the bushfires, a bushfire memorial was opened on land which had been affected by the fires in Stromlo forest. The ACT Bushfire Memorial was commissioned by the ACT government to acknowledge the impact of the fires and thank the many organisations and individuals who played crucial roles in the fire fighting and recovery efforts. The memorial was designed by Canberra artists Tess Horwitz, Tony Steel and Martyn Jolly and incorporates elements requested by the ACT community. It is a journey from the day of the fire, through the process of recovery, to the honouring of memory. The entrance memorial walls are made from the community's salvaged bricks, which are inscribed with messages of grief and gratitude. Beyond the walls, a site framed by a grove of casuarinas contains red glass and metal forms, referring to the force of the firestorm and to the lightning strikes that sparked the main fires. An avenue leads to an amphitheatre enclosing a pond and bubbling spring. Glass columns bordering the pond contain details from photos provided by the community which speak of memory and human resilience. On 18 February 2006, an independent group of fire victims installed a plaque to honour the four people who died in the fires and the volunteer firefighters who fought so hard. The plaque is located at the end of the walkway to the memorial, immediately before the memorial walls. Fire victims and residents held a simple ceremony to mark the occasion. References Further reading Flight Safety Magazine article March/April 2003 on aerial bush fire fighters cached by WayBack Machine External links Mount Stromlo Fire of 18 January 2003 – official RSAA ANU photos, articles, accounts and reconstruction details 2003 Canberra Firestorm - Newspaper articles and Images Media footage and images of the 2003 Canberra firestorm Bushfires, Canberra, A.C.T., January 2003 – Australian Internet Sites – websites in the PANDORA archive Sydney Morning Herald report on the findings of the New South Wales Deputy Coroner Article in The Age February 2005 concerning the delay in the coronial inquiry Bushfire coronial website – Dedicated to bringing evidence directly from witnesses to the public. Opinion piece by Jack Waterford, editor of The Canberra Times on the outcomes of the coronial inquiry Dealing with Disaster – Using new Networking Technology for Emergency Coordination – Some of the Satellite Technology Used for Mapping the Fires Image galleries Fighting bushfires on the Mount Franklin