Murrindindi Bushfire MemorialsDesign Brief Report 2014

prepared by

Phase 2 of the Community Consultation process for Murrindindi Shire is complete. Based on feedback received from the Murrindindi Bushfire Memorials Working Group, as part of its extensive consultation process, a design brief has been prepared that will see two regional memorials to be sited in Marysville and Kinglake to represent the broader impact of the fires on either side of the shire, as well as several ‘Local Memorials’ to be sited in communities where lives were lost.

The local memorials will be more intimate markers for community remembrance and as such will be smaller in scale. The function of the regional memorials is to acknowledge the broader impact of the fires on communities and to provide a space for larger memorial events.

The Working Group has also recommended that all names of the deceased be included in the two regional memorials unless families wish otherwise.

Preferred sites have been identified for the regional Memorials at Marysville and Kinglake. The sites for local memorials have also been identified in Narbethong, Toolangi/Castella, Kinglake Central, Kinglake West and Flowerdale / Hazeldene. These will be announced once approvals have been received.

The siting of the Flowerdale/Hazeldene and Toolangi / Castella memorials has been voted on by community members at community meetings that took place in April. The agenda of these meetings was to discuss all recommended sites and to agree on the most appropriate one for these areas. In the case of Flowerdale and Hazeldene where only 3 people came to the meeting, we ran a further survey on the web-site for a period of 2 months. Community members were notified via press releases and a locally distributed flyer. The response was robust and a preferred site was identified.

In terms of the memorials themselves, survey respondents were asked whether names of the deceased should be included in the design.

Most agreed that the names of people who have died should be included. However around 20 per cent did not agree and on this basis the working group has recommended that an opt-out option be offered for those who do not wish their loved ones names to be incorporated into the memorials.

Executive Summary

Respondents also felt strongly that the loss of pets, wildlife, the environment and property should be acknowledged in the memorials, as well as ongoing impacts on communities.

Another request was that the many people who contributed to the fire response effort and recovery should also be recognised by the memorials. This has been incorporated into the design brief. It is the recommendation of the Working Group that the two regional memorials be the appropriate sites for the telling of these stories.

The survey responses were unanimous in requesting that the memorials should reflect the beauty of the natural environment, and the resilience of the local community – and that the design should be simple, enduring and evocative, to allow quiet contemplation.

On this basis, the Working Group has determined that the bushfire memorials will be “respectful places that commemorate the loss of life, of livelihood, of home, of friends and community and of treasured landscapes wrought by the devastation of the 2009 bushfires”.

Expressions of interests for memorial deigns will be called for as soon as the sites has been finalised and approvals received. Short-listed designers will be asked to make a model to go on display for the communities to comment on.

Information about all aspects of the memorials and their designs, including contact details for members of the Working Group, is available on the Murrindindi Bushfire Memorial website at http://murrindindibushfirememorials.wordpress.com. Families of the bereaved were encouraged to contact us via phone, letter or email to share with us their thoughts on the memorial and the inclusion of names of the deceased. The process of contacting the bereaved will be continued through to phase 3 when the designer has been selected to design the memorials. This may be done through the Projects Working Group and via notifications through the relevant bereaved publications. It is acknowledged however that contacting the bereaved is a sensitive process and the correct protocols must be followed.

Jan NowellConsultantArterial Design Pty Ltd

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. History of the shire 3

3. The Events of February 7, 2009 3

4. The recovery process 7

5. The significance of Remembrance and Memorials 18

6. Murrindindi memorials process 19

7. Key Design Criteria 10

8. The Sites 11

9. Attachments 13

10. References 13

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1. Introduction

On 7th February 2009 vast areas of country Victoria were devastated by catastrophic bushfires resulting in Australia’s highest ever loss of life from bushfire. This became known as Black Saturday.

Bushfire affected communities in the Shire of Murrindindi have expressed their desire to establish memorials to recognise the impact of these catastrophic bushfires.

Memorials offer places where people can remember losses, reflect on their own experiences and recognise community spirit. The story for each person will be different, and no less or more important than another story. Memorials needs to represent all the losses and impacts of the bushfires.

Well-developed memorials will provide for the needs of all people impacted by the bushfire event. This will include those directly impacted as well as their supporters and those involved in the emergency response and recovery. Memorials will also meet the needs of future generations who seek to understand the impact of bushfire event on their families and community.

