‘A BILLION MARSUPIALS - TYAGARAH TO MINYON’ MELANI DU JARDIN OIL ON SALVAGED BOARD FRAMED 25 x 15 CM

The leading work in this series was painted just prior to the commencement of the 2019/2020 Black Summer East Coast Australian bushfires that were among the most catastrophic and expansive natural disasters in Australian history, fuelled by record-breaking drought and extreme heat.

The disaster resulted in thirty-three direct fatalities, an estimated 417 indirect deaths, over 4,000 injuries, and more than 63,000 displaced residents. The economic impact was staggering, with over 3,000 homes completely destroyed and total financial damages estimated to exceed 100 billion Australian dollars.

The environmental toll was equally unprecedented, as twenty-four million hectares of land burned across the country. Experts estimate that three billion animals were killed, injured, or permanently displaced by the fires, which completely scorched eight and a half million hectares of native southern and eastern forests. This ecological devastation heavily depopulated 680 plant species and 293 animal species, pushing many closer to extinction.

New South Wales bore the brunt of the devastation on the east coast, accounting for twenty-six of the lives lost nationwide. The state saw five and a half million hectares of land burned, a figure that represented roughly seven percent of its entire territory. Firefighters battled more than 11,400 distinct bush and grass fires throughout the extended season, which ultimately destroyed 2,448 homes and severely damaged over 1,000 others across New South Wales.