Amidst the fear and frustration of the bushfire that’s torn through the Cobaw Ranges, many examples of selflessness and charity can be found.
From neighbours helping to hose down each other’s property or beat off flames, to residents within Lancefield’s town limits offering rooms and even houses to those displaced by the blaze, there’s been no shortage of people willing to lend a hand.
As the drama unfolded last Tuesday, elderly Lancefield residents who could not drive were taken to a relief centre in Gisborne on the back of a fire truck.
Lancefield’s pub put on a free barbecue as people huddled in the centre of town.
Generousity has continued to be displayed in the days that have followed.
The town’s op shop has received many donations of clothing for people unable to return to their homes.
Cafes have offered free coffee to firefighters and a recovery centre in the Mechanics Institute has taken a steady flow of inquiries from residents offering paddocks for relocated horses.
The owners of a Benloch school camp in the line of the blaze invited neighbours to gather in safety and share food intended for a cancelled booking.
Goodwill has also cut through the tension of several community meetings, including on Thursday night when a local CFA volunteer fought back tears as she offered to take the addresses of people worried about animals that hadn’t been fed in three days.
“We will go past every one of those houses and check on your animals,” she said to loud applause.
At an earlier meeting, resident Sheila Chapman offered the top floor of her home for people needing somewhere to stay.
“It’s there waiting for anyone who needs it,” she said.
A strong community
Such acts of kindness have come as little surprise to Macedon Ranges council’s community safety manager Anne-Louise Lindner.
“I’ve been in Lancefield a fair bit and I know you’ve got a very strong community,” she said.
“You’re doing really well. You’ve got a whole lot of people behind you helping as much as they can. Collectively, you’ll be able to move past this situation.”