Through extensive community engagement, it has been agreed that two central memorials will be represented either side of the shire: Kinglake and Marysville. These memorials will be larger in scale and will express the broader impacts of the fire upon the Shire.

Central Memorials will:

• Provide quite reflective spaces and privacy for visitors

• Remember the loss of life and provide space for thenames of those who died

• Recognise the range of impacts and losses for the fires

• Tell the story of the fires

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• Provide a space for memorial events

• Provide access for all abilities

• Be larger in scale

Five local memorials will be developed for towns who suffered the loss of life. These memorials will be smaller in scale and their purpose will be for the quiet, intimate reflection of the local communities.

Local Memorials will:

• Provide recognition of the impact of the fires on the local community• Provide a place of remembrance• May be in a more public space• Be smaller in scale

For further information:go to website:

http://murrindindibushfirememorials.wordpress.comcontact: Jenny Branton 0417 532 344

Purpose statement

The bushfire memorials will be respectful places that commemorate the loss of life, of livelihood, of home, of friends and community and of treasured landscapes wrought by the devastation of the 2009 bushfires. These memorials will also be places to acknowledge and appreciate the enduring community spirit that is nurturing regrowth and renewal in a landscape and world that has changed forever.

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2. History of the Shire

Murrindindi Shire is located north east of Melbourne’s urban fringe and encompasses large areas of agricultural land, beautiful national parks and state forests, the majestic Goulburn River and the expansive Lake Eildon.

Extending over an area of just under 4,000sq kilometres, 48 percent of the shire is crown land. Murrindindi is characterised by many small towns including Acheron, Alexandra, Buxton, Cathkin, Castella, Eildon, Flowerdale, Glenburn, Gobur, Highlands, Homewood, Kanumbra, Kinglake, Kinglake West, Koriella, Limestone, Marysville, Molesworth, Murrindindi, Narbethong, Rubicon, Strath Creek, Taggerty, Terip Terip, Thornton, Toolangi, Woodbourne, Yarck and Yea.

3. The Events of February 7, 2009

In February 2009 vast areas of country Victoria were devastated by catastrophic bushfires resulting in Australia’s highest ever loss of life from a bushfire. This became known as Black Saturday.

During Black Saturday, 1,539km2, or forty percent, of Murrindindi Shire was burned, resulting in catastrophic loss of life and property. There was substantial impact on agricultural, tourism, accommodation and retail businesses, community infrastructure and the natural environment. Many people were displaced and significant social disruption occurred Kinglake Ranges, including Kinglake, Kinglake West, Kinglake East and Pheasant Creek, Flowerdale and Marysville suffered significant loss of life and property.

Toolangi, Castella, Narbethong and Strath Creek suffered some loss of life and property.

Buxton, Taggerty, Granton, Murrindindi and Woodbourne suffered some loss of property.

Yea and Alexandra, while not directly suffering loss of life or property, operated as evacuation and relief centres and offered extraordinary support in the aftermath of the fires.

Overall, the Shire was devastated with a total of 95 people losing their lives, and the destruction of 1,397 homes, 75 businesses, 16 community

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or government buildings and 234 sheds. Significant losses were also experienced in other parts of Victoria.

Although some communities were physically destroyed, the resilience, courage and determination shown by the communities of the Shire of Murrindindi has been inspirational.

The Murrindindi Fire

Record-breaking weather conditions resulted in bushfires of a scale and ferocity that tested human endurance. Within Murrindindi Shire, the first sign of fire was at 2.55 pm on 7 February 2009 with a report about smoke to the north of a sawmill in Wilhelmina Falls Road, Murrindindi. Fanned by a strong north-north-westerly wind, the fire quickly moved south along the side of the road, through grass paddocks, a privately owned blue-gum plantation, and into the Toolangi State Forest.

The combination of rolling ground in the State Forest and fire crowning almost immediately, the fire moved rapidly to the south-east, and up the western slopes of the Black Range. Spot fires burned to the south and east of the main front.

At about 4.15 pm the fire entered the Black Range, 12 kilometres from where it started. Strong winds launched the fire from the top of the Black Range, propelling burning bark, leaves and branches south-east up to 15 kilometres ahead of the main fire. The burning debris ignited spot fires in and around Granton, Narbethong, St Fillans, Mt Gordon and the Maroondah Highway. Over 10 kilometres away spot fires burned independently of the main front for long periods. Some of these became so large they created a second wave of spot fires further to the south-east.

