Poets and blacksmiths

Abstract

Memorialization allows people to grieve and provides a way to commemorate the past. Global memorials extend beyond the local communities, allowing a wider audience to participate. Website memorials and online social networking sites have been created for the Black Saturday bushfires, allowing people to post messages from around the world. Place is an important attribute of many of the commemorative activities we documented. As mentioned, the Poetry Tree is located on the road leading directly into the town of Strathewen. One resident commented that she would wave to the photos of the deceased on the tree as she drove past each day, perhaps not unlike how she might wave to passing neighbors. Togetherness, however, is not just important on anniversaries. Since the fires, a number of groups whose sole purpose is to connect those affected have been created. Physical objects were common in memorializing the bushfires. For the Poetry Tree, the physicality of a poem written on a piece of paper, inserted in a plastic sleeve, and nailed to the tree is significant.