It is now three years since Yarra Ranges residents were hit by the worst storm in the region’s history.
On 9-10 June 2021, almost 200 properties were damaged, 81 were uninhabitable, tens of thousands of trees fell, blocking roads and bringing down telephone and powerlines and left thousands without heating and phone or internet connection for weeks.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Sophie Todorov acknowledges that the community will come together in their own way to reflect upon the events of the June 2021 storm.
“In the event of an emergency, communities often pull together and support each other. We saw it during the June 2021 storm and the subsequent weather events afterwards including the landslide earlier this year and the mass power outage in February,” she said.
“Building the resilience of the community is key to making sure that they are prepared for future events, and we have seen this growing in strength in the Hills over the past few years,”
“One of the ways some members of our community reflect and remember is through art, so it is fitting that this year Olinda-based artist Emma Jennings’ Stories of Giants Exhibition is on display at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum at 35-37 Castella St, Lilydale from Wednesday 5 June to Sunday 8 Sep 2024.”
Emma Jennings’ Stories of Giants pays tribute to the remarkable individuals who rallied behind the Dandenong Ranges community after the storm struck.
“This exhibition brought together community members’ creative responses to the storm by using salvaged lengths of timber from trees that fell and the patterns found across the forest floor,” said Cr Todorov.
Council officers are still able to assist any community members who are recovering from the June 2021 storm either through the rebuild process or other social support. Contact 1300 368 333 if you need further assistance following the June 2021 storm.
