Michael Rowland - Black Summer

ABC camera operator Peter Drought at Colo, NSW. (Lily Mayers/ABC)

Weve had a great deal of feedback from people saying how reassured they felt hearing local voices on the radio, people they knew, Lisa Markham, the chief of staff at ABC South East New South Wales, said, and that they appreciated hearing us on air 24 hours a day during the fires.

There were times when the voice of the ABC was the only one people heard. Many people told us that, recalled Simon Lauder, ABC South East New South Wales Breakfast host, who presented rolling emergency radio coverage alongside producer Jen Hunt. I had people in tears come up to me in the supermarket saying we saved their lives. I dont think I did anything lifesaving, but information can save lives. I feel strongly the ABC has to maintain that depth within the regions to keep doing emergency broadcasting. Living in a region makes you care a lot more than someone who doesnt. You face the people who listen to you every day. Theres much at stake and you are really invested.

Black Summer: Stories of loss, courage and community from the 20192020 bushfires details how the ABCs metro news rooms and local radio stations kept the nation up to date with the unfolding disaster, and reinforces the commitment and professionalism of the people who were at the frontline of our emergency broadcasting. The stories give unforgettable insights into peoples fears during and after the fires, as well as their extraordinary resilience and optimism. They also paint a picture of peoples kindness to others. Take, for example, Zalmai Khatiz, an Afghani migrant who has lived in Australia for forty years. He and his family stopped trying to save their own home from the flames in order to give their elderly neighbours a helping hand protecting their house. Zalmai said he wanted to give back, to show his gratitude to Australia for giving him a future.

There are horrific stories of cars with aluminium features melted into a puddle. Many tell of the horrifying roar of the fires. Louise Brown lost her home, but not her Cobargo bookshop, which survived the fire that ripped through the towns main street. She announced the reopening of the shop with a sign in the window: Post-apocalyptic fiction now moved to current affairs. Even amid devastation, our unique Aussie humour makes people smile. Where would we be without it?

Black Summer has been edited by ABC News Breakfast co-host Michael Rowland, who reported on the fires on the north and south coasts of New South Wales. As he points out in his introduction, the costs of Australias Black Summer are still being counted. And he asks the question on many peoples minds: will we never again be able to relax during summer?

Time will tell. But if indeed that is to be our fate, the ABC, as Australias national broadcaster, will be ready to fulfil its emergency broadcasting obligations to keep Australians informed and safe. Its what they expect us to do.

Ita Buttrose, AC, OBE Chair Australian Broadcasting Corporation

LIFE CHANGED WHEN THE FIRESTORMS STRUCK OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE BLACK SUMMER OF 201920. Mentally we are scarred forever, left with the images of what we have lost loved ones, homes, businesses and livelihoods and scenes we will never forget despite wanting to. Our hearts are blackened and in many cases broken. But our resolve to get through one of Australias largest natural disasters has brought out countless community heroes. I am proud to know so many wonderful people who went above and beyond to help their families, friends, neighbours and communities.

We all drew incredible strength from our firefighters. Our New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers, under the leadership of Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, not only put out fires and saved lives and property, but motivated and inspired the rest of the community to be the best they could be in such dark and troubled times. Together we were united in survival and together we are united in recovery.

I live near Batemans Bay. The smoke was like fog most days in December 2019, and my neighbours and I wondered when the fire would strike our homes. It wasnt a case of if, but when. On 31 December our turn came. New Years Eve will never again be celebrated like it was before. From now on, it will be a day of remembrance.

At 3 am I was woken by an alert from the Fires Near Me app warning people to shelter in place. I knew the far south coast of New South Wales was in dire trouble. With no humidity and a temperature of 32 degrees before the sun had even risen, it wasnt going to be long before thousands of people would be staring death in the face from a fire that had been burning in the ranges for over a month. Unusually it wasnt a late-afternoon fire fanned by strong northwesterlies; it was a morning fire on a huge front. Small communities were under serious threat. Villages like Cobargo, Mogo, Malua Bay and Quaama would soon become etched in the nations consciousness and ultimately embraced in the nations kindness.