic of nature in recovery mode. New growth, new vigour in pastures, trees – our paddock sentinels – fighting back, long absent varieties newly emerging with colours of purple, green and red. A carpet of regeneration, lush bouquets of life on black trunks of despair. Slowly, animals, birds and insects emerge. The stark silence replaced by life sounds. New life as birds find nesting spots, native animals find new growth to eat and animal tracks appear in the black earth. Generous rain, a moist, mild summer, the wettest winter in 15 years and all the waterways refreshed. What a bonus, eighteen months later! So we move full circle. Nature destroys, nature replenishes. Life more resplendent. Understanding enhanced. Thanks for new friends, love from old friends, family and groups. Knowledge has deepened, wisdom increased, reduction of stress will be welcome release.
Burnt out Jan Elder
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ithin an hour or so of us becoming aware of it and driven by high winds, the fire on ‘Black Saturday’ 2009 destroyed my house, sheds, fences, my son’s car and my familiar landscape. The shock left us numbed but physically unscathed. I was unprepared for the difficulty I had in coming to terms with my losses over the next months and years. Over a year and a half later I have a small temporary dwelling standing starkly in the devastated landscape. I can rebuild, but restoring the land is a different matter. We have had the best season in decades – regrowth is good and newly planted shrubs and fruit trees are thriving. The deathly post-fire silence and absence of life is at last being replaced with increasing birdsong, and other vital signs of life in my immediate environment. Nevertheless, I have lost the land I knew and loved and the feeling of estrangement from my place persists though it is lessening. In a broad sense, the country is still the
same; the fire is part of a natural cycle. However, I have lost the familiar trees and understorey peopled by the familiar echidnas, possums, gliders, lizards, snakes, kangaroos and birds – a loss of pleasurable intimacy with nature as I knew it. I lived far away for years but my attachment to my patch of land was strengthened by vivid images of the stately old trees and undulating grasslands of Barfold and thoughts of retiring to the peace that always surrounded me there. Over 20 years of very uneven seasons I have learnt much and had many setbacks in my efforts to revegetate and increase the biodiversity on my place. I have been humbled by the fire and nature’s indifference to my work and to my growing sense of pride in achievement. Now, here in retirement, I am faced with a new reconstruction task, but most importantly, faced with the effort of coming to terms with a different place, a place that I will be attempting to remake, I hope to find again my place in this country.
The support of comradeship Ginge Wait & Graeme Smith
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inge: I was at the Metcalf Fire Station. I fought fires for many years but now I’m very ancient so I stayed at the shed which was a very good idea because I was calming panicky people as they came in. They were coming in saying “What do I do? What do I do?” and I don’t blame them because it was the wildest wind change I’ve ever seen. So I told them, based on the wind patterns, to keep your eyes on what’s going on outside; don’t shut yourself away inside in front of the air conditioners! Meanwhile the truck was gone with the portable radio so I relied on phone calls with people at the fire front to see what was going on. People had to have contact with somebody and I was it! raeme: The first initial call was to Coliban Park Road, Redesdale, and I got probably half way down to the river and that’s when I sort of first really caught sight of the fire – it was across the river at that stage. It was unstoppable, the way it went, there was
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just no way of stopping it with anything. The fire came in and around again and as we reversed back up the bank it went right over the top of us. I didn’t come back to Metcalf til the next day. I caught up with Ginge a couple of days later. I’m Brigade Captain and he was Captain for 26 years. My role was to try to find more crews and we pulled out about a fortnight later. Then we were off to Daylesford! So we went out and about again! The support of comradeship was just unbelievable. With a thing like that it was great to see.
