Marysville - Almost 2 years on after the Bushfires of Black Saturday

These are some photos I took last week.

90%, maybe 95% of the trees are dead. They will stand as a reminder of what has happened for generations. Falling as those that remember fall.

Do not let the memory of these trees be in vain. Prepare yourself, your family, your house, your animals.

Remember these trees and remember never to forget that preparation is the key to survival in a bushfire.

Public Fire Refuges and Bushfires

If you haven’t already figured, I’m very interested in this. In Marysville, during Ash Wednesday (1983) the Oval was the ‘safe’ place. Where the locals gathered, barrels of water, generators and general emergency type stuff. The same place I told my parents NOT to try and take my horse, because he was too unpredictable for them to handle. The roads were closed. I couldn’t get home, no buses running. The phone system was overloaded, mum somehow managed to get a message to my aunty to travel 2 hours to come and pick us up from school and take us back to her place. Horrible times. I was a mere child, but I’ve never forgotten those feelings of not knowing. NEVER.

Not long after that the Marysville Oval was deemed too risky to be used as fire refuge and Marysville was left without an nominated area. Some locals thought the golf Course, others the oval. The confusion was complete. Many did make it to the oval as per the news reports. Many were still there Sunday morning when I got into town.

Come Black Saturday (2009) when I lost phone contact with my parents, this time with hindsight I knew that things were bad. Just not how bad.

Public Refuges do have a place in EVERY township/settlement, I mean every and the councils of the area have no right to deny a township or settlement that peace of mind.

Residents in The Hills area in South Australia (Mitcham Council) are being denied Safe Refuges, because everyone is afraid of being made accountable. Hills & Valley Messenger Newspaper

Back in Victoria there are 9 designated ‘Neighbourhood Safer places’ in the Yarra Ranges area.

The state Government has allocated the amount of $500,000 for the state of Victoria to determine further ‘Neighbourhood Safer Places” That amount from what I can gather, covers the cost of signage ONLY. This is what a sign looks like.

It’s a standard size sign, approx 850mm x 200mm – blue background, white writing. The access to this particular ‘NSP’ was on a bend, and easy to miss on a clear, uncrowded road, I doubt I would be able to find it in heavy smoke or under stress. And the danger of accessing if coming from the north would be extreme, with the oncoming traffic coming around a blind corner.

There was no signage showing me where this site was located, I just happened to stumble across it whilst travelling.

I have just checked the CFA website and found this CFA - Neighbourhood Safer Places - I notice that the Murrindindi Shire/Council ONE NSP in their area. All the way up in Eildon. The Whittlesea Council has ONE NSP in their area. Too few for far too many people.

If the Council or State Governments won’t nominate an area that you will be safe in. Make sure you know where you will go on days of high fire risk. Failure to think about it might cause you to panic and do the wrong thing in times of stress.

Take care out there, no-one but you are responsible for you and your family.

Marysville - Steavensons Falls - Black Saturday #2

Need I say more?

Marysville - Steavensons Falls - Black Saturday

This group of four photos was taken by a 12 year old. There was no input from an adult - as has previously been seeen - he just takes photos. This is the area adjacent to and in the Steavensons Falls Reserve, access to the public was not permitted at the time. He accompanied an adult on an inspection tour

Notice the trees in the both these photos? - Very little foliage and unlikely these trees will grow back.

The photo below - shows the total devastion and the dead trees that have been cooked from the inside out and never to re-grow

As the sign says - NO ENTRY - with these tracks and roads shut, there is little hope for tourism to return. With much hard work - bus tours are now returning to Steavensons Falls - but it will be many years, possibly decades before this area is anywhere near what it used to be.

Protecting Your Possessions Against Bushfire

I don't normally do this - as I like to put all my own 'stuff' together and not stuff my blog with other guff

Well - this is vitally important if you ever are affected by fire.(Which I hope not)

From the "The Australian Institute for the conservation of Cultural Material" they have put together some information that may help ease the heart-break and allow items to be salvaged.

Since the Black Saturday fires, we all recognise that fires of a catastrophic degree can cause extreme damage on a scale previously unimagined. However, stories that have emerged from the experience tell us also that some treasures did survive. Even some paper-based items miraculously endured intense heat, soot and fire. With careful storage and by using heat-resistant materials, certain risks can be reduced. While not a guarantee that items will not suffer damage, minimising risk through the storage methods recommended may offer some hope for items that have to be left behind on evacuation.

If you are affected by fires, the AICCM encourages you to retain any damaged keepsakes and memorabilia that are still recognisable, even if damaged and dirty. Consult a conservator before you throw them away. It is possible that they may be salvageable.

Please refer to this link for full details and downloadable information that can be of assistance, both, before and after. http://www.aiccm.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1117:protecting-your-possessions-against-bushfire&catid=11:media-releases&Itemid=52

Take care out there and remember a scanned photo, may not replace the original BUT, it preserves the image.

Refer my post about data storage and remember you can't always remember everything, especially when under pressure and worry - http://itaintalwaysso.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-safe-is-data-in-your-safe.html

In Memory of Marysville and New Life

This post is in memory of what has been lost – This photo was taken by a 12yo – without the intervention of an adult. He was allowed to wander around town as he has done since the age of about 6yo.

He and his dog (grandparents dog) are recognized and many people say hello simply because he’s hanging onto the other end of the leash.

This piece of art somehow managed to survive the Black Saturday Fires as they are now known. He is a sculpture done by Bruno of Bruno’s Sculpture Garden, – He is titled the 'Hiking Man' I believe

I imagine him looking over and protecting the township and its people.

He’s been removed for safe keeping whilst the re-building occurs. He will be back and will stand as a reminder for eternity of what was lost on the 7th February 2009.

Once again this photo was taken by the same child, now 13yo and this is what the 'Hiking Man' looked like shortly after the fires devastated Marysville and before his removal to a safe place in preparation for clearing the ground he stood on.

Let us not forget those that didn't make it - Don't become complacent. Don't let their deaths be in vain. Read what you find here, assess your situation and remember you are responsible for your own actions.

Stay safe. Today is another 35'c here in Melbourne and surrounds. It only takes one idiot to ruin our lives forever.