western australia

Our friend has lost her house

@JudyEv (382068)

Rockingham, Australia

February 13, 2022 5:02pm CST

When we lived in Ravensthorpe in the south-east of Western Australia, I was friends with a single mother. Her son and our youngest were good friends. She was an artist and had a struggle to make ends meet. Later, she moved to the city and we lost touch. Move on a decade or two and she moved south of Ravensthorpe to Hopetoun which is a very pleasant town on the coast. We called to see her a few years ago when we were down that way. She had built a small house a few miles from the town itself. There was a studio, shed and vegetable garden. In spring, she would have been surrounded by wildflowers. We learnt this afternoon that the house was destroyed in one of the recent bushfires. I am just hoping that it was insured. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose all your belongings in a fire. The photo shows the typical vegetation of that area.

28 people like this

26 responses

@RebeccasFarm (91297)

• United States

14 Feb 22

How sad where is she living

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@RebeccasFarm (91297)

• United States

14 Feb 22

@JudyEv Well that would be good then at least. I can imagine it would be so terrible..here I would not have a single soul to go to.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

@RebeccasFarm Really? That is not good.

Her friends have started a fund-raiser for her.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

I don't know where she is living at the moment. It is a caring little community and I'm sure she'd have a lot of friends there.

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@flapiz (23530)

• United Kingdom

14 Feb 22

Oh no. When I read the title I had a sinking feeling it was a bushfire. It is very hard to lose a house as getting one is not easy in the first place.

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@flapiz (23530)

• United Kingdom

15 Feb 22

@JudyEv where is she staying now?

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

@flapiz I don't know but she would have a lot of friends in the town.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

That's true. She would have saved for years for her little house.

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@LadyDuck (502466)

• Italy

14 Feb 22

I am so sorry, I hope she was insured, but how bad it could be to lose all your memories and everything you own.

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@LadyDuck (502466)

• Italy

15 Feb 22

@JudyEv - I am glad, I hope she could move out most of her personal things.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

I hope she had time to get some personal items out before it all burnt down. One shed was saved so hopefully that might have held a lot of her art supplies.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

@LadyDuck I hope so too. We're not in regular touch, just that we called in to see her when we were down that way. We heard through another friend that the house had burnt.

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@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

14 Feb 22

That is so sad. I hope her home was well insured.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

@RubyHawk There has been a fund established for her so that will be a help.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

I hope so too but money would have been tight.

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@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

14 Feb 22

@JudyEv I hope they can work it out without a huge strain on the budget.

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Krissttina Isobe

@oahuwriter (26773)

• United States

14 Feb 22

That's so sad, God help your friend and her family. Amen. Red Cross International, helps a lot. When the volcano errupted 2018, on the Big Island Kilauea, displaced thousands of residents, Red Cross was there to help. There's a Red Cross in Melbourne, wikipedia says.

https://www.redcross.org.au/

www.redcross.org.au

https://www.redcross.org.au/

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

@oahuwriter Thanks

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

There has been a fund set up to help her and already $12,000 has been raised. I'm sure there will be more over the coming days.

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Krissttina Isobe

@oahuwriter (26773)

• United States

15 Feb 22

That's a relief! Hope things be ok for your friend.

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@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

14 Feb 22

Oh Judy I ams o very sorry to hear this news. Thoughts are with her.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

Thanks. It would be awful to lose everything you cherished. I hope she was able to get some things out.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

@CarolDM TWO homes?? That would be very heart-breaking.

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@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

14 Feb 22

@JudyEv My aunt lost two homes years ago, and everything she had. So very sad.

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@BarBaraPrz (51819)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

14 Feb 22

That's awful news. The wildflowers will return but will she?

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@BarBaraPrz (51819)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

15 Feb 22

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

She said she'll rebuild. She really loves the area. There is a fund being organised to help her.

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@Juliaacv (56241)

• Canada

13 Feb 22

What a shame, I hope that he had replacement insurance. One of my hubby's brother had a housefire in January 1990, he lost everything. It was hard to see him have to get everything replaced, although certain things, such as photos and antiques can never be replaced. I hope the best outcome for her.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

Thanks. As you say, some things can never be replaced. I hope she was able to rescue her most precious items.

