Black Saturday

Flags flew at half mast as a nation mourns and remembers this weekend as the first anniversary of the tragic bushfires that decimated the heart of Victoria, Australia.

On February 7th, 2009, the bushfires, which came to be known as Black Saturday, were unprecedented and ruthless in the destruction of the towns of Kinglake, Flowerdale and Marysville.

173 people lost their lives, including 23 children, with thousands more injured as a result of that fateful day. 48 more children lost one or both parents in what has been declared Australia’s worst bushfire.

More than 4500sq km of land was reduced to ashes and 2029 homes were destroyed, and an undetermined amount of animals also perished in the fires. Sam the Koala, made famous by the footage of her drinking from Firefighter, David Tree’s water bottle, was a depiction of the devastation to wildlife and captured the hearts of people around the world.

The four year old koala who suffered severe burns to her paws fought against the odds, but sadly was put down six months later due to urogenital chlamydiosis, a disease that affects over 50% of the Koala population. She has, however, been preserved and placed on display at the Melbourne Museum, as an icon and eternal part of Australian history.

Twelve months on from Black Saturday with the help of a donated $380 million, survivors are getting back on the feet and rebuilding their lives, with homes being reconstructed and life returning to the towns. There is a long way to go and a lot of work to be done, but the courage and spirit of these survivors has seen hope rise from the ashes and a determination to restore the community.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has declared Sunday a national day of mourning with flags to be flown at half mast around Australia and a minutes silence to commence at noon (AEST) for the Black Saturday victims.