Hi to all, My family and I came to your beautiful country Dec 2007 from South Africa, and we are devastated to watch and hear about the fires which have claimed so many lives and left so many homeless, our prayers are with you, we wish you strength to get through this tragic time. Karen, Brendan, Meagan and Tony

On NBN last night i saw everyone diggin in on the telethon and im proud to call myself an australian in times where we can pull together ..... they even said the flooded area where they have lost some , have even donated as well despite what they have lost good on everyone

I have heard on the news in the UK about these fires, its such a tragedy. Im in shock that people could be so careless...i hope they know how much hurt, upset, anger and distress they have caused to the families, friends, loved ones people have unfortunately lost. My thoughts are with you all, and i hope you can all stand strong together and get through it together. Much love from the UK Shelly

Our school amoung others i hope .........St Edwards Tamworth primary and infants school have had a gold coin donation every day this week plus we have the odds and ends as well to help we hope this will help and i wish it didnt happen to anyone of you my name is jack and i am 9

Thinking of everyone that has lost so much over the past week, i cant imagine the pain you all must be feeling and for all the fire fighters and helpers well done you are all heros The Lee Family Hopperscrosing Victoria

To the friends and family who all lost love ones and their homes, our deepest sympathy. From my family to yours our hearts go out to all of you and we are thinking of you.

were all so sorry that this happend. were all praying for you and will think of you allways

to every brave man and woman out there fighting the fires and all the victims families our deepest sympathy and prayers to all affected we will not forget the sacrifice you made.

No-one can imagine the pain and deep loss that these people will feel now and in the future. As a community we must stand beside them, supporting them through horrific circumstances. Do not forget them in weeks, months or years keep them forever in our hearts and in our thoughts. May this never happen to a community or individual again.

Our thoughts are with the children. We are sorry about the damage and the loss of lives. Our hearts feel sad. We will raise money to help you get back to school and do the best we can for you. The fire was dangerous. For those who survived you are the bravest of us alive. We all feel so sorry for all those lost people and houses. We wish you had everything back. Our thoughts have been with you through everything that has happened. We give all our hearts, strength and luck to you. Together we will rebuild your lives. Wishing you all the best.

Courage, resilience and the strength to endure the toughest of times will see all the victims through the darkest hours. All of Australia is standing together and towns will rise from the ashes and lives will be rebuilt. My deepest sympathies to everyone involved, from the firefighters, volunteers and communities, to the victims, their families and loved ones. Strength in unity.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those effected. We wish we could do more to help be there to comfort the people who have lost love ones. The rest of Australia is proud of the way everyone has pulled together to do what we can. We will cry together and in time we will heal together. stay strong. Green family in wagga wagga.

Seeing the images on the tv for the first time just left a hole in my heart. One cannot begin to imagine the terror and horror that these people have suffered. Lots of strength will be required by the surviviors and families of loved ones lost to this horrific tragedy over the next few months, even years. But please know that all Australians will be there with you in support and love for as long as it is needed. 'God Bless You All' in your recovery. Jenny, Rob, Ashley, Rebecca and Cameron

hi my name is brendan dudgeon im from mullumbimby high skool im sorry about the bush fire victims

My thoughts go out to all at this time. It has been wonderful the response from our country & around the world to this disaster. To the people that are in hospital i hope you all recover & you can see light after this disaster. To the Firemen & grieving families my heart goes out to all.

I have never been more proud to be a Aussie. With all our own sadness and loss we come together as one when needed, no matter what background we have we are all aussies in the end, for a place tiny compared to some we can stand tall and be the biggest place on earth. Sharren

Watching the news each night I cant believe what is happening just over the ditch, our love and prayers go out to everyone who have lost loved ones, colleagues and friends. I can not imagine what it must be like, as a young family it breaks our hearts seeing the children that have been lost and the familys grieving. We wish everyone to have a speedy recovery. Stay strong... Kathleen, Calvin, Jordyn and Lachlan Farquhar - New Plymouth, New Zealand

Please know that people around the world are thinking and praying for those whose lives have forever been changed by this tragedy. With prayers from a Canadian

To all those who have lost their homes, friends, families in the bushfire, our hearts go out to you and will continue to in the months to come. For all the children who's lives will never be the same, I hope your days will be filled with smiles & laughter before to long!! and to those who lit the fires we hope you ROT in hell.

