The 2019-20 Bushfire History Project was an initiative of the Royal Commission into the National Natural Disaster Arrangements. It provided an opportunity for people to record their personal experience and share photos and videos taken during the 2019-20 bushfires or the ongoing recovery. The Royal Commission received more than 1800 photos, videos and written accounts from people in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria who were affected by the bushfires.
A selection of these personal contributions was made available to the National Museum for its collections when the Royal Commission concluded its work. The museum is undertaking a wide ranging collecting project for objects and stories relating to the 2019-20 bushfire season, with objects to be displayed onsite and online in coming years.
While the partnership with the National Museum of Australia will help tell the story of the 2019-20 bushfires for future generations, the full collection of material received through the Royal Commission’s 2019-20 Bushfire History Project forms part of the official records of the Royal Commission held in the National Archives of Australia.
They have published these YouTube clips showing a large number of still photographs. Really worth a look!
The Firefighters:
Aerial Firefighting:
The Damage:
Recovery: