The memorial commemorates those who lost their lives or were affected by the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009.The memorial features two plaques, memorial wall and seating and a tree in a large circular area.
It also pays tribute to the emergency services, volunteers, government agencies and charities that helped local residents during the Bunyip Ridge fires of the same time. Twenty firestar rose bushes, bred and donated by Rob Wakelam whose farm was threatened in the Black Saturday bushfires, were planted at the memorial. The firestar rose bushes, the official rose of the CFA, are expected to bloom in 2014 in time for the anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires. The roses are an important feature of the new memorial at the park in Bunyip.
The ceremony was held on the 6th July 2013 to present the memorial to the local community. Council officially opened the memorial in February 2014, to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires. The memorial was funded by the State and Federal Government’s Community Recovery Fund, with additional funding by Council.
The Bunyip ridge fires destroyed 31 homes, including that of Cardinia Shire resident Fred Wailes, and burned through 26,200 hectares by the time they were contained early in March 2009.
The Cache:-
The listed co-ordinates will bring you to the memorial, once here complete the following simple maths which will bring you to the location of the cache.
S38 05.ABC E145 42.DEF
Where:-
A = Number of wooden slats on the 1st seat on the memorial
B = Number of wooden slats on the 2nd seat on the memorial
C = Number of wooden slats on the 3rd seat on the memorial
D = Number of wooden slats on the 4th seat on the memorial divided by 2
E = Number of words on the 2nd row on the left memorial plaque
F = Number of words on the 2nd row of the right memorial plaque
The final is located alongside a road, if you park on the East bound side (thats heading towards Bunyip from Nar Nar Goon), there is sufficient area to pull of the road.
The cache is a 1 Litre Sistema, with swaps, but no writing stick.