From the Embers

by Community Broadcasting Association of Australia


https://www.cbaa.org.au/fromtheembers

During the horrific fires over the 2019 and 2020 summer, Australians came to rely on the reach of the ABC for their news. For those directly experiencing the bushfires: community radio was also key to their survival. 

Produced by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, From the Embers is a documentary series that provides listeners with unparalleled access to first-hand testimonies of nine affected communities – Adelaide Hills, Bairnsdale, Braidwood, Cooma, Kangaroo Island, Mallacoota, Mongarlowe, Moruya and Omeo. 

Each episode explores a different theme, ranging from what properly defended houses looked like, to the millions of animals endangered by the fires, and takes us to different parts of the country. This show is both a celebration of the heroic efforts of communities to protect and survive, and a space for an elegy of the devastating scale of loss. 

The show is gritty, honest and importantly, serves as a reminder that allowing victims and survivors to tell their own stories is an important part of the grieving process. 

This podcast was funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas. The team includes Sarah Mashman (executive producer), Alice Ansara (producer), Vicky Rouse and Abe Killian (production management team), Tegan Nichols (engineering), Zoe Ferguson (script consultation), and wouldn’t have been possible without the community radio volunteers who served as podcast guests.