Back to normal Alana Mitton
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ot sun, red sky Knew it was a bad day Farm gone, home gone Mums creativity went away Time passed, paintings reproduced An obsession with abstract fire was Mum’s creativity was re-ignited New paintings, new house Life is back to normal
Peace of mind
Michael O’Sullivan (centre) & Rosemary, Henry, Anthony, John, Bernadette & Martin
woke on Saturday morning feeling conIwarned cerned at what lay ahead. We had been in the previous days of how bad it
might get. The day got hot and windy very quickly. By 10am conditions were very dangerous. By lunchtime the heat was stifling and the wind strong. I was in and out of the house checking everything was peaceful and ready. At about 2.30 the phone rang with a possible fire near Benlock. I went to Theaden to get our private unit ready to leave. On the way I could see smoke towards Bendigo - Redesdale area. I called on Wrights and Cassars to be sure they were OK and aware of the risk. I went to the fireshed to find the Pastoria truck had returned from Benlock. It decided to go towards Kyneton and out the Redesdale Rd. On ringing the Whites at Sidonia and realizing they were away, I decided to go there with Tony and Leigh on my truck. I rang Bern and the kids and told them to go straight to Kyneton. I then had the peace of mind that they were safe and my Mum was away at Geelong and safe which was a great relief. We gathered outside Scotts house, it looked like the fire would come through near there. As there were trucks and men there we decided
to go up to Stewards with Gerard where wecould also keep an eye on the Whites as we were only guessing the width of the fire. We were only at Stewards minutes before it hit. I remember an eerie sense of calm, then the loud noise the intense heat and flame. We sheltered behind the house then circled it many times putting out fire that threatened the buildings. When all looked safe we headed back down the Sidonia Rd to find the bridge and church alight - neither safe to try to extinguish. At the Sidonia Rd intersection we couldn’t turn right as it wasn’t safe and the wind changed and the fire headed back towards Mia Mia. We worked all night on the northern and western boundaries making sure they were blocked out and then for the next week to come. The relief of knowing my family was safe was everything. The property was a very secondary concern. The support since the fires has been terrific. The community has really come together to support each other. Our community was so blessed that no lives were lost and we are now able to move on, learn from the past, cherish each day and look forward to the future.
A deeper love
Graeme & Patricia Scott
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he community spirit of this area – a real sense of community – has been overwhelming. We have great neighbours who have become like a family. I had surprisingly a feeling of dread, that something was going to happen. There were signs too, like the magpies coming under the carport and sheltering in the corner; strange behaviour, like they were telling me of a disaster that was about to happen. Then I saw the smoke, a huge plume of brown and red smoke over Redesdale way. I didn’t want to leave but I did for the sake of my sick father. I remember standing in the middle of the room thinking what do I take, and I left with nothing but the bills – left my money behind but took the bills – how weird and funny is that. As I drove down the driveway I looked back
at Graeme not knowing if I would ever see him again. We both mouthed ‘I love you’ and I left, with the flames behind me. About 10 minutes later Graeme said he could hear the little church opposite us explode. It just went up. Our second son was married there, with the reception over the road at the house – we just walked across. It was a lovely old church. It looked like an A-frame and we’d look out at it from our lounge room every day. We used to have a get-together there at Christmas. Now all that’s left is the gate and the sign post. Graeme and I now have a deeper love for one another and we simply appreciate everything. And the greatest respect for Mother Nature. Most of all we are taking more time to enjoy life and what it has to give us.
A ferocious path Gordon Robinson
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hat a relief! It was the day after the fire when we returned, fully expecting to see the charred remains of my two aeroplanes. The ex-Chinese Air Force Nanchang & my latest venture the RV6A, a very fast sports plane aptly named the “Silver Bullet�. Also my classic Jaguar motor car was parked in the hangar. But no, the fire had capriciously (and fortunately) burnt the grass on each three intowind sides, then kept going on its ferocious
path down to the Pipers Creek and beyond. Not even charring the cladding! The aeroplanes inside were coated with ash but otherwise unharmed. Some said the structure resisted the flames and heat because the concrete floor met the cladding, leaving no airspace for heat or flames to enter. Whatever the reason, that was at least one plus in an otherwise disastrous overall result for our property.
The ute, a wet blanket and a towel Frank Hunter
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n the photo there’s my old ute and the dam where I went during the fire. I smelt the fire about 3 o’clock and it must have been about 20 km away. There was a real lot of smoke. Like clouds of it coming. My neighbour rang to let me know the flames were coming across the paddock next to her place and I decided I had better go to the dam bank. When the fire arrived, the sky went dark. The sound of the fire was like the sound a jumbo jet. I had to belt the fire out around the ute with a wet blanket and I put a wet towel over my head. The whole country was just lighting up all around and the fire went really fast along the creek bed to the SE. Twice I heard a strange sound of something flying over the top of my head. I don’t
know what it was. It was in the smoke. The smoke was so thick you couldn’t see. I stayed on the dam bank until it had calmed down and the smoke had cleared a bit. Then I drove back up to the house site and stayed for 10 minutes watching the house burn and at 20 to 6 I drove off to Castlemaine. And I have been there ever since. I didn’t save anything. Just a little suitcase with a few clothes. The trousers that I am wearing in the photo I bought in England in 1982 and I slung in the suitcase with a few clothes. But that was it! I threw most of the other clothes away because they stank of smoke. I am trying to wear these trousers out, wearing them as third best!
