• Title
  Peter Whelan oral history interview by Louise Whelan
• Creator
  Louise Whelan, 1967-
• Level of description
  fonds
• Date
  
  28 August 2020
• Type of material
  Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories
• Reference code
  9657968
• Physical Description
  1 audio file (1 hr., 7 min.) - digital, WAV, stereo (48 kHz, 24 bit)
  
• ADMINISTRATIVE/ BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
  
  Peter Whelan was born in Sydney and grew up in the semi-rural suburb of Glenhaven. He is a civil structural engineer who now lives with his family on a large bush property in Watui, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. During the 2019-2020 bushfires Peter and his family were evacuated from their property a number of times. Peter has worked on a number of civil engineer projects in the Sydney area including the Collaroy storm water outlet, and new additions to Taronga Zoo. He has recently been involved in rebuilding a number of houses that were destroyed in the 2019-2020 bushfires. After the fires, Peter became a member of the local Rural Fire Service (RFS). Peter is Louise Whelan's brother.
  
  Louise Whelan is an established oral historian and award-winning photographer who has conducted a wide range of interviews for the Library relating to cultural and social history and contemporary life in New South Wales.
  
  Reference:
  Library correspondence file
• Scope and Content
  In this oral history interview Peter Whelan recounts the intense period leading up to and during the bushfires in October 2019, whilst also expecting the birth of his second child. He talks about how his family prepared for the fires approaching his home, and the effects of the fires on the local area, including a fatality that happened nearby. Peter speaks about how he accessed information about the fires, including the use of the 'Fires Near Me' app, a local Facebook page, direct messages, and an app called 'Windy'. He reflects on the length of time the fires were burning as well as the exhaustion of being on constant high alert. Peter talks about his current work as an engineer in rebuilding houses burnt during the 2019 fires. He also speaks about his childhood growing up in the north-western suburbs of Sydney, and his education and his work as a civil/structural engineer. Peter talks about joining the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and the process of training, the logistics behind the scenes, and the significant increase in people joining the RFS as volunteers.
• Copying Conditions
  In copyright:
  Copyright holder:: State Library of New South Wales
  Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
• General note
  
  Recorded at Peter's property in Waitui, New South Wales, on 28 August 2020
• Creator/Author/Artist
  Whelan, Peter, 1984-
  
• Subject
  Whelan, Peter, 1984---Interviews.
  Engineers--New South Wales.
  Wildfires--New South Wales.
  Forest fires--New South Wales.
  Natural disasters--New South Wales.
  Wildfires--New South Wales--Prevention and control.
  
• Place
  North Coast (N.S.W.)
  
• Open Rosetta viewer
  IE20474968

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