It has been almost two years since the Black Saturday fires destroyed lives, houses and land across Victoria.
While there has been support for rebuilding and personal healing, work has also gone into supporting – and in some cases – re-creating community spirit.
In Strathewen, the rebuilding continues swiftly. Already the primary school, which was completely destroyed, has reopened, as has the cricket ground and pavilion.
Plans to rebuild the beloved community hall are in the pipeline with additional land leased, and $100,000 was allocated to build a path between the school and the hall, just a few among dozens of other projects big and small.
Strathewen Community Renewal Association chairman Malcolm Hackett says fostering community togetherness has
been just as important as the physical rebuilding.
‘‘I think we’ve tackled that pretty well. We have an event at least once a week, something like a barbecue or soup night, with new people moving in,’’ he says. ‘‘The thing is to involve people.’’
Presently, the township is made up of people who are either rebuilding, selling vacant land or considering their options.
Many have also spent time in temporary accommodation since the fires, so helping people connect with old neighbours and friends has been essential to rebuilding community ties, especially as new residents move in, Mr Hackett says.
‘‘We even have people who live on the edge of town, and it would probably be easier for them to be part of another community, but they’ve chosen to be part of Strathewen, coming to soup nights,’’ he says.
‘‘I’m pretty sure that closeness will continue to grow.’’
Although there are no organised community events in St Andrews, Sue and Michael Aldred (pictured) say the township is repairing in its own way. The Aldreds, who lost their possessions and building materials, which were being stored in St Andrews before they built a new home, completed building early last year. Ms Aldred says the land’s recovery is helping to complete the township’s ‘‘new normal’’.
‘‘It’s been the most amazing thing, watching the bush regenerate,’’ she says.
The scale of memorial services will be significantly reduced this year, with an official inter-faith memorial service to be held at The Zinc space at Federation Square this Sunday, February 6, at 3pm. However, many towns and communities affected by the bushfires are planning their own services to remember those lost, and acknowledge the difficult progress achieved. In Strathewen, a small remembrance ceremony will be held at Strathewen Recreation Reserve, Chadds Creek Road, Strathewen, at 10am.
Mr Hackett says the service will be an intimate gathering, but no less important than last year’s event.
‘‘As anniversaries come around, the sense of loss becomes more acute,’’ he says.
‘‘But people are rebuilding their lives, people are doing all sorts of things, but the loss of land, the loss of loved ones and the loss of place is still pretty close.’’
Psychologist Rob Gordon, who has worked closely with bushfire survivors during the past two years, said the impending anniversary would likely stir up mixed emotions.
‘‘The anniversary can bring back powerful memories and strong and intense feelings which can make the anticipation of the anniversary more difficult, the closer it gets.
For most people, there will be a sense of relief when the day arrives and an expectation that we will feel better once it is over,’’ he says.
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