The fire reached Narbethong between 4.30 and 5.00 pm. At around 6.15pm a south-westerly wind change in Narbethong caused the 40 kilometre north-east flank of the fire to become its main front. By this time the fire had travelled 40 kilometres with an average speed of nearly 11 kilometres an hour. This wind also carried embers that caused spot fires on the southern outskirts of Marysville. The spot fires that had grown around Narbethong joined and burned towards Marysville.

The firefront arrived in Marysville with devastating force at about 7.15 pm.

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Buxton and the adjoining Steavenson River valley were on fire by about 7.30pm. Further north, the fires arrived just south of Taggerty at about 10.00 pm. The weather conditions eased but the Kilmore East and Murrindindi fires merged, and the fire burning in heavily forested public land continued for weeks and was not formally declared contained until 5 March.

The Kilmore East fire

The Kilmore East fire began at about 11.47 am on 7 February 2009, near Saunders Road, Kilmore East. It started after a power pole conductor failed, and caused arcing, which ignited vegetation near the base of the pole. Early reports from crews on the scene described a blaze 80–100 metres wide. The fire ran south towards a hill where it split into two tongues: one running south to Saunders Road and the other east towards Wandong. Attempts to stop the fire at Saunders Road were unsuccessful, and the fire crossed the road about 15 minutes after fire crews arrived.

The fire then burnt through about 200 hectares of plantation logging slash, moving towards the Hume Highway. It is very likely that the fire was spotting over the highway by about 1.20 pm. It crossed the highway at Heathcote Junction just before 2.00 pm. At this stage the fire had multiple tongues, with a collective width of about 5 kilometres between Clonbinane Road and the north-eastern railway line.

Between Wandong and Clonbinane the fingers merged, and headed south-east towards Yabamac and the Wandong Regional Park. The fire entered a forested area near Shiels Road in Clonbinane where it intensified. It then moved south-east up the slopes of the Great Dividing Range towards Mt Disappointment. The western flank of the fire was also moving laterally towards Lords and Mahadys Roads in Upper Plenty, reaching the area at about 4.20 pm.

The head of the fire reached Mt Disappointment at about 3.00 pm, and progressed up its slopes between 3.15 and 3.45 pm.

As the head of the fire climbed Mt Disappointment, spot fires were reported 20–40 kilometres ahead of the main firefront at Wallaby Creek, Humevale, Strathewen, St Andrews, Steels Creek, Dixons Creek, Yarra Glen and in the Healesville area. The topography of the area caused spot fires in Humevale to run in multiple directions. As a result, between 3.30 and 5.00 pm, fires

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from Mt Disappointment and from within Humevale struck Kinglake West and Humevale.

At the same time spot fires developed in Strathewen and St Andrews North, up to 22 kilometres ahead of the main firefront. Once again the spot fires moved in several directions. Generally the fires headed south-east, but they also spread north due to local topography and the fire’s convection column.

A south-westerly wind change arrived at about 5.45 pm, progressively turning the eastern flank of the fire into its head. At this point the blaze spread from Clonbinane to the Chum Creek area. The wind change caused the front to move north, and north-east.

The impact of the wind change was enormous. It brought the full front of the fire upon the Kinglake West township. By 6.00 pm new spot fires had formed in Humevale, Strathewen, Arthurs Creek, Yarra Glen, Gruyere and Healesville. From Strathewen and Humevale the main fire headed north, through Kinglake, Castella, and along the Melba Highway towards Glenburn.

After the wind change the Kilmore East–Wandong section of the fire turned and headed north along the Hume Highway. It also burnt through the remainder of Wallaby Creek catchment, Kinglake National Park, and Mt Disappointment Forest. During the evening the fire travelled north-east, reaching Hazeldene and Flowerdale. Although fire was reported in Flowerdale at 7.40 pm, the main front did not reach the Flowerdale Hotel until about 11.20 pm.

The wind change fanned very intense fires in the Castella, Toolangi and Glenburn regions, and caused another extreme branch of the fire to travel north and north-east towards Strath Creek, and Reedy Creek where it impacted at 8.00 pm.

The fire was gradually secured as it hit grassland during the night of 7 February, and over the following days. Containment proved to be difficult in forested areas, particularly the Maroondah catchment, Toolangi State Forest and Yarra Ranges National Park. The fire also continued to burn in the Healesville area. It was finally contained on 16 February.

