CELEBRITIES’ BUSHFIRE MESSAGES

“We can think of no higher service than that provided by our firefighters, many of whom battled to save the homes of others while their own burned down. Their selfless actions reflect the indomitable spirit of Australia - a spirit that will inspire the recovery ahead.”

Nicole Kidman, actor

“I remember as a kid my dad,who was a long haul truckie, spent a lot of his life driving through rural Australia and would often tell us about his time in the bush, the stunning landscape of our country and the great people and friends he made along the way. It would have broken his heart as it did Australia and the World, to see the devastation of these fires on the people and animals caught up in the disaster. Dad would often regale us with stories of toughness and resilience of the mates he made throughout his trips. Those traits have been there for all to see as communities fought and now rally to recover and pay tribute to the heroic feats of our incredible firefighters who will never be forgotten.

Sonia Kruger, TV presenter

“Seeing so many people come together to support those affected by the fires makes me proud to be Australian. The devastation caused to people, animals and our land is heartbreaking and I think it has deeply affected us all. The heroes are the men and women fighting the fires and putting their lives on the line every day - thank you for your bravery and selflessness, we are all so grateful.”

Ash Barty (pictured), tennis player

“Watching our beautiful country suffer so much over the past few months has completely broken my heart. Sending all of my love and gratitude to the incredible fire fighters, volunteers and to every single person who has been affected by the devastating fires. Thank you for all that you are doing and the sacrifices you’re making for our great country and its people and wildlife.”

Delta Goodrem, singer

“Nothing brings out the best in Australians than a crisis like this. Whether it’s the firie on the frontline, the pensioner donating a few of their scarce dollars or the kids running a lemonade stall on the local high street to raise funds for our hard-pressed wildlife. Heroes have come in all shapes and sizes during these fires. Now we need to work on supporting the farms and businesses that have been so heinously affected. Support them with what you buy, support by where you visit .... now and into the future.”

Matt Preston, food critic

“We have learnt the value of community this summer. On Christmas Day, we received a text message from the captain of our local RFS to warn there was horror weather on the way and there could be extensive property losses in our area. With a new baby at home in Sydney, our neighbours in Glen Alice rallied to protect our farm as well as patrol their own properties and travel to Lithgow to defend homes there. Christmas was cancelled for many as the Gospers Mountain fire grew and grew to total over 500 thousand hectares. Without the amazing RFS volunteers, who knows what would have happened. Edwina Bartholomew, Sunrise presenter