Commemorating storm resilience

By Lachlan Ellis

It’s been two years since much of Victoria was devastated by fierce storms, and local communities have marked the anniversary with a street party – just like the one they started after the storm.

In June 2021, the towns of Blackwood, Dales Creek and Barrys Reef were among many that were battered from pillar to post. Destructive winds and torrential rain blew massive trees down on houses, garages, studios, fences, and powerlines. Huge areas of bushland were levelled, and roads and walking tracks were blocked at every turn.

It was a terrifying experience for residents, with the sound of trees snapping and falling throughout the night, and emergency services stretched beyond capacity, leaving the three towns to deal with the immediate effects themselves. The light of day revealed devastation, and left the towns without power or telecommunications.

With only themselves to rely on, the residents got to work, clearing debris, helping one another clear roads and driveways, and sharing spare food and other items.

And eventually, community meetings to share information turned into a street party – which the community emulated at an event on Saturday 24 June.
Blackwood resident Carol Guthrie recalled the original 2021 street party.

“As a part of our collective response, led by Margaret McCarthy, we organised public meetings to share information and work out and provide what was needed. One of these meetings morphed into much much more. It all started with Jerry Dimas. Jerry organised to bring in a mobile food van to feed those who had no power to cook. Then of course the rest of the community swung into action. BBQs appeared along with perishable food that needed to be cooked along with pots of soup, cooked by those who could. Lighting and fire drums arrived. We even had martinis served by Leon from Barry & Co, a master cocktail maker. Then of course our wonderful bluegrass musicians turned up. Yes, it morphed into a street party,” she told the Moorabool News.

“But most importantly we came together as individuals who experienced trauma and needed to share our experiences and support each other. To commemorate the June 2021 storm event and celebrate our resilience and efforts to deal with adversity, the residents of Blackwood and surrounding towns in the Moorabool Shire came together on Saturday evening 24 June for another street party. The street party was organised by locals for locals.”

With some rainy weather looking likely, the street party was relocated to St Martin’s Chapel, with “the usual heroes”, such as CFA and many other volunteers, and Martin Street Coffee Roasters and the Blackwood Hotel also offered warm, dry venues for locals to enjoy.

The evening began with a speech from local Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Moorabool Shire, Ally Munari, emphasizing the power of community. Reverend Jenny Hayes then offered a prayer of hope, while Rose’s Country Table and the Zanon family prepared food for the event.

“So two years later we came together again, gathered around the fire drums, shared food and the odd beverage, were entertained by wonderful musicians, shared more stories and enjoyed the company of a strong, caring, vibrant and resilient community,” Ms Guthrie said.

Residents of the three towns are of course hoping to never experience a storm like the one in June 2021 again, but if they do, there’s no doubt they’ll band together once again.

This event was supported by Moorabool Shire Council with funding from Emergency Recovery Victoria.