Bushfire: Our community responds
A Message from the Premier

Another Victorian summer has passed, and once again our community takes stock of the fallout and devastation caused by bushfires. Thousands of hectares of forest and farming land have been wiped out, with many rural communities still coming to terms with the upheaval to their lives caused by the raging fires. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them as they rebuild from the ashes.

If good can ever evolve from such tragedies, we need only look at a bushfire’s capacity to unite communities. Since the colony’s first documented fires in the mid nineteenth century to the recent summer of 2003, Victorians have always responded positively – with offers of shelter, food and clothing parcels, financial assistance and genuine moral support. The history of bushfires in Victoria reveals one constant: our citizens’ willingness to help one another at these difficult times of crisis.

The National Gallery of Victoria brings together a truly fascinating collection of evocative works of art dedicated to the theme of bushfires. Many of the paintings and photographs are breathtaking in their scope and capacity to portray the horror and drama of a big fire. I am delighted to commend Bushfire: Our community responds and urge all Victorians and our interstate and international visitors to take some time from their busy schedules to visit the exhibition. Its ability to make you stop, think, reflect and engage is very powerful indeed.

Entry to the exhibition Bushfire: Our community responds is by donation, with all proceeds going to the Victorian Bushfire Recovery Appeal Fund. We thank you for your participation, and as Premier of Victoria, I take enormous pride in our community’s support for those who have suffered the devastation of bushfires.

The Hon. Steve Bracks, MP
Premier of Victoria