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4. The Recovery Process

Since 2009 a process of community consultation about the need, meaning and purpose of memorials has occurred within the fire affected communities of Murrindindi, supported by funding from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments. The consultation process has reached out to affected people, in particular, those who have lost loved ones but also for many others whose homes, friends, pets, possessions and communities were lost.

Experience suggests that the marking of anniversaries and the development of more lasting community memorials can be an important part of the recovery journey. Experience from other communities following similar disasters has taught us that people recover from disasters at different rates and that consideration of commemoration and memorials should not be rushed.

Murrindindi Shire Council is determined to ensure commemoration services and memorials not only involve those most affected but also reflect the community’s shared understanding of their purpose.

A number of communities have already developed formal and informal bushfire memorials. This Shire-wide memorials process should recognise and complement (not compete with) these established memorials.

All affected communities have expressed similar impacts and needs for memorials. At the same time local communities are passionate about their own identities. It is important to engage with local communities rather than treating them homogeneously.

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5. The Significance of Remembranceand Memorials

Making sense of disaster requires coming to terms with what loss means in the new ‘normal’. Much of this ‘sense making’ will be about how people place their memories of what has been lost into a context where the memories are no longer as painful, and may ultimately be of some comfort. This is remembrance.

Remembrance occurs at many levels; personal, family and community and can be experienced in many ways - symbolic rituals, anniversaries, visits to places of importance, pieces of music that were favourites and establishment of physical memorials.

Traditionally, physical memorials have been a function of government with the focus typically on honouring those who are lost through the building of monuments. However, over recent decades a change in the process of achieving remembrance for a community’s loss has occurred. Staid monuments have lost their relevance and responsive and interactive community-focussed memorials are now preferred.

Remembrance, and how it is expressed, contributes to the rebuilding of a sense of place by helping identify what is important, in a community sense, to people both prior to the disaster and in the “new normal”. When well facilitated, the process of achieving remembrance seeks to collectively express the meaning of the disaster for all the community, by engaging people in a conversation about the past, what is important to them, and the future.

Memorials offer places where people can remember losses, reflect on the their own experiences and recognise community spirit. The story for each person will be different, and no less or more important than another story. The memorial needs to represent all the losses and impacts of the bushfires.A memorial will need to be not just for now, but “in perpetuity”, recognising that role of the memorial may change over time, capturing what has happen so it is not forgotten. Some strong themes:

• Respectfully remembering, never to forget• Be educative, telling the story• Recognise that everyone has been impacted through a broad

range of losses• A place to come to reflect

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6. Murrindindi Memorials Process

Murrindindi Shire Council, through its Memorials Working Group, commenced planning for an appropriate memorial, or memorials, in late 2009. During Stage 1 the community was consulted extensively, and it became apparent that each community within Murrindindi Shire has a strong local identity. This has particular importance when considering, designing and creating memorials that adequately reflect the needs, values and experiences of each community.

During Stage 2 of the memorials process (Design Brief Development), community members were engaged through information releases in local papers, memorials website, surveys, and community meetings. There has been some difficulties in engaging the broader, fire affected community.It is likely that the translation of community needs and desired memorial elements into design concepts will result in an increase community interest and engagement.

In Stage 3 of the memorials development process, design and construction, community members will expect to be informed and be able to have input into the final design of the central and local memorials. In particular local communities in which local memorials are to be placed should be engaged in design and placement.

There will be many personal opinions and the final design and placement of memorials should aim to meet the needs of affected communities as expressed though the design brief, rather than responding to individual preferences.

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7. Key Design Criteria

During the Stage 1 community consultation process and the subsequent Stage 2 brief preparation and site selection process the following underlying themes, message requirements, location options and features were identified. People submitting expressions of interest are encouraged to read the full consultation reports to gain a broader understanding of the communities response.

Siting

a. It has to allow for access for all people, but not in a main thoroughfare.

b. The community have a desire for the memorial/s to be in a quietlocation.

c. Adding to existing memorials was not widely supported.

d. Maintenance of the site needs to be a consideration.

