black-christmas-bushfires-Dick-McNeill_Jan2002
Title - Dick McNeill, Kurrajong Heights
Photo taken 11/01/2002
Story: Dick McNeill, Kurrajong Heights. 86 years old at the time, Dick lost his home of 30 years on the afternoon of Christmas Day. Cruelly, in a strange twist of fate, he was out helping the Rural Fire Brigade with firefighting at the time. When he was given a lift home later, he returned to his worse fears â his house had gone. Sad and resigned to the loss, he was surprisingly philosophical about the whole affair. I remember him saying itâs the little things you miss most â like when you get up in the morning and automatically lean over expecting there to be a bedside table and a clock to check the time, and itâs not there. Or your toothbrush â you have to replace everything.