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Victorian Bushfires Collection
Image: Motor Car - Bushfire Damaged Holden 48-215, FX, Churchill, 2009
Source: Museum Victoria
February 7, 2010 marks the first anniversary of Black Saturday, the greatest natural disaster in Australia's recorded history. In the weeks following the bushfires that ravaged many parts of Victoria in 2009, Museum Victoria set up the Victorian Bushfires Collection to preserve and document objects and stories from the fires. The collection includes bushfire-damaged objects, emergency services equipment, oral histories, artwork, images, and material from public education campaigns.
Museum Victoria hopes the collection will not only lead to greater public understanding of bushfires and their effect on communities but also assist in the healing process through commemoration and the sharing of stories.
The collection will continue to grow as it documents the reconstruction efforts, changing patterns of bushfire response and the effect of climate change on how we understand and engage with our beautiful but dangerous bush.
Significant items:
- A burnt-out 1950 FX Holden 48-215, part of a collection of vintage motor cars destroyed in the Churchill fire
- A chimney from Kinglake, all that remained of the nineteenth-century homestead 'The Uplands'
- Burned and melted domestic objects, from a Box Brownie camera to a child's bicycle
- 'Black Saturday', a painting of Marysville by Glenn Morgan
- Sam the Koala, a koala that became a public symbol of hope and resilience in the aftermath of the fires
- A 'Thank You' sculpture that was donated to the People of Victoria at the Thank You Melbourne and Victoria concert of 7 April 2010
Related Narratives:
Recurring History of Bushfires in Victoria
Healesville Primary School Bushfire Artworks Collection
Collecting & Rebuilding the Black Saturday Chimney
'The Uplands' Homestead, Kinglake, 1890s-2009
Stories Revealed Through Bricks & Mortar
The Making of the Thank You Gift
The Premier Speaks about the Thank You Gift
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 1 - 10) 199 items
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Digital Audio Recording - 'Sam the Koala', Gabrielle Murphy & the Billanook Primary School ...
This song was written by the performing arts teacher at Billanook Primary School in Montrose, Gabrielle Murphy and her mother Stella van Tongeren. They wrote the song in response to the ...
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Pamphlet - 'Campfires; Be Safe Not Sorry', Department of Sustainability & Environment, Vic ...
DSE pamphlet titled 'Campfires; Be Safe Not Sorry', published in April 2007. It outlines general information about dealing with the risk of fires when campfires are not managed properly ...
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Pamphlet - 'Welcome to CFA', Country Fire Authority, Victoria, Oct 2006
CFA pamphlet titled 'Welcome to CFA', published in October 2006 and still available after the February 2009 bushfires. It outlines general information about being a member of the CFA as ...
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Pamphlet - 'Critical Incident Stress', Country Fire Authority, Oct 1996
Pamphlet titled 'Critical Incident Stress', published by the Country Fire Authority in October 1996. It reflects community safety education and emergency response prior to Black Saturda ...
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Pamphlet - 'Community Trauma Support', Country Fire Authority, Nov 2001
Pamphlet titled 'Community Trauma Support', published by the Country Fire Authority in November 2001. It reflects community trauma support prior Black Saturday. The publication provides ...
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Pamphlet - 'Living In The Bush', Country Fire Authority, Victoria, 2004
CFA pamphlet titled 'Living In The Bush', published in 2004 and still available after the February 2009 bushfires. It reflects community safety education and emergency response prior to ...
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Pamphlet - 'Discover High Country Adventure', North East Victoria Tourism, Victoria, circa ...
Official visitors' map titled 'Discover High Country Adventure', published by North East Victoria Tourism in conjunction with Tourism Victoria, circa 2008. It has extensive maps of Mans ...
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Pamphlet - 'Powercor & CFA Working Towards A Fire Safe Victoria', Country Fire Authority & ...
CFA and Powercor pamphlet titled 'Powercor & CFA Working Towards A Fire Safe Victoria', published in April 2007. It outlines general information about dealing with fire safety during bu ...
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Pamphlet - 'Powercor & CFA Working Towards A Fire Safe Victoria', Country Fire Authority & ...
CFA and Powercor pamphlet titled 'Powercor & CFA Working Towards A Fire Safe Victoria', published in April 2007. It outlines general information about dealing with fire safety during bu ...
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Digital Video Recording - 'Rosewood: Before and After the Fire', Black Saturday Bushfires, ...
Bill Putt lives in Strathewen and is best known as one of the founding members of Australian progressive rock band Spectrum. In 2007 he composed a piece of music as a birthday gift for ...
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