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.
Savage beauty
The contradictory landscape of the
Blue Mountains has always captivated people with its pristine air and rugged
terrain. Residents of the region have long been lured by the breathtaking views
and laid-back country lifestyle that is characteristic of this unique part of
Australia. However the wild forest, deep valleys and sheer cliffs that form
this beautiful scenery, also provide the perfect conditions for ferocious bushfires.
In ‘Christmas
bushfires, lower Blue Mountains, 2001-2002’ photographer Philip Gostelow captures this contradiction in documenting
the people and looming fires during the crisis.
One photograph shows children playing in an inflatable
pool in the photographer’s backyard with plumes of smoke towering overhead.
Others feature the fire brigade and police at work, with grateful members of
the public looking on. One woman is pictured wearing a sign saying ‘We all
thank you guy’s [sic]’ and hugging an exhausted fire fighter. Some of the most
poignant images are those of residents standing in the burnt out remains of
their houses, which were lost on Christmas Day.
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