Memorial Elements

a. Messages including honour, remembrance and reflection should beconveyed through the memorial, along with survival, recovery andcommunity spirit.

b. The names of those who were lost in the fires should feature in thecentral memorials, with space left for future listing of names for thosewho opt out in the initial development.

c. The loss of pets and wildlife should be acknowledged in some way, butin a manner secondary to the loss of human life.

d. The loss of property should be acknowledged through a generalstatement.

e. The story of the fires should be told through some interpretive elements,including the response from the emergency services and broadercommunity (particularly people in Alexandra, Yea and Whittlesea), toprovide context into the future.

f. Structures should be simple, not overstated.

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Materials

a. Elements including rocks, gardens, trees and water could beincorporated into design options.

b. Linking the memorials through some common theme should beconsidered but is not essential.

c. Maintenance and durability is a key consideration. The materialsshould be durable, long lasting and have a relatively low maintenancerequirement over the long term.

8. The Sites

During Stage 2 further consultation and site analysis helped refine the site options. A site selection matrix was developed with the criteria such as land ownership, site qualities, parking, accessibility, and maintenance.The following locations have been selected refer appendix for the details regarding each proposed site:

Central Regional Memorials

Marysville – Lions Park

Kinglake – Frank Thomson Reserve

Local Memorials

Narbethong – (Narbethong Reserve)

Toolangi / Castella – Central Park Castella

Kinglake West –Whittlesea Road / Yea Rd

Flowerdale / Hazeldene – Byrneside Reserve

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9. Attachments to the Brief

Overall Shire Map including affected towns and proposed site options

Site information

10. References

http://www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/Your_Council/About_Murrindindi_Shire, accessed 06.02.2013

http://woodbourne.vic.au/, accessed 07.02.2013

http://www.pria.com.au/resources/community-relations-6/murrindindi-shire-bushfire-memorials-consultation, accessed 31.01.2013

Murrindindi Shire Bushfire Memorials Consultation Stage One Consultation Report, December 2011, Professional Public Relations

FINAL REPORT SUMMARY, July 2010, 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission

The Fires and the Fire-related Deaths, FINAL REPORT VOLUME I, July 2010, 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, http://www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/commission-reports/final-report/volume-1/chapters/the-murrindindi-fire, accessed 06.02.2013

The Statements of Lay Witnesses, FINAL REPORT VOLUME IV, undated, 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, http://vol4.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/index.php?pid=31, accessed 06.02.2013

Background Information on Memorials

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Background Informationon MemorialsPresentation to Murrindindi Working Group

Rob Gordon, December 2009

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The urge for memorials is in every civilization. They preserve important events and remember those who died. Memorials are physical objects which stand for events, people and human experiences. They hold onto what has happened and make sure it is not forgotten and that those who did not know about it can find out, and they tell those who come after what is in their own past. They are touchable, see-able and can be gone to on special occasions so that reminders of the people and events are there for all to experience.

They are symbols for events and people, for communities and actions. Symbols belong to the deepest level of the human mind. Young children respond to symbols long before they can think in a logical way. The symbolic level of mind is always present in the background, and is responsible for connecting things up so one thing stands for anther and carries not only the memory, but also the emotion of the past and can bring it back to life in the present. Symbols bring together all the aspects of the experience of what they symbolise, because they have the power that comes from emotions and from the intensity of the original event.

An important expression of symbols is in our dream life. Dreams consist of symbols and do not make sense unless we take the events and characters of the dream as symbols for parts of our own life. Symbols often emerge from dreams, but at the same time, communities form a shared collection of symbols related to common experiences. The formation of common symbols in a community is like the community being able to dream together and they unite them by bringing back the event, the people and the feeling of the original experience.

A community memorial, then is formed by shared symbols which must work for each person in their own way. This

Notes on Disaster MemorialsPresentation to Murrindindi Working Group

Rob Gordon, December 2009

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means the community has to find symbols to bring the community to common ground and they have to integrate the dimensions of the experience in a way that enables those who come to the memorial to know instinctively what happened and how the dead are valued.

Creating a memorial is a unique opportunity to awaken the symbolic dimension and allow symbols to come to life out of the community by a sort of shared dreaming process. To dream we have to let go of rational thinking, common sense, opinions, presumptions, expectations and pre-set, personal views. Dreaming means to allow a free play of ideas and images so that gradually, some ideas and images come to the fore and are recognised as carrying the feelings for the community. It is the product of a certain sort of communication in which the end result is not known before, and the valuing of each contribution allows all who wish to have an influence and the selection happens by a feeling of recognition.

