Kinglake-350 by Adrian Hyland, Text Publishing, $32.95.
This is an important book, the first to tackle the horror of Black Saturday, February 7, 2009, when the small settlements around Kinglake in Victoria were hit by the worst bushfires in the nation’s recorded history.
We all remember the story but here are the details, writ large and terrifying as the firestorm loomed and ultimately destroyed lives, homes, schools, everything in its path.
The clear heroes of that inferno, and of this account, are the firefighters and police, specifically local Sergeant Roger Wood — radio call sign Kinglake-350 — who was the only officer rostered on that nightmarish morning and who led many to safety, even as his own family was threatened.
But the heroism, and grief, ran deep that day. Hyland tackles broader issues like the historic relationship to our combustible bush but what’s at the heart of this compelling, wrenching tale is how people fought for themselves, their neighbours, and the place they loved against the implacable force of fire. It’s a story of community.
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