Poems from Strathewen Bushfire

Source: Matt Dickinson Collection, Yarra Plenty Regional Library

The Black Saturday bushfires of Satruday 7 February 2009 impacted our local area, in particular the City of Whittlesea and Shire of Nillumbik.  In the aftermath, a local photographer took some photographs which were donated to Yarra Plenty Regional Library last year.  They have since been added to our YPRL Local History Flickr account.  Poems from the Strathewen bushfire were posted to blackened trees during these days.

In the Oct 2014 Google Street View image, a number of poems are still visible pinned to this tree.
Source: Matt Dickinson Collection, Yarra Plenty Regional Library

There’s a summer bush requim

So silent it chills
It’s drifting on ashes
Through Strathewen Hills

There’s no song at “Singing Waters”
Just an ashen lament
And trees that stood straight
Are now blackened and bent

Strathewen history
Is clouding the air
With soft powdery ash
And a wail of despair

There are spaces without traces
Of neighbours and friends
We are missing their faces
Coming around the road bends

We’re sooty and smudged
And waiting for rain
As homeward we trudge
We’re nursing our pain

Our life’s black and white
No colour between
Just some sepia tree tops
To colour the scene

We’re drawn back to the place
We want to remain
We’re holding our friends
We’re sharing the strain

• Barbara Joyce

In the Valley of the Ewen
We are happy and free
With Sugarloaf Mountain
You and Me
There’s no place
I’d rather be
Than Strathewen

• Bill Scott

Harder are the tears
Sadder is the pain
Inner is the heartbreak
Loving is our gain
Tomorrow is for memories
Yesterday is all gone
But somewhere in these ashes
We can together write our song

• Anon

It’s not so much what we do in life
But more important, what we became
While we are doing it
Strengthened we will become great
My thoughts are with you all
Love Marion Oakley
People are like stained glass windows
They sparkle when the sun comes out
But when the darkness sets in
There true beauty is revealed
Only if there is light from within
Strathewen is constantly in my thoughts

• Marion Oakley

Towards home I look to see something familiar
Searching every horizon Blackened and burnt
I look again, seeing only the burnt backdrop
Our Mountain, Our Statue
Then some how
I feel protected again
In her blackened arms

• Rosemary Zinni Yung

Remembering Black Saturday

Fire damage, Toorourrong Reservoir Park; Wednesday, 11 March, 2009   Source: Matt Dickinson Collection, Yarra Plenty Regional Library

"From Whittlesea, we saw this monstrous cloud covering right across and extremely high over Mt Disappointment. But never realised, never for an instance, thought the fire was racing at high speed across the mountain, totally concealed by this mount of dense smoke cloud..."

So wrote Matt days after Black Saturday in February 2009.
Recently Matt donated copies of over 200 photos he took in the area in the following days and weeks. These have been added to the YPRL Local History Flickr account together with his account on Wikinorthia.

Kangaroo Ground Fire Brigade

City Skyline from Kangaroo Ground. [ca 1978] Source: Diamond Valley Local History Digitisation Project

2017 marks the 125th anniversary of the Kangaroo Ground Fire Brigade.  Community celebrations include an Anniversary Ball and a Community Day at the Kangaroo Ground Oval on Sunday 29th October.

To read more about the history of the Brigade and the upcoming events see this article in the Diamond Valley Leader.

2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission

We have received copies of the interim report of the Bushfires commission, as well as the exectutive summary. Permanent copies are held in the local history collections at Mill Park, Eltham and Diamond Valley Libraries. There are also circulating copies available in the collection.

Sharing experiences of Black Saturday

During the next couple of weeks local libraries will be collecting stories of Black Saturday to be preserved on Wikinorthia

Jim recently shared his story of loosing his beloved horse Henry.

For more information about recording your story on Wikinorthia visit the website or your local library.

Fires in Victoria's History

Following the recent tragedy of Balck Saturday there has been an increased interest in the history of fires generally in our community. The State Library of Victoria have responded by digitising and making available via their catalogue,five key reports on the 1983, 1977, 1944 and 1939 Victorian bushfires. More information can be found here.

Other resources also include:

Major Fires - Country Fire Authority

Major Bushfires in Victoria

Survivor remembers Black Friday 1939

Black Friday online documentary about 1939 Victorian bushfires

19 bodies of bush fires victimes recovered (Age article)

Burn : the epic story of bushfire in Australia by Paul Collins

Documenting the worst bushfires in Australia's history

Residents of Whittlesea, Banyule and Nillumbik, Darebin and Moreland are encouraged to memoralise the recent tragedy online via Wikinorthia, along with personal reminiscences in whatever way the fires may have touched you. You can place these under the disasters (events) and reminiscences (people) subcategories. Wikinorthia uses wiki technology similiar to Wikipedia where individuals are able to add and edit their own content. Wikipedia already has an article about Black Saturday with a number of links.

Please contact your local library if you need assistance with uploading your article. YPRL will be having workshops later in the year which you will also be able to attend.

Picture Australia is also asking for contributions, via their Flickr project. Details about how to go about this are here.

ABC Online is also collecting, stories, photos and videos.