If this can be done, all members of the community can embrace the memorial and it becomes a focus for remembering the events and people and allows them to become part of history. When a tragedy becomes part of history, it can be remembered with rituals and ceremonies and as the years go by, remains part of the community life. Then what happened in the past becomes an element of the community’s identity. It tells them who they are and shows who they are to anyone who encounters the symbols.

A process is required to enable the community to dream together to find the symbols and rituals to express for each person something essential about the event that is there for whoever comes to join. While the formation of the actual memorial with its features and symbols is the goal, the

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elements emerge when people allow the symbolic dimension of their minds to bring out what is needed. The process has to be shaped so that time allows a gradual coming together of ideas, images and suggestions until something genuinely common to all emerges.

If the focus is on the outcome, the tendency is for each person to give their own ideas and have strong feelings about them. These will not coincide and will inevitably lead to conflict, competition and disappointment and some feeling excluded. Such a memorial will then only be for a section of the community and will always evoke pain to those who cannot relate to it.

However, since symbols come from a deep and universal level of the mind the same basic symbols are there for everyone - symbols of life, death, good, bad, fire, earth, water, hope, love, sacrifice, survival. Symbols are part of a universal language which anyone can recognise and understand. But each person may feel connected with their own bit and want to express it in their own way. What brings a common feeling, is working towards the actual symbols by allowing them to emerge so that what comes, is something that no one would have started with but everyone can embrace because they see how it can express what is important to them.

The process of arriving at a symbolic form for the memorial need to value the process over the outcome. Instead of everyone coming with their ideas already formed and arguing over whose is best or whose can be accepted, it is a process in which a group of people (perhaps representing various groups) feel their way towards something none will be clear about at first. But by starting with what is absolutely common, then adding elements and qualities that are important, they can gradually come to something that is a product of the group rather than the idea of individuals. If the focus is on protecting this process, it will produce a memorial of the community.

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Such a community process becomes an important part of the recovery of the community. In working on the memorial, memories, emotions and the relationship to what has happened will be reviewed, discussed and placed into a new perspective. This is what recovery from trauma and grief involve - finding a way to put the experience into the story of life so that those who are gone can be remembered with love, what they gave can be held onto and they are made part of the future, even though they are not present. In this way, creating, building and inaugurating the memorial represent opportunities for healing which will not be repeated. The more people can be involved in it the more it will become a true community memorial.

If this perspective is kept in mind, it will mean carefully considering such matters as time lines, deadlines and how people are drawn into the process. It is important to set the terms of the discussion and how it will proceed so that all participants understand the importance of finding common symbols and everyone needs to allow themselves to be influenced by each other’s views and experiences so that something common can arise.

What is common arises when people who have strong, definite ideas are encouraged to move from the specific forms of the ideas to the essence of what they are trying to express. At first our ideas come up in a specific way - a sculpture, a locality, a figure, particular plants or shapes or colours. But if they are to become symbols, such questions need to be asked as:

• What do you want to express in the symbols of thememorial?

• What is it about those shapes, forms, locality, plants,colours etc that is important?

• What is it about that particular idea that symbolisessomething for the event?

• Are there any other symbols that can also carry the samefeeling?

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If the essence of the experience can be found and expressed, a commonality will emerge because the fundamental human experiences are common to all who went through the tragedy in whatever form, and this is the common ground to the one reality which has taken everyone into it.

Such a process will require a group of people to find a way of bringing people together so they can talk, listen, discuss and be influenced by each other in the confidence that what they create together will be a unique contribution to the community’s healing.

There will need to be careful consideration as to how the various views and opinions can be expressed and then an agreed way of moving to defining what is to be designed. If the procedure is planned to support the process of arriving at common symbols, and this is understood by all who participate, then it should be possible to respect differences, resolve conflicts and shift towards something that everyone can feel a relationship to.

Perhaps one of the most important principles is that coming together with others in a shared remembering may be more healing than having exactly what was imagined. Then the memorial will be able to slowly grow in importance and meaning to those it represents as years pass, keep history alive and tell us who we are.

