7 October 2021
A call for photographic submissions to the Southern Downs Regional Council’s Hope and Growth 2019 Bushfire Photography Exhibition has been met with resounding local community support with more than 100 extraordinary bushfire recovery photos submitted.
The upcoming photographic journey illustrates the community’s stories of hope and growth following the 2019 bushfires through images captured by local residents and will be showcased in a travelling exhibition across the region to commemorate the two- year anniversary of the event.
Council has partnered with the Queensland and Australian Governments to bring this recovery project to life and celebrate the resilient spirit of the rural community through sharing collective stories.
A Council spokesperson said the response to the call for photos had been met with enthusiasm and the submissions reflected the healing and mateship that was evident during and after the 2019 bushfires.
“It is important to appropriately mark the anniversary of the 2019 bushfires – an event that united the region in fighting the fires and then following the immediate danger, how the community came together again to move forward with recovery,” the spokesperson said.
“The commemorative photo exhibition captures the ‘then and now’ of the event, reflecting the immediate impact of the fires and the subsequent recovery journey.
“It has been inspiring to see how open and willing our community has been to share its stories and images and we hope the response to attend this exhibition is just as welcoming.”
The exhibition will officially be opened by Mayor Vic Pennisi at 4pm on Friday 15 October at Jamworks, Glen Aplin. The exhibition will be open to the public everyday from 9am on weekends, and 10am Wednesdays to Fridays until Friday 12 November. Pop-up exhibitions will also feature across the region at various locations. Visit Council’s website and Facebook page for more information.
Council thanks the community for sharing its incredible photos.
Funding for this activity is through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement (2018), a joint arrangement between the Australian and Queensland Governments.