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1969 Lara BushfirePrint Page Print this page

Plinth : 16-April-2015
Plinth : 16-April-2015

Photographs supplied by Sandra Brown / Tim Fitzgerald

The sculptured memorial commemorates and reflects the 17 lives lost and the devastation of the Lara Bushfire of the 8th January 1969.  The bluestone plinth and plaque were dedicated on the 11th January 2009 to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the devastating fires. The plinth and plaque containing a symbolic sculpture are incorporated into the memorial which was unveiled in 2010.

The memorial also contains six stainless steel plaques mounted on a deep red background on a sculptured interpretive panel which narrates the devastation in the aftermath of the fire. Four photographs show significant landmarks and two text plaques tell the story and list the 17 people who perished in that fire. The final plaque gives a brief background to the memorial project and links to the enamel plaque on the bluestone plinth supporting the grass sculpture.

On the 8th January 1969, 280 fires broke out in Victoria. Of these,12 grass fires reached major proportions and burnt out 250,000 hectares. Areas seriously affected included Lara, Daylesford, Dulgana, Yea, Darraweit, Kangaroo Flat and Korongvale. Twenty-three people died, including 17 motorists at Lara, trapped on the Geelong to Melbourne freeway. The fires also destroyed 230 houses, 21 other buildings and more than 12,000 stock.

Note : In January 2019, a plaque was erected at the point of origin of the fire. It is located at the corner of Bacchus Marsh Road and Carrrs Road, Lara, on the east side of the intersection.  The fire started on a property called Wolloomanata Station from an unattended burnoff from the day before.   

Location

Address:Walkers Road , next to Library, Lara , 3212
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -38.021876
Long: 144.410901
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Disaster
Sub-Theme:Fire
Actual Event Start Date:08-January-1969
Actual Event End Date:08-January-1969
Artist:George & Jan Francis

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 14th November, 2010
Front Inscription

LARA BUSHFIRES EMERGENCY
40th ANNIVERSARY

08 - 01 - 1969 

This plaque was dedicated by Betty Davey-Walker 
on 11 - 01 - 2009, in memory of those who lost their 
lives and to the people of Lara affected by the 
disaster.

        To Commemorate 
             and
          Remember


Plaques on display panel
Plaque : 
This Memorial to the 1969 LARA BUSHFIRE was unveiled on November 14 2010 by Betty Davey-Walker, bushfire survivor, local identity and instigator of this project. The desire and committment for this memorial grew from the 40th year commemoration of the Lara Bushfires held on 8 / 1 / 2009. 

Lions Club  Lara Fire Brigade  
Victorian Bluestone Quarries  
Lara District Chamber of Commerce  
Lara District Community Bank Branch Bendigo Bank
City of Greater Geelong  Roraima Nursery  
Lara Landscape  Moongate Studios

Plaque : 

The 17 Who Perished
In The 1969
Lara Bushfire

[ Names ]





 

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au