Sending little teddies to all the little ones who didn't make it. My heart aches for all affected.

maureen

15 years ago

my prayers are with you all at this terrible time, i hope that with the grace of god that you will be able to recover......

mysympathy andprayers go out to all the people that lost relations in the bush fires in australia from yvonne in great britain

i have seen first hand the damege these fires caused i have lost many friends i live in healesville but work at narbathing,buxton, glendale, crystal creek and kinglake i know many people who died....as i said being out in the fire bregade trying to save as many homes and lives to see familys burned in cars, hearing the screams of people it is hard but i will tell u al my heart is for you all and i am going to keep trying my hardest to stop this from happening again......ps i love all u generous people danating to help it show we all stick together in hard time

macca

15 years ago

Dear dear Nicholas, iam so glad you have come forward to share what youve been through, you are amazing, and for all those we lost, we must do our best and be our best for them, we owe it to them. when these towns are rebuilt the lives lost will not be in vain and every single one of them will be remembered and forever young, for they who are lost will not grow old as we that are left will grow old. No doubt this terrible experience will refine you into a wonderful special human being. grace of God be with you ever step of the way. Rhena.

To all those who have lost their lives in the bush fires, may you rest in peace. To those who have survived and also have lost loved ones and friends, may Gods loving angels wrap their wings around you all with love and peace. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Betty

My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones and those who have survived the horrific bushfires in Victoria. The tremendous strength of spirit in these people is inspirational considering the horror of the situation they are living through. I would like to say to all those who are fighting the fires, assisting those who have survived, you are true heroes. All Australians tonight have made me feel immensely proud to be Australian with the support that has been given to the survivors of the bushfires. To the survivors of the bushfires and those who have lost loved ones - you are not alone - you are in the loving embrace of all Australians. May those who died rest in peace in God loving embrace. To those who carrying out the task of locating and / or identifying those who have died - you are also in my thoughts and prayers during this most emotionally difficult task. Love and Peace be with you all.

I have a horror of fire since being burnt as a child. I can't imagine the terror and confusion that must have been Saturday in the fireground. I wish there was magic so that I could make everything alright again for all those who have lost loved ones, homes, treasured possessions, pets, animals and their sense of security. I hope you all find the courage to rebuild your lives and to deal with your memories. My thoughts are with all of you.

There are no words to tell the world how you feel and what you're going through. Just know that people all over the world are thinking of you in your time of sorrow. It breaks my heart seeing all the images of what's been going on there and I'm sure that the pictures we are seeing of the devastation doesn't even come close to what it really looks like. To those who lost loved ones my deepest sympathy is with you. To those who lost everything they've worked for but have your families and lives, count your blessings that your loved one's are safe and you will rebuild. It'll just take some time. But there are many all over the world who are thinking of you all and we hope our words will bring you all some comfort.

i spent the first 27 years of my life in victoria, all my family and friends are still there. i remember as a nine year old the horror of ash wednesday. i remember deep orange sky, blinding smoke and our windows were so hot we couldnt touch them. i was so frightened and had nightmares for years. when i woke on Sunday i felt every bit of that terror as if it was yesterday. the sheer loss of life, and homes. for the thousands of nightmares the survivors have to face....and yet the tally stands at 60 million in donations from australians, in the midst of a recession.the north qld'ers donating there own relief checks and finally the victims who in the midst of so much pain are already starting to smile..what a beautiful amazing country. to all australians, especially the victims, may God bless you all

I feel so very proud to be an Australian ,i cannot imagine the lose that these people have indurded , True Blue Australians coming together as one. We are Australian With all this love & support i wish them all the best to restart the lives.

our thoughts and prays are also with the fire fighters may they be safe, its not just a job to them its so much more god bless u all missy

Whats the world coming to when we have floods at on end of Aust and fires at the other end its sad, u have lost alot and many people are giving for you and thats great this will make you so much stronger in time, The people you have lost my god we are sorry fory our loss and sorry you had to go through that no one should have to go through this . R.I.P to all that didnt make it. you all are in our thoughts and prays ....... and i think that the money that the government was giving out for the $950 all that money should be going to the appeal, And its great to see you can still smile even after a tradgy. Missy, Steven, Dana, Jack, Caitlin, Skye, Jayde .........XO........

