What Would You Take?, an exhibition of the objects that people took and their stories of the 1967 bushfires, will begin this Friday 13 January at Rosny Farm.
The exhibition commemorates the 50th anniversary of Black Tuesday on 7 February 1967, the worst bushfires in Tasmania’s history.
To mark the anniversary and the significant impact these bushfires had in Clarence, Council invited the community to contribute their stories, either of what precious objects they rescued from the flames or what they would take if a catastrophic bushfire were to occur today.
The exhibition tells the stories of some of the few objects saved from the flames of Black Tuesday as told by community members and their descendants. Their choices range from the ordinary to the precious, each linked by an intriguing story of why the object has special significance to them. Along with the stories and objects, photographs and footage will be on show to illustrate the devastating impact the fires had on Clarence and the community.
One of the contributors to the exhibition is Wayne who found his grandfather’s First World War service medal while combing through the ashes of his mother’s house. Only recently Wayne was reunited with another precious object – his father’s Second World War service medal. If a similar bushfire were to occur today, and assuming his wife and dog were safe, his father’s medals would be the first thing Wayne would take.
Mayor of Clarence, Alderman Doug Chipman said the exhibition gives Clarence residents a chance to share their story of the bushfires.
“Everyone in Tasmania has been touched in some way from the devastation of the 1967 bushfires,” Mayor Chipman said.
“Fires ravaged through southern Tasmania and the City of Clarence was no exception. This exhibition gives community members a chance to share their own personal stories of the devastation and the impact the bushfires had on them.”
What Would You Take? is on show at the Schoolhouse Gallery at Rosny Farm from 13 January to 12 February 2017. The exhibition has been made possible through a grant from the Tasmanian Community Fund …
February 1967 saw some of the worst fire conditions in living memory. Fire ravaged Tasmania, from Rokeby to the Derwent Valley and south to the Huon, and came within 1.6km of Hobart. The fires peaked on 7 February which later became known as Black Tuesday. Across southern Tasmania, 62 people died, 1,400 homes and buildings were destroyed. Massive damage was inflicted on farms, pasture and livestock. The monetary damage was assessed at approximately $40 million (1967 values).
In Clarence, fires burned at Flagstaff Gully, Lauderdale, Roches Beach, Cremorne, Seven Mile Beach, Geilston Bay and down the hills at the back of Bellerive and Howrah. Within Clarence, Rokeby suffered the worst, with no reticulated water or fire brigade. Volunteers did all they could to help stop the fires, but the community of Rokeby was devastated. Two women died in the fires, and another three men from Bellerive died while fighting fires in Lenah Valley.
Catherine Rogers Communications and Marketing Coordinator Clarence City Council