A never to be forgotten moment Marie Noonan
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ohn, my husband, saved our house. He was on his own. The fire attacked both ends of the house at the same time and he had to repeatedly move to either end to put out flames nearby. The noise of the fire was of intense roaring. Visibility was appalling. The orange glow, unforgettable. I had the responsibility to take the three children to Kyneton. Our plans had always been to collect the suitcases of valuables, put them in the car, check the pets, and GO! Well, go I did, without material valuables, only the living ones. The trip to Kyneton seemed endless as we searched through the smoke and embers – then safety! We stayed with friends in the close security of a home. Waiting to hear from John was such an anxious time. I did not know if he had survived. The local ABC radio constantly alerted Mill Road residents to get out NOW! This added to my anxiety and fear for John. Normally the nurturer, I became the protector as our own protector John, defended our home.
I came home early the next day, leaving our children in safe hands, to find my husband walking through a desert of smouldering blackness, leading our milking cow from a safe haven of an unburnt neighbour’s paddock. John’s eyelashes were singed, but he had a smile as wide as a rainbow. We hugged in a never to be forgotten moment. Sheds were burnt. Chook sheds survived a near miss, gardens were razed. The tractor, truck, trampoline, water pipes, fences and paddocks – all were black. The house has burn marks on it. Only our home, smelling of acrid smoke, survived. We are proof that our plan to survive worked. We have replaced just about everything. Regrowth is so vigorous that birds and animals are returning in great variety. Life is improving and we have our greatest strength – a closeknit family.
Like an express train
Michiel, Phillip, Susan & Rachel Don
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e were lucky – we had a phone call to tell us to be prepared or to get out. We brought up the pump. We filled up the wheelie bins with water in the middle of the house. We filled up the bath. I got up on the roof to put the tennis balls in the spouting and found the spouting was 100mm and the tennis balls 75mm so that wasn’t going to work. The wet towels we were going to put in the gutter we put instead against the doors. We called the cattle because they were in a paddock with long grass and put them in a paddock with less grass. The harder we worked, the slower we felt we were moving. It was all happening too quick. It was like an express train that was going to keep going. It wasn’t going to stop for us. What we thought we had as a fire plan wasn’t quite fire proof! We saw the flames behind us as we pulled
out of the driveway. The fire was like it had a great big pair of bellows behind it, or a giant hairdryer. Later the police were on roadblocks and they wouldn’t let anyone in. People were frantic to get in and help. When we eventually drove in at 10 o’clock, we saw the house still standing and realized it had defended itself. We felt absolute relief that the house had survived. But we instantly felt guilty that ours was still standing. We immediately thought, “Why is ours still standing? Did we do anything right, or is it just luck?” We saw the neighbour’s burning and we instantly knew Birds’ had gone. We went to see Jan’s and it wasn’t till we were really close that we realized that it was gone too. We wish now we had taken photos as soon as we got home.
We have had happy times Marieta Robinson
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have had 21 homes in my married life. After living in Venezuela and Spain we decided to look for a rural life style. We had good friends in Barfold and happy memories from spending time there. So when “Springview” came onto the market in 1986 we decided to buy it. We were told that the present house was built in 1904 but there had been two previous houses on the property. It had not been lived in for 30 years and had never been wired for electricity. The rams, birds & rats called it home. After eight months of hard work and 40 trips to the tip, we had restored it. We were still living in Melbourne and coming up late on Friday nights. It was a huge learning curve for us as we were not farmers. The first year we had a huge crop of thistles to get rid of, had too many animals and bad fencing in parts. Lots of rain. The following year it snowed when we were shearing. Then the drought came. The house garden was hard work too, sharing it with rabbits and cockies (they are back again now). We have had happy times here and enjoy the physical part of farming.
