Random thoughts and observations
The blame game in respect of the Victorian bushfires has to stop. It is unhelpful to the pending Royal Commission for theories and criticisms to be aired in public before they can be properly investigated and answered. The Victorian Government has done the right thing by establishing a Royal Commission and that is the appropriate [...]
There has been some discussion following the Victorian fires about whether dugouts might have saved lives. They saved lives in 1939, including my Uncle Jim. My Uncle Michael died in a dugout, but there were exceptional circumstances. My Aunt Noreen talked about the issues on Radio National with Philip Adams:
The scale of devastation from the Victorian bushfires is unbelievable. The numbers just blow me away. More than 100 people found dead (so far) and 650 homes destroyed. I lived through the alpine fires in 2003 and was on standby to evacuate at one stage, but I struggle to contemplate the horror of the weekend’s [...]
I wrote recently about the 70th anniversary of “Black Friday” coming up on January 13. The Age newspaper in Melbourne has a story on the fires today, including an interview with my aunt Noreen Warren. Noreen is the only one of my grandparents’ 12 children still alive. It’s great that she is commemorating the anniversary. [...]
We’re coming up towards the 70th anniversary of the devastating 1939 bushfire. Dozens of people were killed and many properties destroyed. My uncle Michael was one who lost his life and my father’s family home was burnt to the ground. Dad was aged 3 at the time. The picture to the right shows Dad (Peter) [...]
