Snapshot of the past

A film still of three children sitting in the burnt out ruins of their Powelltown home in 1926.
On the centenary of the Black Sunday bushfires, Noojee and District Historical Society is preparing a permanent exhibition to educate on the largely forgotten bushfire which destroyed much of the Noojee township.
This photograph is taken from a silent film created as part of bushfire relief fund efforts.
The family, including the three children, were captured walking through the ruins after the bushfire destroyed their home in less than three minutes on Valentine's Day - February 14, 1926.
The 1926 summer bushfires impacted 390,000 hectares of bushland from the Dandenong Ranges to Mallacoota, with 30 or 31 people killed on Black Sunday, including the Olsen family of four at Neerim East.
In Noojee, 45 homes, the hotel and motor garage were destroyed along with vital railway and bridge assets. The Noojee Hotel was one of few structures left standing.
The Gazette headlines declared "Township of Noojee Burnt Out", "The Tragedy of the Pioneers" and "New Brick Hotel as Sanctuary".
At the time, newspapers speculated it unlikely that the bustling railway terminal town of Noojee - founded in 1902 - would be rebuilt.
An estimated 30 sawmills in the Warburton and Erica districts also were destroyed.
Most people remember the 1939 bushfires and the subsequent Stretton Royal Commission which arguably washed away the 1926 tragedy from common memory.
However, these events helped shape rural firefighting in Victoria.
Noojee and District Historical Society said the 1926 bushfire exhibition would be featured within the 1960 Louvre Carriage, alongside the display dedicated to brave 1939 postmistress Gladys Sanderson, at the Noojee Heritage Centre. It is scheduled to open this month.
Anyone with stories or items to share for the 1926 bushfire exhibition, should email noojeeheritage@gmail.com as soon as possible.
Photograph and information courtesy of Australian Screen, Noojee and District Historical Society and a Peter McHugh presentation.
The Noojee Heritage Centre is a central hub that showcases the character, heritage and identity of the region. Situated at the rebuilt railway station and platform, it offers captivating stories and railway and timber displays for history enthusiasts, railway lovers and visitors to West Gippsland.
To find out more, visit noojeerailwaystationprecinct.com