I have been deeply affected emotionally by the trauma of the Black Summer bushfires. Two and a half years later, I still find it hard to talk about it without tears - and yet I want to talk about it.
Mogendoura, NSW
I have been deeply affected emotionally by the trauma of the Black Summer bushfires. We did not lose our house but expected it might happen over a period of two months.
Two and a half years later, I still find it hard to talk about it without tears – and yet I want to talk about it. When I watched the Moruya town parade this year, I started shaking with emotion as the fire brigade trucks passed us to huge applause and cheering.
I took a lot of photos before and after the fires and have created a journal, also using printouts of the text messages that went back and forth at the time, with friends and family both in Australia and overseas. I also created an artwork – oil on canvas with collage of burned leaves and charcoal from the fires around my home.
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Due to changing climate, our lake has lost so much water that the boat ramps are now a distance from the water and there are no more water sports or fishing.
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