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It’s an image some Canberran’s can’t get out of their mind – the smoke-filled sky of the devastating 2019-2020 bushfire season.
Having spent more than 41 days stood up over the last fire season, ACT Rural Fire Service (ACTRFS) volunteer and photographer, Gary Hooker, witnessed first-hand the devastating impacts of Black Summer – capturing hundreds of images on the frontline in the process.
A special collection of 14 images have been selected for display at the Royal Australian Mint. The exhibition comes, following the release of the new commemorative coloured $2 coin. The coin honours the bravery and sacrifice of Australia's firefighters throughout the bushfires that swept the country.
Gary has been a volunteer with the ACTRFS for more than 18 years – documenting the people behind the service, as well as the natural disasters he has faced.
“As they say, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, so I aim to capture the history and memories in photos and video clips as events as they occur. I feel very honoured to be able to share some of my photos. It gives people a glimpse of what it is like to be one of the tens of thousands of firefighters who spent a lot of time fighting fires during the 2019-2020 Black Summer fire season.”
Although the season has passed, the memory will live on with many Canberran’s for years to come. Gary’s photographs serve as a stark reminder of the adversity we have overcome.
The exhibition will be on display in the foyer of the Royal Australian Mint until 28 January 2021.
