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This work was created in response to the destruction of the Mt Stromlo Observatory Library in the horrendous bushfires that swept through the Observatory and the western suburbs of Canberra on the 18 January 2003.

I have been involved with Mt Stromlo for my entire life, as my father was an astronomer (he now does other things), and my husband is an astrophysicist. Although the fires came extremely close to our suburban home in Fisher, the loss of Mt Stromlo on that dreadful day was utterly heart breaking.

The papers used in this work were found after the fires, and are from academic journals that were blown out of telescopes, and had only been slighly singed. Not a scrap of paper survived in the library - it was reduced to solid ash (see the photo of the library interior, left).

The small panels on the right hold found objects from the scene - molten window glass, nails, chips of tile, molten metal, and so on. The white frame reflects the window design in the original heritage administration building, which housed the library.

This work was exhibited in the Pyroglyphics art show (September 2003), and has been donated to Mt Stromlo Observatory. It is now on display in the refurbished and redesigned Library in the new Commonwealth Solar Observatory Building.

The inside of the rebuilt Library is very different! This photo was taken on the opening on 4 July 2007, showing approximately the same area as the photo of the destruction (left).

If you can cope with it, you can see our photos of the observatory, taken a few days after the disaster here.

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