TOWN RISES FROM ASHES
A TASMANIAN town almost wiped out by fire a decade ago has not just rebuilt, it is thriving, local leaders say.
It is 10 years since a fire lit illegally in a tree stump during a heatwave sparked a blaze at rural Forcett, east of Hobart. That led to days of widespread fire devastation across the Tasman Peninsula.
At the height of the crisis, which caused an estimated $100m damage across the region, more than half of Dunalley’s buildings were destroyed, including the primary school.
Sorell Mayor Kerry Vincent, who was also mayor in 2013, said members of the community would mark the 10th anniversary in their own personal way.
“It is a low-key anniversary and a hugely positive community 10 years on,” Mr Vincent told the Mercury.
“There is a revitalisation now. A real vibrancy.
“The school is growing in numbers, there is a new housing subdivision, the cannery is looking to expand and the tennis club has been rebuilt at the golf club site.
“And with the bypass now open, Dunalley is a super attractive little place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Hobart.”
The fires began on January 3, 2013. Fire service volunteers from Dodges Ferry and Midway Point/Sorell brigades took to social media on Wednesday to recall how they sprang to action when the fires worsened on the afternoon of January 4, 2013.
By the next day, there were up to 40 fires burning which ultimately destroyed 93 homes, 186 buildings and left a multimillion-dollar damage bill.
A photograph of a family sheltering in water at Connellys Marsh beach as their business and one family home burned, captured the nation’s heart.
Ten years on, it is clear the trauma of that devastating week is still raw.
Jeffrey and Carol Doddridge lost their home at Clark St – where Mr Doddridge grew up and where the couple later raised their own three children – in the Dunalley
blaze. The couple rebuilt on the same block of land.
“We have lived here all our lives and loved it. This is our home, we never wanted to leave,” Mrs Doddridge, 78, said.
The 10th anniversary of the fire brought mixed feelings for the Doddridge family.
“What happened was hard on everybody. In my mind, it changed everything, and everybody in the district,” Mrs
Doddridge said. “What happened was awful, we’d never want to go through it again. But, it happened, it’s in the past. You learn to move on.”
Dunalley resident Andrew Dunbabin, a member of the Spirit of St Martin’s community group, said plans to hold a 10-year bushfire commemoration event were abandoned because not everyone supported it.
“We did not want to offend anyone,” Mr Dunbabin said.
“That being said, ultimately there is now a very positive vibe around Dunalley. The rebuild, which is ongoing, has stimulated a lot of new development.
“There is a new oyster business and a couple of quality restaurants we did not have before and the school is now a modern facility that services a wide area.”
The new school reopened in March 2017 with the community celebrating a fresh start.