By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
THE community spirit present in the wake of the Ash Wednesday fires was again alive at a memorial over the weekend.
Cockatoo community members gathered to commemorate the anniversary of a day that changed the town forever. It has been 32 years since bushfire devastated hills communities, the memory of that day still fresh in the minds of many.
Cockatoo received worldwide attention in the aftermath of the fires when Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited the community kindergarten.
The kinder is now the site of an Ash Wednesday memorial, and a 12-sided building to be used for reflection is currently under construction.
Residents from Cockatoo and surrounds gathered last Sunday 15 February at Alma Treloar Reserve to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on the day. The focus was both on remembering the past and looking towards the future.
Those present on the day wrote personal messages for the new building on pieces of wood, and were updated on the refurbishment of the building.
The memorial is set to be completed in March this year.
