The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is a premier cultural attraction that supports the Tasmanian Government’s long-term goal of bringing 1.5 million visitors to the state each year.
It was my pleasure today to open a moving exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of one of the state’s most catastrophic natural disasters.
One Hell of an Inferno: The 1967 Tasmanian Bushfires tells the story of the fires that engulfed south-eastern Tasmania on 7 February 1967 and their impact on Tasmanian communities.
Tasmanians who lived through that devastating day have vivid memories of their experiences, and many of their stories are shared as part of the exhibition.
Visitors can also watch a film exploring how the Tasmanian Aboriginal community has managed the landscape through the use of fire throughout history, including interviews with practitioners who carry out those fire management strategies today.
The exhibit also provides a reminder of the beauty of Tasmania’s bush through the presentation of the Tasmanian Tree Project.
In conjunction with the exhibition, TMAG will host the Tasmanian Fire Service’s (TFS) video story booth in the Central Gallery which will allow visitors to record their own stories about Black Tuesday.
The TFS will also be part of TMAG’s special commemorative Community Day on Sunday 5 February 2017 which will feature a visit from an historic fire truck used on Black Tuesday as well as a display from the Bushfire-Ready Neighbourhoods program and a live broadcast by ABC Local Radio.
The museum will also mark the anniversary of the fires with a special ceremony on Tuesday 7 February.
This exhibition has been supported by the Tasmanian Community Fund, and I encourage everyone in the community to visit this summer and see this important exhibition for themselves.
One Hell of an Inferno: The 1967 Tasmanian Bushfires is on show at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from 16 December 2016 until 19 March 2017. For more information visit www.tmag.tas.gov.au/inferno