City of Armadale - History House > Records

DIGITAL IMAGE - DEPT CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER ASSISTING FIRE VICTIMS

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2011

Overview

Digital image - of a man in a purple vest talking to 10 other people who are either sitting or standing in a rough circle. One of those people is a FESA fire fighter from the City of Bayswater. Image taken inside the Armadale Arena on the 8th of February 2011.
The individual in the purple vest was part of the Department of Child Protection emergency response team who assisted vicitms of the Roleystone Kelmscott bushfire. They were affectionatly known as 'Purple angels' by people using the Armadale Arena.
Image taken by Archer Imagery who were commissioned to take images of events on the 8th of February 2011.

Historical information

Image taken by Archer Imagery who were commissioned by the Armadale Arena to record the follow up to the Roleystone Kelmscott Bushfire. The Armadale Arena was the designated emergency evacuation sight and later the one stop shop for government and community agencies who were there to provide assistance to people effected by the bushfire.
The image includes a member of the Department of Child Protection in the purple vest. These officers became affectionately known as the 'Purple Angels'.
On the morning of 6th of February 2011 a bushfire was accidentally started by an individual using an angle grinder outside, during a total fire ban. Sparks from the angle grinder set nearby dry grass on fire. High easterly winds caused this scrub fire to quickly turn into a bushfire. Over the course of the rest of the day the fire spread westerly out of Roleystone and, down the hill and into Kelmscott. Residents in the path of the fire were ordered to evacuate immediately. Many families lost their homes. 71 homes were destroyed with another 30+ badly damaged. Residents were evacuated to the Armadale Arena on Townley Street which was turned in to the emergency evacuation centre. Most residents spent the night there and it was a few days before they were allowed back into the area to see if their homes had survived.
The Armadale Arena remained a one stop resource centre for victims of the bushfire for 2 weeks after the event.
This bushfire is now regarded as one of the worst in WA history due to the loss of homes. No one was killed during the bushfire.
For further information see the Birtwistle Local Studies library

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-33-COA2011.72

Item type

Photographs

Keywords

Townley Street

Armadale Arena TOWNLEY Street Armadale

City of Bayswater

Bushfire Roleystone Kelmscott 2011

Department of Child Protection

Year

2011

Statement of significance

On the 6th of February 2011, the Roleystone Kelmscott Bushfire destroyed over 70 homes in the east Kelmscott and south west Roleystone area. Residents were evacuated to the Armadale Arena, which became the centre for helping those effected by the fire. This sign was put on a notice board for people at the centre.
This was one of the worst bushfire for loss of homes in WA history. Many people lost everything in this event due to the speed of the fire.

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

City of Armadale - History House

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