Summary

Stella Reid contributed a submission to the 2009 Bushfires Royal Commission and requested a copy of the Final Report.

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 killled, 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 12 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

2009 Bushfires Royal Commission Final Report consisting of a cardboard folder with a colour illustration of a bushfire sceen; final report summary booklet with extensive black printed text and the same cover illustration as the folder; and an electronic version consisting of two cardboard CD covers with one holding two discs and the other holding one.

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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