Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to commemorate the 1967 Black Tuesday fires in Tasmania—the lives lost, the homes wrecked, the livestock killed and the businesses burned to the ground. But this is not just a story of catastrophe; it is also one of resilience and strength, of mateship in adversity, of heroism and of a determination to rebuild.

In the late spring and early summer of 1967, Tasmania experienced wet weather followed by hot, dry conditions that turned the lush, green growth into crisp brown-and-gold kindling. Now, Tasmania's winds are legendary, and on 7 February 50 years ago they ruthlessly drove fires across the state's southern regions, across 110 fire fronts and scorching more than 2,500 kilometres of land. Within five hours, 900 people were injured, 1,400 buildings were destroyed and 64 people were dead.

Tasmania went into lockdown: phone lines were down, with poles on fire and people moved as fast as they could from the fires, including into whatever water they find, whether it was in water tanks, lakes, rivers or the sea. This was an era long before satellite or mobile phones, or the internet. No-one could get through to find out what was going on. The island was cut off from the mainland communications, and even within Tasmania mothers were cut off from kids who were at school when the fires were on. It must have been a terrible time. Roads were blocked by trees and burning foliage, their embers spreading high and fast on the wind and setting more bush and buildings alight. Farmers threw water tanks onto trucks, transforming them into makeshift fire engines. Of the 110 fires, 88 were found to be deliberately lit. Some were ill-thought-out burn-offs, but for others the reasoning is unclear.

My friend and colleague, the member for Franklin, who will speak next, attended the official commemorations in Tasmania yesterday, representing the Leader of the Opposition. The township of Snug is in her electorate, and it was almost totally destroyed by the flames. It has been rebuilt, with plaques to honour the 64 fallen, and it was in Snug where the main commemorations were held.

The member for Franklin told me this morning that for many she spoke to yesterday, Black Tuesday was not 50 years ago; it was yesterday. It is seared that clearly in their minds and memories. Tasmanian Fire Service district Officer Gerald Crawford has been with the Tasmanian Fire Service for 46 years. This is what he told the ABC:

It was very hot, very smoky. The smoke was extremely thick to see from one side of the street to the other you were looking through smoke.

He was 14 years old.

The power was down, telephone lines were down, there were no communications. The only information people were getting was via the radio.

It was a very scary time.

Mr Crawford's story is just one of many that are being retold this week. The Tasmanian media is doing an exceptional job with commemorative features, particularly The Mercury. I thank the media for the sensitivity and the generosity that they have shown in covering this event to date.

Yesterday, Tasmania and Australia stopped to remember Black Tuesday, including in this parliament. Today, I am thankful to be able to use this short time to acknowledge those who were lost, those who were there and those who have enjoyed and rebuilt. Thank you.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I thank my colleague the member for Lyons, who I know did want to say a lot more but cut his speech short to allow me to speak. Tuesday, 7 February 1967 is etched on the memories of so many Tasmanians. There are so many personal stories because it impacted so many people. It was a hot and windy day, full of drama, full of tragedy; but, as we heard after that day, also full of heroism and resilience. Black Tuesday, sadly, remains one of the Australia's worst bushfire tragedies—half a century after the event. That loss of 64 lives with injuries to 900 more, the loss of homes to more than 7,000 people and the loss of stock and livelihoods is still impacting on Tasmanians. The cost of the destruction on that fateful day in today's dollars is half a billion dollars. Most of south-east Tasmania was alight—110 fires, some of which joined together. They burnt around Hobart city, the suburbs and the regional towns, including mostly in my own electorate, sadly: the towns of Kingston, Blackmans Bay and down in the channel in Middleton, Snug and Electrona and down in the Huon in Huonville, Signet and Geeveston—so many towns.

As my colleague the member for Lyons said, the townships of Snug, Middleton and others were virtually wiped out, including the home of my father's family at Snug. My father's family lost their home in Snug and, sadly, I lost my father just four years after that bushfire. There are very few remaining photographs of my father to this day because of that bushfire. Mine is just one of many stories. As the member for Lyons did indicate, I was privileged to be able to attend the memorial services in Snug yesterday. I heard so many stories from people telling me of that dash to save lives, as they bundled their children up. Mothers, who are now old ladies, told me that they had to make such quick decisions about what to take. A woman said to me yesterday that she took just three things: her husband's best suit because he would need that because obviously he would need to go to work; her son's favourite toy because he would need something; and she took a tablecloth that was particularly special to her. She told me that, to this day, that favourite toy is still special to her son and that tablecloth is still special to her because that is all they have remaining from that time. There are so many stories of strangers picking up children and families and people in distress in the street; so many stories of orchard owners sharing their water because many of these towns did not have reticulated water. They could not fight these fires. There were no communications. The telephones poles were down. The power poles were down. Tasmania was cut off.

The south-east corner suffered so badly on that day and people remember it still, like it was yesterday. As you talk to them, you feel their resilience. They have rebuilt. They have rebuilt their lives. They have rebuilt their buildings. They have rebuilt their community. But, still, there is an impact from that day. Their lives were changed on that day because of that tragedy. They are more resilient and they have built a wonderful community in those areas that were affected. But we should never forget what these tragedies do to communities. As we know, yesterday was also the same day, ironically, of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, where there was also that very significant loss of 173 lives. I express my sympathies and condolences to those families. That was eight years ago and I can imagine how they were also remembering yesterday.

I particularly want to put on record my thanks to all the people, the volunteers and the emergency services, who fought then and still fight now to save people and to save property at these times. They have the most difficult job. We do not make it easy. We do not listen to the advice that we are given about clearing around our homes. We still do not listen to the advice that is given out. We are getting better, I would like to say, but it is really important that we learn from these tragedies, that the losses that we have borne as a community are not forgotten and they are not in vain. I put on record my thanks to all of those who assist, including the non-government organisations and the charities that do important work. I hope that never again does Australian have to deal with one of these days. Sadly, I am told, there will be more.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:31