My husband is a pilot – recreation only - and after many years has put in a strip and hangar. I have a few water colours and like playing with them, so we built a new store room and studio attached. That is where I kept all of “my” treasures from my past. My family came to Australia as refugees with very little in 1949. I had a few documents and papers, also my parents’ history in a folder. I had also collected rare Buddhist writings. As well as our children’s drawings and cards and letters one keeps. Then came February 2009. All of those treasures went up in smoke. The good news was, our old timber house was saved by kind neighbours and the CFA from Harcourt. Photo albums were in the house. Shearing shed and hay shed, son’s motor bike and our gun collection as well as our trusty Fiat tractor and all tools were lost. The hangar in the middle of a paddock did not burn. We have rebuilt sheds etc, and realize every day how lucky we are to be here. Now the rains have come and it will be a good spring for all, we hope.
The memories
Nicholas, Daniel, Mark, Peter, Lorraine & Shannon White
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t was my mum and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary that day – Doreen and Percy Bruton from Little Hampton. Peter remembers the day as being very hot and windy, and we all have memories of loss but many gains, especially around friends, family and community. When the church was gone Nicholas was saddened that there would be no more fun with cousins and the community there, but he has the memories. Daniel vividly recalls driving with Mark over Kennedys Bridge just before it fell down, having to come back through paddocks and the creek after the fire. What struck him the most was the uncovering of things around him – for instance where the fire burnt right back to the ground to reveal the old racecourse track at the corner of Sidonia and Burke and Wills Track.
For Mark the sadness of losing the Sidonia church was a tragic shame, especially not being replaced, but his sense of the recovery effort is that it has galvanized the area for future events. Help from the community was great to see, and friends like Paul, Jarrod and Laura helping out. Shannon really enjoyed doing the plays at her beloved Church when the community came together there every Christmas. A lot has happened since – drought, floods, mini-tornadoes and winds, and now we’re just waiting for the pestilent plague! This reminds me of the dog in Footrot Flats! Such fun and games.
Sorry, mate, your house is gone! Jessie Capdevila
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fter the fire, I lived in the shed, and then they gave me a caravan. But I still cooked in the shed. The whole thing was very depressing. There were lots of mice in the shed, so I set traps for them. So they got done up too. Like me. I stayed in the caravan till the permit was finalized. And then built a house on the same site. I felt a lot better as the house was going up. Now I am in the house and things are even better. The house is finished except the gardening. Today the place has turned out green and I have to cut the grass especially the yellow flowers. They are buggers because they look green and then after they die you are left with nothing. It all ends up dry. They prevent good grasses coming up too. It burned very hot here. My trees are nearly all dead. But they are sprouting up underneath and one day will become nice gum trees again.
On the day, I knew there was a fire but I couldn’t get in because the roads were blocked and still burning, full of trees. I tried all the phones of neighbors. All were ringing but all out of service. After four days I got in when the roads were just open. When I came in, Win was in the front there and he said, “Sorry, mate, your house is gone!� I found some gold rings inside the bath. They had been on a chest of drawers in the next room. The wall burned first and then the whole thing had toppled over on top of the bath. The bath itself was all bent from the fire. The rings were all welded together. There was also a 1923 halfpenny worth maybe $3000. I lost some tools and a lot of family photographs. They gave me a lot of replacements when I visited my family in Spain this winter.
A debt of gratitude Phil Anderson
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here’s a lot of good in a lot of people out there. Something that really stuck in my mind was the help I got of a fair bit of hay and help with fencing that was paid back from earlier times. I’ve been involved with CFA for over 45 years and my dad was involved at the fires at the Cobaws in the early 1970’s and when they were on Dad rang up and said, “What can we do to help? We’ll come over and help you put up some fences”. So we went over and gave them a hand – we put 2 ½ mile of steel posts in over a period of half a day! All these years later we get a call ourselves – it was Don Patterson – he said “When you’ve got yourself ready with some fencing gear we’ll be right over there”. It was really nice.
They came from Nulla Vale and Toobborac with about 30 people that you’ve helped in the past who say they have a debt to repay. More like a debt of gratitude. There were also people I have met through the CFA from the Dunolly Group who helped with hay, all gratfully accepted. I hope I never have to repay this debt but will if the need arises in the future.
