Oral history interviews concerning the 2019-2020 bushfires in New South Wales by Louise Darmody

fonds

27 April-2 October 2020

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories, Graphic Materials, Photographs

9650243

23 audio files (34 hr., 37 min.) - digital, WAV, stereo (48 kHz, 24 bit)
55 photographs - digital, JPEG, colour

The State Library of New South Wales authorised this oral history project to document the experiences of those affected by and associated with the 2019-2020 summer bushfires in New South Wales, seeking to build on its collection of material related to previous bushfires and other significant incidents, and to provide a record of the unprecendented weather and fire events that occurred during this time. Interviewees were chosen to provide a cross-section of community members across geographic location, gender, and type of experience.

The interviews were conducted by Louise Darmody, a journalist, oral historian, producer, and founder of Sound Memories, an oral history and documentary-making firm established in 2003. She has previously conducted a number of interviews for the State Library of New South Wales, particularly relating to cultural and social history and contemporary life.

Reference:
Library correspondence file.

This oral history collection comprises 23 interviews and accompanying photographs of people who were affected by or associated with the 2019-2020 summer bushfires in New South Wales. Unprecendented in their extent and intensity, fires heavily impacted New South Wales from August 2019 to March 2020, exacerbated by drought and persistent warm conditions that affected 95 percent of the state. Across Australia, the bushfires burned an estimated 18.6 million hectares, destroyed over 5900 buildings, and killed at least 34 people. An estimated three billion animals were also killed or displaced by the fires.

The interviews reflect the experiences of those who were directly affected by the fires, those who reported on and documented the fires, and also the work of people who provided assistance in the aftermath of the fires, in areas including the South Coast, South West, Blue Mountains, North Coast and North-West regions of New South Wales. The interviews discuss the conditions leading up to and during the fires, the responses by emergency personnel, the support received in the aftermath of the events, the role of social media and news organisations, the impact of climate change on the intensity of the fire events, what might have been done differently, and the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the recovery process.

FILE 01
Nick McLaren oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 02
Peter Dunn oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 03
Laura Reid oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 04
Jessica Clifford oral history interview and photograph by Louise Darmody

FILE 05
Katrina, Sienna, and Grace Condie oral history interviews and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 06
Mick Garraway oral history interview and photograph by Louise Darmody

FILE 07
Darryl Watkins oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 08
Jeff Kynaston oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 09
Linda and Matthew Rudd oral history interviews and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 10
Kevin Stokes oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 11
Brendan Hurley oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 12
Michael Sharp oral history interview and photograph by Louise Darmody

FILE 13
Marcaus Muller oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 14
Dean Sewell oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 15
Alice Strutt oral history interview and photograph by Louise Darmody

FILE 16
Scott Castle oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 17
Mark Graham oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 18
Carol Sparks oral history interview and photographs by Louise Darmody

FILE 19
Oliver Costello oral history interview and photograph by Louise Darmody

FILE 20
Parmjit Singh oral history interview and photograph by Louise Darmody

This collection is arranged into 20 files by interviewee

In copyright:
Copyright holder:: State Library of New South Wales
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Due to COVID-19 restrictions that came into effect in March 2020, some of the interviews were conducted remotely with oral historian Louise Darmody in a different location to the interviewee.