18 January 2003 firestorm - Mount Stromlo stories Christine Thurl Mount Stromlo resident and RSAA PhD student at Mount Stromlo Observatory

January the 18th 2003: a black day for Canberra, a black day for Stromlo and a black day for me.

 

After having spent Christmas at home in Germany, I arrived on the 16th of January back in House 16, where I had been living since September the previous year. Before I go into detail about what happened on the day of the fires, I feel the need to tell how I got to live on the mountain in the first place. For the first couple of months in Canberra I was staying downtown with fellow students. Very soon after my arrival I met Isabel, a sporty young woman, with whom I clicked right away – we became friends instantaneously. One day Isabel showed me around in her house – House 16. I got to have a look at their storage room, the "dungeon''. It was the most perfect little room I could have ever imagined. So I said to Isabel "“I am going to move in here''. Isabel answered "But you can't, it is too little''. Then I said " I am going to move in here''. Two weeks later, I moved in. Actually, the dungeon wasn't only one little room – it was two rooms. The first one was an alternative entrance to the house, which had been closed off, and the second room must have been something like a cloakroom earlier on. When you walked in – the door opened to the inside – there was about 2x1m space. This became my walk-in dresser. After entry, first thing on your right was a little archy doorway where one could enter the second room, but actually you couldn't enter it, because the bed blocked the way and nothing else could fit into this room. We once had a discussion whether it was a bed-room or rather a room-bed.

 

Anyway, I loved it. I think it was the coolest room I have ever stayed in. I had pinned up all my drawings and black & white photographs, which I was so proud of, and made it into MY little dungeon. I was at home.

 

On Friday the 17th I talked to my supervisor, Penny, and told her that I will stay at Stromlo and apply for a scholarship here. That night I went to bed – after hanging the last presents I had received from my friends at home. Before I fell asleep I remember thinking "this is a perfect little room. It is finished now. I can stay here (in this very room) for the next three years!''

 

After I got up on Saturday, my housemates told me that the mountain was closed due to the fire danger and if we were to leave the mountain we couldn't come back up. I was getting worried, but my housemates, Isabel and Marilena, calmed me down. So we had breakfast together and were laughing and joking. I went out to take pictures of the glowing red sun. Later in the morning, while my other two housemates Kim and Jen were cleaning the gutters and filling them with water, I got worried again. But I was embarrassed to admit it, so I hid away in my dungeon and started packing a few things, useful things in case we had to leave. I thought "if nothing happens, I can just un-pack again – no one will ever need know''.

 

About half an hour before the fire front came through, Isabel and I went for a walk to look at the fires in the Brindabellas. Right next to the 74'' telescope we ran into Ken, Agris and his wife, Laura and Rob. Looking at the fires about 20–30km away, people were saying "Ah, there is only a marginal chance that the fires will reach Stromlo''. Others said: "There is still the river and all that farm land in between it and us''. Someone replied ''that won't stop it.'' The wind turned and blew lots of smoke towards us. I decided to go back to the house and do the dishes. Isabel went back to her office to work some more on her thesis – besides some pictures she lost everything in the fires. Roughly 30 minutes later Marilena came into the house carrying a stack of papers and documents and I realized that it might be wise to get my documents from the office. Just as I arrived at the doorstep to the Duffield building Roger, our neighbour, called to me and told me that the police have arrived and that we have to leave the mountain instantly. I ran into my office as quickly as I could and grabbed my documents. Then, I remember Isabel, Kim and myself hurrying back to the house and I started bringing my packed things to the car. I remember at least two helicopters near the mountain and close to the ground (I feel weird now, whenever I hear a helicopter). Frantically, I grabbed a few more things. However, I know that I had not realized the severity of the threat, because I remember looking at my spare frames – I really had liked them – and thinking: "“They will still be here when I come back''. I had the same thought with the pictures and photographs on the wall. Mainly, I was concerned with things I will need for the following couple of days: tent, sleeping bag – well I needed a place to sleep, right? Sporting equipment – I wanted to stay entertained. Overall, I did manage to grab a lot of things, although much of a higher sentimental value stayed behind.

 

We caravanned down the mountain. Isabel was in the leading car and I followed right behind her. I don't remember who followed me. I was grateful for Isabel for driving carefully down the mountain while the panicked kangaroos were crossing the road. I never looked back. We arrived at the bottom of the mountain and all I did was follow Isabel's little Suzuki. Police just waved us to keep on driving, no matter in which direction. First we drove to Jen's parents place, but Isabel and I wanted to go to other friends of ours in Giralang. Once we had arrived there, we realized that this suburb was also under serious fire threat and we went to another friend’s parents place in Dickson, where we ended up staying for the following 10 days.

 

I was glad to be in a family for those days after the fires. They basically adopted us. I was certainly not in any shape to take care of everyday life issues. I am grateful to the Mangeruca Family. I am grateful to many people who have been, and still are, of great support.

 

A last word on my housemate Kim. Kim belongs to the Computer Section team at Stromlo. As soon as we got notice to leave the mountain – instead of saving any of his personal belongings – Kim went to his office and secured all back-up tapes. Back-ups of people's work for the past who-knows-how-many-years. He lost everything in the fires. Although the offices survived the fires, for me, Kim is a hero.