Summertime reality
Zach, Ari, Rebekah, Rachel, Tate & Knox Dettmann with X the dog
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y worst moment in 2009 came when I pulled my van of kids up to the corner just as a wall of fire crossed the Redesdale road at 80 kms an hour! It swept past us, close enough to feel the radiant heat. I watched for a stunned second as the fire leaped fifty feet out over the edge of the Barfold Gorge. Its ferocity was animal. The image has been seared into my mind. I felt sick with the realization that the slightest shift in wind would have seen us meet the fire head on! The limitations of modern communication and the futility of best laid plans were apparent and appalling. After evacuation we returned to a miraculously unburnt house as soon as the power was back on. This was a mistake! We spent the next FIVE weeks in danger as flare ups threatened the area over and over again.
Ear to radio, constant licking of fingers to check the direction of wind, endless fire trucks and teams through the yard to scope from the top of our hill ... and running, running, as fire eventually burnt every border of our property! All of this took a toll, one son requiring some post trauma therapy to process things. I went from amazement that our indefensible little matchbox of a place had survived ... to wishing it had burnt from the start. Fire is a part of our summertime reality now and we are as prepared as possible with the aid of professional fire assessment, battery powered radios, buckets of gear for each family member, new pumps, etc. I have my eye on bunker design, and a more bushfire resistant house, but getting the kids out on every code orange or red day will still be our best option.
I feel ready
Knox Dettmann
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n the day of the bushfire I started to get scared when I noticed the orange sky and heaps of smoke everywhere. I ran to Grandma and Mum to warn them it was close. We hurried and got wet towels, and buckets full of water ... but then we thought we had enough time to get to town. We could have died! The fire was much closer than we thought! I saw the flames ... HUGE ... about the size of
this tree in our photo!!! It was really hot. We passed the fire and Mum was going fast!!! Later on I was really worried every day ... until I got my fire suit. Now I have my own bucket with gear and I feel ready to fight the fire with my Dad next time.
A picture I’ll never forget
Carolyn-Anne & Jim Boyd with Celena & Sox Saturday, 7/2/’09. C.F.A. warnings all week - dangerous conditions on Saturday. Jimmy and I putting new plasterboard up. Pager goes off - Jimmy is 3rd Lieutenant in Redesdale Fire Brigade. He races off and I wipe glue off board .......”he’ll probably only be a couple of hours!” Tried to phone 93 y.o. friend to invite to air-conditioning. My mother in Bendigo kept us informed - fires worsening. Brother Bill drove out to help. Swapped cars at fireshed & drove to hall to see if another friend had talked to 93 y.o. Great relief - 93 y.o. friend sitting in corner of hall kitchen with small suitcase.....picture I’ll never forget! Activity all around - hall now a staging area. Exhausted firefighters filled the hall. D.S.E. update - decision time: stay or evacuate. Fire expected to return towards town with wind change in a couple of hours. Helped Bill, Alyssa, (17) and Celena, (7) pack landcruiser - wasn’t going to risk daughters lives. Hardest decision - left two horses. Celena carried Honey(cat) in cage and Bill carried fishbowl past bemused firefighters to put on stage.
Other animals - dogs on stage, alpacas in tennis courts, horses in floats on roadside. Alyssa, Celena and I helped at hall - many impressed by organisation of different services. Jimmy, Celena and I - home 1.00 a.m.- tried to sleep. Alyssa - at hall with another helper. Sunday - smoke everywhere. Returned to hall at 6.00 a.m. - same routine for next seven days. Big advantage - saw Jimmy whenever off firetruck. Roughly a dozen regular helpers most days including two from Bendigo. Most roads closed - Celena returned to school Tuesday and Alyssa Thursday - both reluctantly. I drove to Kyneton Friday - also very reluctant to leave hall and town. Despite devastation - lots of positives: great sense of community, overwhelming offers of help - baking, fencing, etc. Redesdale Fire Brigade - out every day after for a month - often a stump on fire. Staging area closed Sunday 15/2/’09. Nervous community. Ongoing community support continues to this day - 18/10/’10.