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@Juliaacv (56241)

• Canada

14 Feb 22

@JudyEv As an artist, she would have so many items that wouldn't be able to be replaced. I just hope that she doesn't get depressed and lose her drive. My brother-in-law got a little depressed for a week or so. He spent all of his off time from work at our house during that time.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

@Juliaacv There would have to be a lot of mental anguish. They have started a fund to help her and it's already up to $12,000. She has some very good friends who will look out for her well-being.

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@DianneN (254926)

• United States

14 Feb 22

Oh, how horrid! That’s terrible. It must be so difficult despite being insured.

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@DianneN (254926)

• United States

14 Feb 22

@JudyEv I understand.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

Being insured wouldn't really be much comfort for quite some time.

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@LindaOHio (222302)

• United States

14 Feb 22

How terrible. I'm so sorry. I hope she can rebuild.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

They have started a fund for her and I'm really hoping she has insurance.

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@LindaOHio (222302)

• United States

15 Feb 22

@JudyEv I hope she has insurance too.

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@dgobucks226 (37621)

•

14 Feb 22

You hear of so many destructive forces of nature, hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes which destroy homes and take lives. One that is just as dangerous, is a fire out of control, but this seems to be overlooked until one happens. Another interesting thing is of these, fires can be caused by humans. To lose all your memories and possessions is a tragic occurrence and something that can never be replaced.

My brother lost his home in a fire due to something inside the home igniting. Not due to nature, but the result was the same. Hope your friend can find it within herself to start again making new memories.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

We have had some very damaging fires lit by arsonists. A great many are started by lightning strikes and others by faulty appliances or sparks from power tools, etc. The community at Hopetoun is raising funds to help my friend rebuild. She doesn't intend to move.

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@dgobucks226 (37621)

•

16 Feb 22

@JudyEv Great news for your friend! Oh yes, lightening is another force of nature which can cause destruction.

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@SophiaMorros (5044)

• Belews Creek, North Carolina

14 Feb 22

That's terrible!

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

She would have worked so hard to get that little house and now it's rubble. I just feel so sad for her.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

@SophiaMorros I'm hoping she was able to pack her car with her most precious items.

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@SophiaMorros (5044)

• Belews Creek, North Carolina

14 Feb 22

@JudyEv I really hope she had insurance, but even insurance can't truly compensate for the kind of loss.

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@sharonelton (30756)

• Lichfield, England

14 Feb 22

Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry to hear this. Those bush fires can be terrible. It's a wonder anyone wants to live in Australia!

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

The fires can be devastating. However, if no-one comes to Australia, that leaves all the more room for the rest of us!

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@sharonelton (30756)

• Lichfield, England

15 Feb 22

Yes, it does.

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@Faster16 (3248)

• Indonesia

14 Feb 22

I just found out there is such a flower

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

It's pretty, isn't it?

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@Faster16 (3248)

• Indonesia

16 Feb 22

@JudyEv yes it is

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changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)

• China

14 Feb 22

I really feel for her.Sometimes misfortunes never come single ! Hope she can get over it.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

She has a good support group in the community so hopefully she will be okay. She wants to rebuild as she loves where she lives.

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@sjvg1976 (42727)

• Delhi, India

14 Feb 22

That's very sad, I wish her home is insured. Already she had problems in life, God made her life difficult.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

She is a tough person so I'm sure she will overcome this in time.

@FourWalls (86703)

• United States

14 Feb 22

Oh, I'm so sad to hear that.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

It would be awful for her. I think three homes were lost in that particular fire.

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@wolfgirl569 (135744)

• Marion, Ohio

14 Feb 22

Thats so sad. Hope she does have insurance

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Feb 22

I hope she's insured too. She wouldn't have had much spare cash but, living where she lived, she would have known the dangers.

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Vicki, #1 Creek Girl

@1creekgirl (44560)

• United States

15 Feb 22

I am so very sorry for your friend. I do hope she had insurance, but there are so many things that can't be replaced.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

That's true. INsurance is all very well and a great comfort but it's the personal things that will be missed most.

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@Shiva49 (28380)

• Singapore

14 Feb 22

I also do hope that the house is insured. For most, it is a lifelong effort to have a house of our own.

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@JudyEv (382068)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Feb 22

That is very true and now, in Australia, the goal of owning one's own home is becoming more and more remote.

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