Summary

These slippers were knitted and donated by SydneyCare, Sydney. They were made available to bushfire survivors through relief centres. Stella picked up two pairs at the Clayton Relief Centre. Stella didn't use the slippers until she moved into her new house.

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, killing all of their animals in care, and razing their home and other buildings. 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, 40-50 animals in their care died, hundreds of animals in the surrounding properties, and they estimate up to 90% of the wildlife in Kinglake National Park.

Physical Description

Stripped dark green and light green hand knitted woolen slippers.

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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