Magnificent trees that represent new life Andrew & Lisa Campbell with Tahlia & Hamish
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n the Spring of 2008, my family and I moved back to Redesdale to take over the running of our family farm. A feature of our farm is the avenues of poplar trees. I ordered some Deltoides Poplars just prior to the Black Saturday fires. After the disasters of that day, the last thing on my mind was planting trees. We lost fences, sheds and yards, but the biggest loss was the 98 young breeding ewes that perished in the fire or were put down afterwards. To come across these sheep huddled under a tree, charred black and to find the 20 odd survivors wandering around in a state of shock has stuck in my mind as the strongest memory of that day. Emotionally it was upsetting and hard to lose those sheep: but financially it was a setback that will take years to recover from. Fingers crossed for a few good seasons. Ironically, when the poplars were delivered, there were 98, the same number as the sheep
we lost. My family and I decided to make their survival our number one priority. Family working bees of staking and watering finally began to reward us with these magnificent trees that represent new life that is healthy and growing out of a time where there was nothing. The old burnt ringlock came in handy too - as a fence down one side of the avenue of trees. We had a similar thing happen with an oat crop that we planted on the burnt ground. The paddock was black and sterile, nothing looked like it would ever grow. So we planted a crop of oats which thrived on the bare black soil. We had something growing where we thought we would have nothing. It gave us something to watch grow, with the help of a good spring and plenty of rain. And I should mention that we filled our hayshed!
X
Ivan & Cynthia
Bad luck or not
Su, Alana, Tom & Terry Mitton
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hat an experience, our lives evolved on that day, we became part of history. After the initial shock we were encapsulated by the new art forms. Melted glass and aluminium, fused stacks of our dinner plates and crockery, with refired pottery pieces and vases. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, New images, remains and reminders for our
reflection. Changing and challenging patterns with secrets buried beneath. Performance art as the landscape and environment copes and the trucks reverse up our long driveway and crane off their loads and our new home grows. What an experience, everyone’s lives evolved on that day.
We got ourselves a new trampoline! Frances Noonan (Right) with Lucy & Mitchell
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he scariest time of my life began in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday the 7th of February 2009, known as Black Saturday. Mum had sent me to go do the dishes to keep me occupied, while Mitchell was having something to eat with Lucy. Mum was ringing everybody and warning them about the fire while Dad was getting the hoses and buckets ready and in the background all we could hear were the men talking on the radio and Dad’s pager going off. Suddenly the fire people said get out of our house because the fire was coming our way and that is when the panic came over us more that ever! Mum was just about to get her big suitcases full of photos of when we were little, when Dad said “Get out of here!” Mitchell was getting the dogs to take with us but Dad took them up to their pen, and we were gone. When we were going up Bells Hill we looked back and all we saw was thick black smoke and that is when I started to cry. I was so
scared because I was afraid I was going to lose my Dad, house and our trampoline! When we got to Kyneton, Mitchell rang our Nanny Kay and said that we had evacuated to Kyneton and rang one of Dad’s mates and we stayed there for two nights. One of our friend’s Mums took us to school and Mitchell just walked to the High school. We got to school and everybody gave us a hug and said how awful the fires were. After school Mum picked us up and we went straight home. One of my mates and his Mum came to have a coffee and had a look at what had happened. When we got home I gave Dad a big hug and ran up to check all the animals, and they were fine, but our brand new trampoline had been burnt. I can now say I have survived the scariest day of my life and we got ourselves a new trampoline!
My community - thank you Susana Varela
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y story goes like this: I was my husband’s carer since 2003, after he had had five heart bypass surgeries. While he was on his way to recovery, the doctors told him he had Motor Neurone Disease and that he had about 22 month to live. He lost his battle on the 5th September 2008. Five months later the fires came. I wasn’t prepared for it or had knowledge of how to fight it. I took the decision to leave. I came back with my sons and the road was blocked at Langley school. They let us pass, only for one hour and to pick up my valuables and get out. The smoke was very thick, I felt scared. When we came back the next day, we couldn’t believe the devastation. Everything was burnt to the ground, except the house. All
my husband’s work over the years were ashes. His beloved fruits trees, gardens and veggie patch, the sheds, and machinery, all gone. It may look like I was lucky, because I still have the house, but for me it was a lot and I cried and cried. When all the clean up started, I didn’t have any help from the insurance, because nothing was in my name. So I needed to go to court and have a Probate and then everything start to happen. But now I look back and one thing stands out from this disaster - MY COMMUNITY - all the people who help me: my neighbours, the ones I met through the meetings and events, my case manager, etc. So, now I can say THANK YOU, I’m very grateful to you all.
This project has been made possible through kind donations made to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund Supported by the Redesdale Fire Community Well Being Working Group