Summary

Digital photograph of David McDonald with his daughter and grandson standing in front of his fire-destroyed property. The photograph was taken by his wife Robin McDonald at their Rosewhite farm, in Happy Valley, north east Victoria in February-July 2009.

Robin and David have been farming on this property since 1963, and were directly affected by the 2009 February bushfires which started in the early hours of Sunday 8th February 2009.

This photograph is part of the Victorian Bushfires Collection and is supported by an oral and video interview undertaken with Robin and David McDonald.

Description of Content

David McDonald with his daughter, Odette and grandson, Sacha, surveying the wreckage of the burnt sheds on the McDonald property. 'Odette and Sacha live in Paris and were holidaying at the farm when the fires came through.' - Robin McDonald [Happy Valley resident, 19th August 2010].

Significance

This collection of photographs contributes to understanding the experience of primary producers during the 2009 February bushfires. They particularly document the fires in north east Victoria, which were known as the Beechworth fires. These fires were responsible for the destruction of the greatest amount of public and private land in Victoria during the 2009 bushfires, and raise many issues and themes specific to the geographic nature of this area.

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