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FIRE MAP

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PEOPLE WHO DIED

ARTHURS CREEK

Josef Matheis

Glenys Matheis

BENDIGO

Mick Kane

CAMBARVILLE

David Balfour

CALLIGNEE

Fred Frendo

Scott Frendo

Annette Leatham

Martin Schultz

FLOWERDALE—HAZELDENE

Ronald Barling

Richard Hall

Gavin Dunn

Bob Harrop

Daniela Marulli

Jesse Inzitari

Aldo Junior Inzitari

Donald Walker

Helen Walker

John Walker

Cheri-Lee Walker

HAZELWOOD SOUTH

David Gibson

Colin Gibson

HUMEVALE

Barry Johnston

Lloyd Martin

Mary Martin

Allan O’Gorman

Carolyn O’Gorman

Stuart O’Gorman

JEERALANG JUNCTION

Gertrude Martin

KINGLAKE

Adrian Brown

Mirrabelle Brown

Matthew Brown

Eric Brown

Brielle Brown

Neeve Buchanan

Mackenzie Buchanan

Melanie Chambers

Penelope Chambers

Daniel Clark

Rob Davey

Natasha Davey

Jorja Davey

Alexis Davey

Mark Butler

Mike Flynn

David Holcombe

Carol Holcombe

Geoff Hyde

Suzanne Hyde

Gennaro Laudisio

Graham O’Shea

Debbie O’Shea

Trey O’Shea

Lyric O’Shea

Dimitrios Tsimiklis

Tanja Tsimiklis

Richard Zann

Eileen Zann

Eva Zann

Karma Hastwell

KINGLAKE WEST

Krystal Breeze

Nathan Breeze

Teagan Haymes

Tina Wilson

Rex Norris

Paul Rolands

Karen Rolands

Caitlin Rolands

Nicola Rolands

Lesley Leahy

Kiona Gibson

Jye Gibson

Ava Gibson

Eileen Gillespie

Brian Naylor

Moiree Naylor

KOORNALLA

Alan Jacobs

Miros Jacobs

Luke Jacobs

Nathan Charles

The Commission focused on improving Victoria’s bushfire safety, so that the lessons learnt from the tragedy of Black Saturday will make the state a safer place. It offers this report and its recommendations to the Government and people of Victoria in memory of those who lost their lives.

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MARYSVILLE

Jamie Bowker

Nicole Jefferson

Kevin Bradwell

Melissa Bunning

Glenis Delmenico

Lesleigh Webb

Dalton Fiske

Elizabeth Fiske

James Gormley

Julie Wallace-Mitchell

Aileen Hoskin

Geoff Grady

Patrick Jennings

Dean Lesmana

Rudi The

Laurel Lewis

Elizabeth Liesfield

James Liesfield

Matthew Liesfield

Coralie Lynch

David Lynch

Alen Mawson

Errol Morgan

Harley Morgan

Isak Nilsson

Kirstie Nilsson

Colin Paul

Len Postlethwaite

Ken Rowe

David Sebald

Marlene Sebald

Suat Bian Tan

Marie Walsh

David Whittington

Kate Whittington

MUDGEGONGA

John Wilson

Sue Wilson

NARBETHONG

Grace Mundovna

Fay Walker

Bill Walker

Geoff Walker

REEDY CREEK

Christopher Towie

ST ANDREWS

Garry Bartlett

Jacinta Bartlett

Erryn Bartlett

Michael Real

Angela Brunton

Reg Evans

Jenni Bundy

Raye Carter

Arthur Enver

George Jackson

Sam Matthews

Robert Pierce

Graeme Savage

Marcel Smits

STEELS CREEK

Leigh Ahern

Charmian Ahern

John Barnett

Jenny Barnett

Lynne James

Greg Leonard

Gail Leonard

Greg Lloyd

Melanee Hermocilla

Jaeson Hermocilla

STRATH CREEK

Hubert Jelinek

STRATHEWEN

Peter Avola

Max Emmins

Terry Paulka

Donna Paulka

Bob O’Sullivan

Sue Evans

Jon Le Gassick

Haydn McMahon

Kaya Mehmedoff

Don Hatton

Leonie Hatton

Catherine McIver

Greg McIver

Judy McIver

Phillip Perry

Libby Perry

Joe Shepherd

Danny Shepherd

Marilyn Spooner

Damien Spooner

Irma Winton

Michael Winton

TOOLANGI

Kate Ansett

Steve Fisher

UPPER PLENTY

Stephen Lackas

David Stokes

YARRA GLEN

Gareth Jones-Roberts Jr

SITE ASSESSMENT MATRIX FOR CENTRAL MEMORIALS

Site from Stage 1 report or PWG suggestion.

