Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Smoke from fires, looking east, Great Western Highway, Woodford

Smoke from fires, looking east, Great Western Highway, Woodford

3 January 2002
PXE 872 / 15
Silver gelatin photoprint

Perth-born photojournalist, Philip Gostelow, and his family were living in Woodford, New South Wales, when the Christmas 2001-02 bushfires erupted in the Blue Mountains.

Gostelow captured his experience of the catastrophe in a series of 11 black and white photographs titled ‘Christmas bushfires, lower Blue Mountains, 2001-2002.’ The series successfully juxtaposes the playful atmosphere of the Christmas holidays with the tragedy of the destructive fires.

This image is the second in the series, and depicts a billow of smoke coming from the east towards Woodford.

A billow of smoke

This image is the second image in the series ‘Christmas bushfires, lower Blue Mountains, 2001-2002.’ It captures the moment of the smoke from the fire rolling over the Great Western Highway, and into the town of Woodford.