Dragon of Black saturday (river red gum planting

[lindsay farr]

The events and horror of black Saturday still haunt us. A few days after that ominous day I chose to plant a gum grove in an old Aussie pot. A group of Koori kids from Swan Hill had supplied the collected gums a few years ago. I knew a time to plant them would come.
I wanted to create a landscape that might hint at the profound losses of that day.

These are the raw gums

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I pruned the soft growth and defoliated

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I raked the roots gingerly from top and bottom. This was in February and the weather had been extreme.

raking.jpg

Sprayed with a light coat of paint to blacken the trunks

spraying.jpg

Planted and dressed to evoke the windswept tanged mess of the day

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New shoots emerged

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As the shoots elongated I pinched them back

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18 weeks later it's taking shape

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12months later ??????????????????????????
Cheers
Lindsay

[miyagiman]

thats an awesome depiction of that sad day. our hearts still go out to the ones who suffered so badly that day.
I certainly hope the planting survives & thrives as such a commemoration.
well done lindsay. cheers, dave.

[daiviet_nguyen]

My brother in law is very active with Melbourne community channel 31, he had
permissions to go in there to film the landscape after tragic events. I have
seen some unedited footages -- they are very sad.

For me personally, the photo titled "Planted and dressed to evoke the windswept
tanged mess of the day" suggests the landscape after the event very well.

I think this is a very thoughtful creation.

Thank you for sharing it.

Best regards.

[Chris]

i sat in ore that day. S.A had the same winds and as a cfs member i was amazed somthing dident happen over here in the same way. the dust the noise was unreal.

keep us posted with the trees they look fantastic

[Pup]

I salute you for this memoriam.
A sad day to remember but one we will never forget.
Pup and Family

[kcpoole]

Very nice Lindsay

[Bretts]

The appriciation of time lapse in this is very thoughtful.

[teejay]

An awesome creation Lindsay, well done.

Since I'm surrounded by bush rejuvenating itself from the day I can definately see the resemblence in your piece: Blackened trunks busting from everywhere with new shoots. It's a testament to their resilence, while also being somehow poetical.

Life goes on.

[lindsay farr]

Thanks to the Ausbonsai community for being open to new ideas.
Cheers
Lindsay

[tr3nt29]

Very well done Lindsay.

Your pictures capture the resilience and will to survive that make eucalytus great bonsai material,
i like the idea of painting the trunks black, as I have tried burning gum trunks with little success.

Trent.

[lindsay farr]

A year has passed by. Here's today's pic.
Cheers
Lindsay

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[FlyBri]

Goodonya Lindsay!

As I stand in my recently soaked backyard, pestered by mosquitoes and flies, I find it difficult to imagine conditions like we experienced this time last year. Yet, if I look out my daughter's bedroom window, I can see Kinglake West, where thousands of blackened trunks still cast a jagged and eerie silhouette against the sky. It will be many years before things return to 'normal' in the areas and communities which were ravaged by fire 12 months ago.

Your setting provides a fitting tribute: it speaks of our infinite mortailty, as well as the resilience of our natural environment (and us). Well done.

Fly.

[Jamie]

lindsay,

very inspirational, and just the thought of doing it would lift the spirit of those who went through that tragic time, the setting shows that time doe heal wounds, the gums after being severly burnt to a crisp and then coming back to life, does show the resilence of our land and the people that have gone through the tradgedy.

well done lindsay, i wish there is some way this could get shown to all the people?

i find the placement of the trees very dynamic as well, there was something at the start where the setting showed drama and destruction with the trees black and bent over for the harsh conditions they went through to now where they have reshot and are growing where it is showing the life cycle of these great trees and how we can all get through things.


jamie

[Glenda]

Lindsay,

A truly unique bonsai - what a thoughtful memorium to that tragic day. It is a poignant reminder that life can rise from the ashes, a true testament to the Australian spirit.

Glenda

[Pup]

When I saw this setting for the first time I cried I still find it hard to look at this without getting a lump in my throat.

Jamies Idea is wonderful, May I suggest a pictorial in our National Collection entrance way, so that the many visitors we get to see our tree's.
Can see what we as a group, feel about our some times very harsh and brutal land, but with typical resiliance we bounce back.

Just my thoughts, and thank you very much Lindsay for this wonderful Landscape, May we all remember those that perished in our different ways and make our prayers to our God be heard.

Cheers Pup