Remembering The Bushfires - One Year Later
The acrid smell of smoke will remain with the people of Australia for many years. How could they forget the families, the friends, the animals they will never see again. How can they forget how beautiful the trees and brush looked before that terrible day - one year ago Saturday February 7, 2009. In one day so many lives were changed forever.
I am sure they wish they could go back and change that fateful day but there is no going back - only forward. That is why we want to dwell on the way those brave people are embracing the future - rebuilding, restructuring and yes remembering. Without the memory of how it was, there is no way to restore to the way it should be.
A Day Of Remembrance was held on Sunday, February 7 and although I could not see it I can imagine the hurt, the tears and those memories which were brought to the surface. I can imagine the feeling of seeing the flames consume homes, the sweet animals and most importantly hearing about friends and family who were not as fortunate as some.
In the photos we have from Maxine you can see how some regrowth is starting. These photos were taken last November.
Posted by Moderator Jeanine Ann at Sunday, February 07, 2010 11:45 AM 
Categories: Special Entry
Tags: Australia Andre Rieu
Categories: Special Entry
Tags: Australia Andre Rieu
Many thanks for posting this Remeberance for the Black Saturday fires here in Melbourne....we watched the Remeberance services on the TV here and it brought tears to our eyes but pride in the determination of thoes that lost everything.....even friends and family members.
We were surrounded on three sides by fire that day but were one of the fortunate ones that didnt get the fire on their doorsteps...that day will be remembered forever.
A friend and myself went into Melbourne that day due to the fact that there was no sign of any fire..no smell of fire ....or we would have turned back...by 1.30pm the roads home were closed so we had to stay at my friends grandmothers for the night...the roads were opened the next afternoon but not the main highway so we had to travel for miles to get back to our homes...it was a very worrying time as you can imagine....the wind whipped up so fast that no one had time to get out of many areas...townships were literally wiped out within minutes...the videos on TV yesterday were horrific with one fireball exploding and in seconds another one and many more
Greatful to be alive
Joy
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Joy, your story reminds me of one of the comments I had read from a young mother with 5 small children, how she managed to escape the burning inferno. I could just feel her panic & horror as she told her story of escape. And even now how the memories linger on, even to her children, who are still frightened to wake up to a foggy day thinking it's a bushfire. Reminders all around you have to stir up all those bad and sad times.So many lost so much. In her words:, "If we go outside and smell smoke, even just from someone burning off or lighting their fireplace, it immediately makes us feel panicked. You just can't stop that little jump your heart does when your brain registers that you smell smoke. It is instant panic..even though you know its not a bushfire.
Whenever we drive somewhere and we see black trees, we are reminded." It's stories such as these & from friends of mine in Australia that touch me deeply & I sincerely pray you all stay safe and that it doesn't happen again.
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Maxine,
Thank you for sharing the photos - those patches of green showing through means nature is repairing herself, a most encouaging sign, and I am sure people are healing too, or sometimes that takes a lot longer.
Let us hope and pray we never see this devestation again.
Kathy XXX
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The biggest shock for me going into the area for the 1st time in November was seeing the ground. Normal Australian bush is like photo 3, everywhere there are native grasses, shrubs & ferns.
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