Usher, J. and Gudgeon, M. (2010) Footsteps in the Ashes: The Story of St Andrews and Strathewen in the 2009 Bushfires, community publication.
White, M. (1990) The Nature of Hidden Worlds, Reed Books, Chatswood.
Whittaker, J. and Handmer, J. (2010) Review of Key Bushfire Research Findings, Centre for Risk and Community Safety, School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne.
Zylstra, P. (2006) Fire History of the Australian Alps, Prehistory to 2003, Australian Alps Liaison Committee.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My first and greatest debt is to those members of the community who have shared their stories in what has been a terrible time for us all.
Phillip Adams
Frank Allan
Drew Barr
Karen Barrow
Lesley Bebbington
Debbie Bradshaw
Bernie Broom
Andrew Brown
Dom Bourke
Cameron Caine
Steve Chapman
Danielle Clode
Linda Craske
Debbie Donald
Wendy Duncan
Jon Ellks
Tony Fitzgerald
Colin French
Michelle French
Steve Gormley
John Grover
Trish Hendrie
Dave Hooper
Tim Huggins
Ben Hutchinson
Cathy Lance
David Lance
Paul Lowe
Sarah McAloon
Di MacLeod
Jim MacLeod
Michelle Marshall
Bruce Newport
Mike Nicholls
Karyn Norbury
Angie O’Connor
Phil Petschel
Jeff Purchase
Aaron Redmond
Kerrie Redmond
Jim Usher
Lisa Waddell
Carole Wilson
Jo Wood
Special thanks to Roger Wood, whose story forms the heart and soul of this book.
As tends to be the case with my work, I’ve been harassing scientists all over the country in an attempt to make up for my own shortcomings. A special thank you to:
Tony Bannister
Liam Fogarty
Kelsy Gibos
Andrew Stacey
Neil Davidson
Nic Gellie
William Kininmonth
Philip Zylstra
Two experienced CFA captains have taken time from their busy volunteering activities to look over this manuscript and make helpful comments: John Schauble and Laurie Steel. My sincerest thanks to you both. I’d also like to acknowledge the friendship and words of advice from my colleagues at the St Andrews CFA; many of the insights—and sometimes even the language—you’ve all given me as we bounce around the back roads of St Andrews have worked their way into this narrative.
Parks ranger Tony Fitzgerald has been a constant source of wisdom and encouragement.
Kind thanks as well to Senior Sergeant Pete Sambell and Sergeant Sven Koernig from Victoria Police, and to John Sylvester for help with the contacts.
Thanks to Greg Bailey, for the Indian mythology.
I would like to acknowledge the influence of the great fire historian Stephen Pyne. His Cycle of Fire suite has delivered a new element— fire—into our literature, and underpins much of my discussion of the role of fire in our culture and landscape.
Amanda Ripley’s The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why is a brilliant study of how people behave in times of crisis.
Danielle Clode was another source of inspiration, and her book, A Future in Flames, is warmly recommended.
Thanks to Lisa Jacobson for permission to reproduce her beautiful poem, ‘Girls and Horses in the Fire’. Special thanks to my colleagues at La Trobe University, especially Susan Bradley-Smith, Lucy Sussex, Catherine Padmore, David Tacey and Clare Williams.
Thanks to my agent, Mary Cunnane.
Again, thanks to the mob at Text for their faith in my work. A special thanks to Mandy Brett for the editorial masterstrokes.
Thanks to Stan, Helen and crew at the St Andrews pub for ‘the office’ and the coffee.
As always, the last word and the deepest expression of gratitude go to my beautiful girls, Kristin, Sally and Siena.
Table of Contents
People who appear in the book
Abbreviations
Map
UNCHARTED TERRITORY
HOME FRONT
FIRE PLAN
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
BALANCING ACT
INCIDENT CONTROL
RED WIND
CFA
MAYDAY
ARSON
CAR ALARM
FIRST STRIKE
ROADBLOCK
FIRE FRONT
RED FLAG
COOMBS ROAD
SCRATCH CREW
GODSPEED TO YOU ALL
THE BOSS
TANKER TWO
HOME FIRES
SURVIVAL ARC
PHEASANT CREEK
SNAPSHOTS
FIRE: AN ILLUMINATED HISTORY
THE SCHOOL
FIREFIGHT IN KINGLAKE
KINGLAKE: INSIDE THE SHED
IN EXILE
YOU HAVE TO KEEP BREATHING
UNDERWORLD
SILENT NIGHT
SAVING PEOPLE
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
CONVOY
ON AND OFF ROAD
BITTER HOMECOMING
NIGHTMARES
BUSHFIRE BRAIN
RESURRECTION
A REFLECTION
UPDATE
Notes
References
Acknowledgments
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