No. lives lost

Parking Accessibility Low Maintenance

Stable Land

Public Land or

community use

Shade Prominent location

Toilets water

Views / vistas

Quiet reflective space Land ownership Management Structure Feedback/comment

KINGLAKE RANGES 47Kinglake Central Stadium Council Council Committee of

Management (Section 86 delegation)

As the site of the former Kinglake Kindergarten, this site has a very strong community association. Site also earmarked as preferred location for Kinglake aquatic centre (subject to funding approval). Road noise and impacts detract from quiet reflective qualities.

Frank Thomson Reserve Crown Land Parks Vic (Kinglake National Park)

Although not a Shire owned site this site is highly valued by locals. Parks Vic has indicated that a memorial on this site would most likely be approved (subject to maintenance agreements).

MARYSVILLE 35

Gallipoli Park, adjacent to Steavensons River

Crown Land Council Committee of Management (Section 86 delegation)

Areas close to river may be subject to flooding or land stability issues.

Lions Park site

Crown Land Council Committee of Management (Section 86 delegation)

If sited carefully a memorial on this site would not detract from the existing use. Excellent aspect and views to river. Tranquil qualities despite nearby playground.

Monument on the island in Gallipoli Park

Crown Land Council Committee of Management (Section 86 delegation)

Island not large enough to accommodate a memorial that people could view or experience close up.

OTHER

Memorial for The Triangle in neutral location. Mt Gordon suggested.

Crown Land

DSE

Very remote location. This does not seem to be a site that would attract many visitors or locals.

KEYyesNoUncertain or TBC

25

MURRINDINDI BUSHFIRE MEMORIAL

SITE ASSESSMENT MATRIX FOR LOCAL MEMORIALS Draft 11/04/13

Site from Stage 1 report or PWG suggestion.

No. lives lost

Parking Accessibility Low Maintenance

Stable Land or flooding issues

Public Land or

community use

Quiet or reflective

spaceShade Land

Ownership Management Structure Feedback/comment

FLOWERDALE 11Moores Rd Reserve Crown Land Council Quiet park space developed after the fire. Site of past

memorial services. Can get busy on weekends.

Byrnside Reserve (Triangle Site near Hazeldene Store)

Crown Land

CMA? Further review to be undertaken.Limited maintenance regime. Parking and access very difficult.

Near the Flowerdale CFA CFA CFA Queries over ownership of old CFA site, some options in general vicitiny.

Flowerdale Community House Crown Land CouncilExisting memorial located in front garden, possible sites around the back adjacent to the creek.

TOOLANGI/CASTELLA 2Central Park (Melba Hwy intersection). Crown Land Council Committee of Management

(Section 86 delegation)

Former Castella School SiteCrown Land Council Committee of Management

(Section 86 delegation)Further assessment to be undertaken.

CJ Denis Memorial Hall / Community Garden site

Crown Land Council Committee of Management (Section 86 delegation)

NARBETHONG 4

Narthethong ReserveCrown Land Council is taking over - still with DSE Ideal public site. Few other locations in Town.

STRATH CREEK 1Viewing platform at top of Murchison Gap Crown Land VicRoads and Mitchell Shire Council. No memorial currently proposed for Strath Creek (based

on Stage 1 feedback). Structure is located in Mitchell's boundaries but maintained by Murrindindi.

Memorial on Falls Rd

KINGLAKE RANGES 47Kinglake West Oval Reserve Crown Crown Land Act Committee of

ManagementExisting memorial within space.

Cemetery Land (know as Chinaman's Grave) Crown Not confirmedCemetery land not considered suitable.

Bollygum Park (near CFA memorial bell in Kinglake West)

Council

Council Committee of Management (Section 86 delegation)

Bollygum COM has indicated they are developing their own memorial.

Yea Road / Kinglake West Intersection VicRoads VicRoads Prominent location

Reserve in front of Kinglake Library Council Council Further assessment to be undertaken.

Kinglake Central, within garden area near playground & picnic area.

Council Council Committee of Management (Section 86 delegation)

Mt SugarloafCrown Land DSE / ParksVic Very remote location. Not considered suitable.

KEYyesNoUncertain or TBC

26

Marysville Site

Kinglake

Narbthong

Castella/Toolangi

Flowerdale/Hazeldene

Kinglake West

118