2023 has been a year of reflection as the community has come together to remember Ash Wednesday, 40 years on.

Ash Wednesday’s inferno torched 41,000 hectares across the Otways region, burning from Deans Marsh to Lorne on the wings of a ferocious northerly wind and then up the coast to Anglesea under the influence of an aggressive south-westerly change. It claimed three lives, 729 homes, 53 other buildings, many livestock and many kilometres of fencing.

Surf Coast Shire Council hosted a community event on 16 February 2023 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Ash Wednesday bushfires. The event provided a space for people to come together in memory and tribute and acknowledged the community spirit which provided a foundation for the region’s recovery

For images & audio from this event along with images & video from Ash Wednesday visit > https://www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/Experience/Events/Ash-Wednesday

Reflection Posters are currently on display in the Deans Marsh Hall.  Commemorative books are also available from the Deans Marsh Cottage.