Good news from Cardwell

The devastation of Cyclone Yasi. Image courtesy of Cardwell and District Historical Society.

Cardwell and District Historical Society rebuilt. Image courtesy of Cardwell and District Historical Society.

For some of us, remembering Cyclone Yasi requires trawling our memory for images of the devastation of communities torn apart and washed away. In our fast paced world bad news stories are supplanted by another daily as we swing from latest update to latest update.

But for those whose lives were torn apart and washed away, the word Yasi remains part of their everyday world. Which is why the news that the Cardwell and District Historical Society has reopened their doors is worth celebrating.

It reminds us of the importance of preserving our history locally; of the sense of empowerment we gain from recording our own experiences and interpreting the things that affect us and change our lives. It allows us to choose our own memories and describe our communities by our own stories and the identities we forge from them.

So let’s celebrate with Cardwell and if you are up north, stop by the Cardwell Historical Society because it’s there you will find the spirit of the people affected by Yasi.

For further information about disaster preparedness visit these previous M&G NSW blog posts:

Preparing for Disasters   
Disaster response- introducing Q-Dis

Carole Best

Read more about the rebuilding of the Museum here.