Exhibition tells the stories of 1967 bushfires through the eyes of the community

Media Release
Date of release: 12 January 2017

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.

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Image courtesy of Fairfax Syndication

 

What Would You Take? 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.

For more information visit www.clarenceartsandevents.net