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Daniel's Story

Daniel was a new resident to Wooloweyah when the Shark Creek bushfire threatened the village in 2019. Having grown up in the suburbs, Daniel had never had to turn his mind to preparing for bushfire. Here he shares how feelings of disempowerment and gratitude, spurned him to empowerment and leadership.

Above: Stories shared from bush-hardy community members during the 2019–20 bushfire season, the worst NSW has recorded.

Video: Blanc Space Agency

Photos: N/A

Over 10,000 hectares burned in the Shark Creek 2 fire that threatened Angourie and Wooloweyah in the 2019 bushfires.

No strangers to bushfire, the two small villages of Angourie and Wooloweyah nestled within the Yuraygir National Park have enacted their fire plans several times over the years. The villages are approximately 7km south of Yamba and 2km apart, with Angourie bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Wooloweyah bordered by Lake Wooloweyah that joins to the Clarence River.

For Angourie locals, it was the first time they had found themselves directly in the line of fire and having to defend their homes. More vulnerably positioned further south and set within taller trees, Wooloweyah has evaded catastrophe on several previous occasions. Gratefully for locals, 2019 was another such occasion, as being early in the fire season, the villages were defended by the full force of the NSW Rural Fire Service.

Clarence Valley Community

The Clarence Valley is a heart shaped food bowl and local government area spread over three Indigenous nations in Northern NSW, Australia. Encompassing myriad communities in approximately 66 locales, ranging from small river and bush villages to vibrant coastal holiday hamlets, a bustling regional city, lush pastoral lands and national parks. It is a haven of the most temperate, biodiverse beauty the continent of Australia has to offer.

In the summer of 2019/2020 vast swathes of the Clarence Valley were razed to the ground by the most devastating bush fires on record. 168 homes were destroyed, and many more homes and properties were damaged. Through community-lead resilience, reconnecting with nature, and cultural knowledge-sharing, communities are getting back on their feet and fortifying themselves for future disaster events. →

Stories

Dundurrabin

The Dorrigo plateau community of Dundurrabin on Gumbaynggirr country was overrun by the Bees Nest Fire which burned over 100,000 hectares, and was the earliest mega fire of the devastating 2019 bush fire season.

The pace of the approaching fire, which travelled 20km in one hour, took locals by surprise. It was 3 days and 3 nights of unrelenting fire explosions and a total of 3 and a half months of hyper-vigilance, as the fire blazed around and through the community. Communications were lost, systems broke down, but at a local level and with local knowledge, the community mobilised to defend itself with support funnelling in from across the state.

Located approximately 428km north of Sydney and with a population of approximately 97 people, it is a vibrant bush community of well-travelled creatives that have gravitated to the area for its rugged and enchanting environs.

It is home to prized and revered old growth forest, abundant and sometimes endangered fauna, and kind and resilient people evermore galvanised by their fire ordeal. →

Stories

Glenreagh

Situated 35 mins north-west of Coffs Harbour on Gumbaynggirr Country in the Clarence Valley, the charming town of Glenreagh is nestled alongside the Orara River framed by towering sandstone ranges and subtropical forest. It is deeply connected with its timber heritage and mountain railway line and in the 2016 census had a population of 900 people.

During the 2019 bushfires the people of Glenreagh were faced with the decision to prepare their property and to stay and defend, or evacuate. For some, the approaching blaze offered little time even for that decision. Determined to distill lessons from the experience and with an eye to the future, community members have rallied and joined to lead recovery efforts in Glenreagh. →

Stories

Nymboida

Nymboida is a rural village on Gumbaynggir Country, 44km south-west of Grafton and approximately 687km north of Sydney. In the 2021 census the population was 268.

The jewel in the crown of Nymboida for those that call this bush haven home is the mighty Nymboida River, which forms part of the longest white water trail in Australia, and the bubbling Goolang Creek. It is also home to thriving flora and fauna such as the platypus and many spectacular and iconic species of birds.

Nymboida was among the most devastated of the Clarence Valley communities in the 2019 bushfires. At the time of the fire, the population was 298 and they lost 85 homes. After the fire, a third of the population moved away. →

Resilient Clarence

Daniel's Story

External Resources

WE PAY OUR RESPECTS TO THE TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE YAEGL, BUNDJALUNG AND GUMBAYNGGIRR NATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR CONTINUED CONNECTION TO COUNTRY AND CULTURE.