By Jed Lanyon
Twelve years ago, approximately 400 individual fires wreaked havoc across the state on 7 February 2009, on a day we now call Black Saturday.
More than a decade later, the impacts of the disaster remain longlasting on the Yarra Valley community and especially so for Chum Creek Primary School.
While the school’s main buildings were spared from the blaze it did not escape totally unscathed, as a chook shed, storage sheds, entrance ramp, play equipment and trees scattered around the school’s grounds were all damaged by the fires. In the immediate aftermath, the school became a safe haven for students and parents as well as an unofficial community centre for Chum Creek residents, many of whom had no power or clean water.
At the time of the bushfires, a lot of people in the immediate vicinity lost homes and property. In response, there were many generous donations intended for the local community that needed to be stored somewhere. Located centrally, the school became a collection point for donated items.
Already short of storage space the school utilised their library to store the goods and equipment that began to arrive, Chum Creek Primary School principal Michael Corr told Star Mail.
“People would say I’ve got a few boxes or eskies and things for the people of Chum Creek and we’d say, put them in there,” he said.
“Because it was full of stored bits and pieces I think the school then got out of the habit of using the library properly. I think that was one of the bad things that came from the bushfires that we didn’t realise at the time.”
Since then, the little school of just 25 students (now a strong 57) were left without a properly working library and it largely fell into disuse. Despite best intentions, without decent funding the library remained underutilised over the years and the room continued to be used partially for storage.
In the meanwhile, the school accessed the local library’s mobile book truck (until it was discontinued) as well as a small weekly visiting library van shared with other small schools.
“Once a week we would get a mobile library visit and the kids would have the opportunity to go in there and borrow a book for a week,” said parent and bookstore employee Rhiannon Leach. “It was something, but just not the same as having access to their own library.”
But now, supported by a small federal government grant and thanks to the dedication of parents who spent their holidays and spare time rebuilding and refurbishing the library, Chum Creek Primary School’s students will once again have a place to relax, learn and read.
Expected to be a long job but made even longer by the interruption of Covid-19, the library refurbishment was entirely due to the hard work of the school’s families over the holidays.
From new shelving, a paint job, replacing old books and sourcing new ones, re-cataloguing, fixing wiring, refurnishing, patching holes and even the removal of a possum who made the library roof its home, the room has now been completely refurbished.
“It looks so inviting and all the kids want to come in and sit and read,” said parent Elly Franklin.
Another parent, Kate Kruize, said, “It was always a bit sad to me that this space wasn’t used to its full potential. It was a sad part of an otherwise awesome school.”
And while the room is now reading-ready, the library is without enough books as age, mould and silverfish infestation took a toll on the school’s collection. Many of the books that did survive were outdated and no longer relevant.
“Some of them referred to mobile phones as technology of the future, and suggested that climate change ‘may be an issue one day’,” Ms Kruize said.
The school, with the help of Healesville’s Verso Books have started a book drive calling on the Yarra Valley community to help the school by providing monetary support or book donations to help restock the library’s shelves.
“Please support us,” Ms Leach said. “Donate or purchase a book; anything and everything is going to be welcomed.”
“If people in the community would like to donate to the library to help us, that’d be fantastic. Of course, we will acknowledge all donors with a book plate,” Mr Corr said. “Chum Creek Primary School has been here for over a hundred years. This year’s Preps weren’t around when the bushfires occurred, but they, as well as future generations of students will benefit from an attractive and well-stocked library for years to come.”
