Statements
Ferntree under fire …
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, will open Fern Tree Under Fire, a 50-year retrospective of Tasmania’s worst bushfire disaster, tomorrow at 12pm at Fern Tree Community Centre 8 Stephenson Place.
“The Black Tuesday fires were the deadliest bushfires in Tasmania’s history and killed 62 people and injured 900 others,” Mr Wilkie said. “Fern Tree and nearby settlements were devastated. Indeed Fern Tree lost 65 per cent of its buildings including the timber hotel, the shop and parish hall. This is a story of great human tragedy and vulnerability but also of great community spirit and resilience.”
Fern Tree Under Fire is free and runs until 5 February and includes guest speakers, archival newspapers, scrapbooks, photographs and audio and visual interpretive displays of Black Tuesday and the recovery of the mountain community. There will be people who experienced Black Tuesday at the event.
Andrew Wilkie, Independent MP for Denison