Summary

Jacket issued to Stella Reid, as part of her CFA uniform. This jacket was not worn on Black Saturday as it is only used in structural fires, and is not normally used in the open. Stella wore this jacket during the cold and exposed winter on her property, following Black Saturday. Following Black Saturday these jackets were no longer used by the CFA.

Alan and Stella Reid live adjacent to the Kinglake National Park. They created 'Wildhaven' in 1998, as a refuge and rehabilitation centre specialising in kangaroos, wallabies and koalas. The Black Saturday bushfires destroyed everything on their property, all of the animals in their care were killed, and their home and other buildings were razed. Stella is a member of the St Andrews CFA and was on active duty during the day; she witnessed her home go up in flames from across the valley. Alan, who was at home when the fire struck was lucky to escape without injury. The fire killed twelve of their neighbours, the 40-50 animals in their care, hundreds of animals in the surrounding properties, and (according to their estimate) up to 90% of the wildlife in Kinglake National Park.

Physical Description

Mid-thigh length black jacket with zip and velcro fastener at front. There are neon yellow strips along the wrists, bottom and chest and two vertical neon yellow strips at the back. There are two large pockets on the left and right lower side of the jacket. Rectangular CFA patches are attached to both upper arms. Brigade and a name patch are attached to the yellow reflective strip at chest height. CFA is printed in red on a neon yellow background the the back of the jacket.

Significance

This item is part of a collection relating to the experiences of Alan and Stella Reid following the devastating impact of the Black Saturday bushfires. In particular it helps provide insights into the community response through the variety of gifts and donations provided to survivors of the bushfires and the ideas of the types of needs they represented.

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