City of Armadale - History House > Records

NOTE HANDWRITTEN FROM STEWART ALEXANDER TO TERRY AND KAREN PATRICK

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2011

Subcollections

Roleystone Kelmscott Bushfire Collection (2011)

Overview

Piece of paper torn from a spiral note book. Folded in half. Text written in blue and black pen.
Blue pen [Stewart Alexander / (0489 deleted) 04******** / Looking for Terry & Karen / Patrick lives on Rowley Rd off Scott.].
Black pen [They are at home, house saved. / from neighbour, who know's them. FRID 11th]

Historical information

One of a series of notes left by concerned friends / family members trying to contact victims of the Kelmscott & Roleystone Bushfire on the 6th of February 2011. The notes were left at the Armadale Arena on Townley Street, Armadale which was the evacuation centre during the bushfire.
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, down the hill and into Kelmscott. 150 firefighters were on the ground during the peak of the bushfire. Residents in the path of the fire were ordered to evacuate immediately. Over 4,000 people were evacuated during the bushfire. Many families lost their homes. 69 homes were destroyed with another 71 badly damaged. Residents were evacuated to the Armadale Arena on Townly Street, which was turned into the emergency evacuation centre. Most residents spent the night there and it was not for 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 number of homes lost. No one was killed during the bushfire.
For further information, see the Birtwistle Local Studies Library.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-33-COA2011.14

Item type

Documents

Material

Paper

Width

120 mm

Height or length

136 mm

Keywords

Roleystone

Kelmscott

Made in COA

Rowley Road, Kelmscott

PATRICK Karen

PATRICK Terry Mr

STEWART Alexander Mr

Bushfire Roleystone Kelmscott 2011

Armadale Arena TOWNLEY Street Armadale

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 collection represents not only the destructive nature of the bushfire but also how the local and wider Western Australian community came together to help those in need. This collection is also part of a far broader story about Western Australia's relationship with 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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