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Gippsland › Latest news › Department of Sustainability and EnvironmentWomen On FireThe ’69 days of FIRE, A Gippsland Community Perspective’ book has been launched and is now available for purchase. By Women in Community - 21st November 2007 - Back to News The Women Who Mean Business Latrobe Valley Inc, now known as ‘Women In Community’, were approached by the DSE and CFA to publish a book in relation to the 2006/2007 fires from a communities point of view to give people the opportunity to tell their story of the fires.
The women have spent the past nine months collecting community stories, poems, photos and paintings from across the Gippsland area and compiled them into a 194-page book. Filled with intense nail biting recollections, humorous tales, hundreds of magnificent photos, tear jerking poems, and even songs and paintings of the fires, the book is a tremendous resource for healing not to mention a fantastic keepsake for many generations to come.
To compliment the book the ‘Women In Community’ also completed six mosaic panels under the expert guidance of professional mosaic artist Maery Gabriel. These mosaics depict selected aspects of the fires journey, from the sighting of smoke to the devastated burnt trees. The panels will be on permanent display in a site yet to be determined within Gippsland for all the community to enjoy.
The ‘Women In Community’ also felt a Pamper Day for residents’ recovering from the fires was well earned. This pamper day was held at Toongabbie where participants from across the Great Divide enjoyed lots of calm and healing attention. They also had the opportunity to paint onto fabric their memory of what the fire meant to them. A fantastic quilt has been made from all these paintings, which all who contributed should be most proud including Rae Marshall who helped with the fine art of the quilts construction. Another two wall hangings were produced from silk photographs and all of these will be passed around Gippsland for public viewing in the not too distant future.
A huge thank you must go to the writers, artists and photographers of this fantastic publication, for without your contribution the book would not be the success that it is. To recall their experiences and put them down into words must have been extremely difficult but at the same time it is part of the healing process to allow people to move forward. Proceeds from the book will go into the Gippsland Fire Recovery Fund with 20% going towards the next publication on Autism, which the ‘Women In Community’ are now working on.
The book was officially launched by DSE Gippsland’s Manager Fire, David Tainsh, who said it was a historical document that celebrates our collective ability to fight fires.
"The book is humorous, it’s sad, but most of all it identifies that we live in an environment where fire is high on the agenda – for all of us," Mr Tainsh said.
"I cannot praise highly enough the group who have produced this book with so much energy and enthusiasm, bringing agencies together with communities to produce such a wonderful document. This is a step forward in having a whole of community approach to dealing with bushfires."
At only $29 + postage a copy the ‘69 days of FIRE’ book can be obtained from DSE offices in Traralgon, Bairnsdale and Orbost; The Red Parrot Cafe; Newspower Morwell; Sale Tourist Information Centre; Erica Hotel; Erica General Store; Walhalla Post Office; Collins Booksellers or by contacting Michelle Tisdale on 51343223.
If you are a woman who feels the need to help in the community with project management, book publishing or creative workshops then why not give Michelle a call to find out how you can become involved in this non-profit group and by helping to strengthen the community at the same time.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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