The Bigger They Are

One of the things I find I am often doing is trying to temper the way people describe disasters. I hear often that Black Saturday was Australia’s biggest disaster. I wonder, by what “measure” (and measurement is problematic). If you take a purely simplistic numbers perspective, it doesn’t stack up. The 173 tragic deaths doesn’t […]

Relationships Matter: Social Capital

A bit over a year ago, I was pointed in the direction of a NPR Broadcast (National Public Radio, America’s great public broadcaster, which I discovered in a hotel room in Washington, waiting to be sent to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina .. a whole another story) which talked about the key to disaster survival […]

Then the wind changed

One of the best films made about disasters in the recent years, is local Strathewen resident Celeste Geer’s then the wind changed. It is about Strathewen, a little town that I have had a bit to do with after the fires (which I will detail in another post, another time, when I’m ready to cross […]

Elwood Floods

A relatively short post, I just thought I’d draw your attention to this article on climate change in Melbourne, and featuring our experience in the Elwood Floods in 2011. I will write more in the future on the floods. http://wheelercentre.com/dailies/post/84f8e43af454/

Sounds of Catastrophe

Recently I was invited to go on Contact on PBS-FM (our fabulous public broadcaster). It is an overnight show, hosted by the fanatastic Adrian Meade, which explores ambient music. WE had an hour long chat (at 5am!) about disasters, trauma and the role of music in helping, understanding and healing. This is a topic that, […]

Emily Steps Up

After bringing home the peppermint crisp from the Marysville Patisserie for Emily, we had one of our family dinner table discussions about the bushfires, what happened afterwards, and what is happening now in Marysville. I talked to the girls about how spending money in Marysville like I did helped the people there earn money. Dinner […]

Return to Marysville-Redux

So, I’m getting the hang of this blogging stuff. I have re-read my post from yesterday, and have realised, IT WAS ALL ABOUT ME! What I did want to write about was the long term nature of recovery. This was a theme of the workshop, everyone there recognises that recovery is not over in days […]

Return to Marysville

Today was the first time that I returned to Marysville after the Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009.Driving there, i had a bit of trepidation. Marysville was always a bit special for me. Our Grade 6 camp was there. We stayed at Mary Lynn, went to Steavenson’s Falls, and Lake Mountain. it is one of […]

How did I get here?

What I am doing writing a blog about the work I do? Isn’t it enough just to do the work and come home to do something else. Probably. And I am not entirely sure about the whole blogging thing. Yet. However, two things drive me. One is that I spend a lot of time thinking […]