Summary

Digital photograph of the destroyed timber mill taken by Robin McDonald near her beef property at Rosewhite, in Happy Valley, north east Victoria in February-July 2009.

Robin and her husband 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

In the left foreground is a burnt hayshed. Further back smoke is coming from smouldering sawdust, where a timber mill was burnt down. 'Sawdust is very difficult to extinguish and continued to smoulder for weeks after the fire. The timber mill and equipment of Trevor Hinton was burnt to the ground but his house was saved. He was not in a position to rebuild the mill and is now employed off farm.' - Robin McDonald [Happy Valley resident, 19th August 2010].

Physical Description

Colour digital photograph

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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