December 23rd, 2022The eyes of the storm

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Charl Parris

MEMORIES of the June winter storm that cut a swathe through much of Hepburn Shire last year remain strongly etched in the mind’s eye of Trentham’s Charl Parris.
“It was incredible. We were pretty isolated – for up to seven to 10 days,” Charl recounts. “We had no power, no running water and there were trees down on the Kyneton, Blackwood and Daylesford exits.”
Fortunately Charl, a keen phone photographer, also recalls the subsequent process of recovery from the upsetting incident. In fact a photo she snapped using her phone as part of that process won her the grand overall prize in Hepburn Shire’s Amateur Storm Recovery photography competition.
Charl’s winning image captured her two boys enjoying a winter solstice bonfire not long after the big June storm of 2021 wreaked its devastation.
Funded through Bushfire Recovery Victoria, the competition was part of the wider Hepburn Shire’s Storm Recovery process that has now also led to the publication of a book entitled The Big Storm.
Hepburn’s Storm Recovery communications officer Kathy Mexted says the BRV funding enabled 200 copies of the book to be produced and these have been sent to all of the book’s contributors including many community groups that were involved.
“It was a way of people being able to process the storm impacts,” says Kathy, who wrote multiple stories herself about the ways in which the storm event affected the community, and also edited The Big Storm book which was published last month by Hepburn Shire Council.
Kathy says the book captures experiences from many perspectives, ranging from emergency service first responders to those involved later with regenerative and restorative projects. “Charl’s photo is included as are each of the photography category winners,” Kathy says.
Those who entered photographs were also encouraged to write something about the experience associated with capturing their submitted image.
In recounting the winning winter solstice photo moment, Charl wrote:
“There’s something magical, freeing and mysterious about a bonfire. After the big storm, we didn’t know if it was safe to venture close enough and be one with nature.
“The trees dimly lit by the fire of the night, it was bitterly cold but the warmth of the fire brought us closer, huddled together as we reflected. The young, the old, all of us older but were we any wiser?
“In this space I felt connected, free spirited, like I was part of a dream. I reflected and knew tomorrow the days would get longer. I laughed and was thankful for my boys, my friends and being here together, near the warmth of the fire, under the stars on the edge of the forest in the depth of the night.”
Other winners were: Junior winner – Ada Walsh, runner up and special commendation – Bug Melville, Open winner – Tony Sawrey, runner up – Robbie Connell.
Trentham & Districts Community Bank is taking book orders at $35 per copy. If there are 100 orders, the money will be collected and another print run will be done in March. Copies are available to view at the shire’s libraries, Trentham cafes and the Cosmopolitan Hotel.