Big crowds drawn to community show

A STRONG crowd descended on the Skipton Mechanics Institute Community Hall over the weekend for a special exhibition capturing the community’s ongoing recovery from the Streatham-Skipton Fires in January this year.

Destruction and hope: Exhibition organiser Pat Gabb was thrilled to see the strong crowds viewing photographs of the fires and ongoing recovery efforts over the weekend.

The exhibition, ‘From the Black to the Green: From Heartache to the Long Journey of Recovery’, ran over Friday, Saturday and Sunday last week with between 200-300 people viewing the exhibition.

An official opening was held last Friday, with 100 people from the district in attendance and hearing messages of support from Corangamite Shire Council mayor councillor Kate Makin and Mount Elephant Ward councillor Nick Cole.

Exhibition organiser Pat Gabb said the exhibition saw a variety of photographs, paintings and poetry created in the aftermath of the January 9 fires and amid ongoing recovery efforts.

“One of the wonderful aspects of our exhibition was the conversations that were shared throughout the weekend — over a cuppa or a bowl of soup and warm food — such gatherings are important as many people from other communities shared our exhibition and their stories of their fire experiences, especially the 1977 Streatham Fire,” she said.

“As always, in our communities, gatherings like this cannot be successful without the wonderful volunteers who come out of the woodwork and happily support all local activities.

“Each and every one of them is sincerely thanked.

“We also thank three members of the Victorian Council of Churches Emergency Ministeries for attending and sharing gentle support for community members during the evening.”

A raffle was held over the weekend, with a watercolour painting by Skipton artist Sandy Joy Wilson up for grabs alongside a variety of donated native plants.

“Our community of gardeners — the Potterupperers and the Bulbarians donated hundreds of pots for all the impacted communities to take home and to plant in their garden,” Ms Gabb said.

“These pots of plants, created with love and compassion, also included 27 donated by the children of Skipton Primary School.”

Ms Gabb said the photographs from 27 photographers and artworks from two local artists will feature in a photo book planned for later this year.

A documentary has also been compiled, including a number of stories from residents sharing their experiences of the fire and the recovery efforts.

“This work will create a wonderful historical record for the future,” Ms Gabb said.

“The book and the documentary will be launched on Saturday, October 24 from 5pm in the Skipton Hall with a book collection and screening of the film.

“This evening will be a free evening for all to gather, collect their book and view the film plus enjoy the wonderful conversations as the journey of healing slowly moves forward.”