Our deepest sympathy to the victims and family who lost their love ones in an inevitable phenomenon. We know it's really hard to be stumbled... but God's always there extending His hands for you to stand and walk again. We'll pray for your fast recovery...

To all the people who have lost there homes, possesions and lives (way to many), my heart goes out to you. We live in Long Gully (Bendigo) and we were lucky, the fires were very close to us, my 3 girls and I were all ready to leave our home on the other side of the Eaglehawk Rd. i work in a pharmacy in Bendigo and the heartache and pain in so many peoples faces is so sad. Lots of poeple lost there homes here and 1 man lost his life. Bendigo is a stong community and we will get though this. To the people of Kinglake & Marysville area...............what can I say.........I cry everytime I watch the news........ so sad, so much lost & so much heartache Thoughts are with everyone who lost so much The Rodda Family Bendigo Victoria

My greatest sympathy's to all the people effected by the bush fires. Our thougths and prayers are with you. May the coming months help you in rebuilding your lives

To all my fellow Australians in Victoria You are a very big part of our everyday lives, as one of many Aussies feeling a great loss for the many people this country has lost far to early in their precious lives. As a mother of three I find this time in Australia's history very breath taking. In the Australian spirit WE ARE ONE AND WE ARE MANY TO HELP NOW AND FOREVER. X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

We mourn for your loss as a collective. We prayer for you, those who you have lost and for the future of your communities. My daughter has just emptied her moneybox, a small token but one that shows we are all here to support you. Have faith and hope for the darkness to past.

what can we say ?words will never express just what we all feel. as each image, as each sound bite, as each photo unfolds before us we are left wondering would I be so couragous in that situation? How would I get through such horror? How would I cope losing my family, friends and precious community...let alone all that I own and have worked so hard for. As each of us is left to consider our own mortality and the horror of it all I can only hope that I too could step up and act so bravely in your situations. I send my thoughts to each and every one of you for the immediate time and the longer future you all face to get through. I pray you all find some peace that allows you to sleep safely again but more than anything I send strong thoughts of support to those men and women who must now go and recover the bodies and work through the identification process. Whist we have watched you all lose so much now let us watch as they help you find some peace and finality to this horrific process. Let us respect every single body and return them to their familiies as quickly and as respectfully as possible. With love and support to each and every one of you Janine

what can we say ?words will never express just what we all feel. as each image, as each sound bite, as each photo unfolds before us we are left wondering would I be so couragous in that situation? How would I get through such horror? How would I cope losing my family, friends and precious community...let alone all that I own and have worked so hard for. As each of us is left to consider our own mortality and the horror of it all I can only hope that I too could step up and act so bravely in your situations. I send my thoughts to each and every one of you for the immediate time and the longer future you all face to get through. I pray you all find some peace that allows you to sleep safely again but more than anything I send strong thoughts of support to those men and women who must now go and recover the bodies and work through the identification process. Whist we have watched you all lose so much now let us watch as they help you find some peace and finality to this horrific process. Let us respect every single body and return them to their familiies as quickly and as respectfully as possible. With love and support to each and every one of you Janine

Words can't begin to say how we feel for all those who have suffered by this tragedy, As a child i grew up in this area and it was one of the most beautiful places on earth. My family now are living in Israel ,constantly living with the threat of war, but you have all just had the worst war ever. Just know you are in our thoughts, even in Israel

I'm very sorry for the bushfires and I am doing the best I can to get money to donate to you guys and tomorrow every school in Townsville i wearing free dress and donating all our gold coin donations to the victims of the bushfires in Victoria. Our heart is with you in this time of crisis and faith must be with you now because you have been so persistant so lets all give all our love and faith to the victims of the Victoria bushfires. I am only 11 but I have a big heart so Lord mercy please give these Voctorians thier life back. All oir love, faith and hope is with you Victorians, be strong, have faith and keep up the persistance.

Where do you begin? How do you say or express feelings for such a disaster? No words can express the feelings that our people are going through. No words can make this tragedy any better. Know this... to all that have been lost we as a world grieve for you, to all that have lost everything we as a world cry for you and our hearts bleed for you. We as a nation will help, not only now when its in the media, but months and years to come when the camera crews have left, we as a nation, united as one will be there for you. This is the time when as a nation, as a people, we put our differences aside, we need to come together and relise how very precious every single life is. My love and prayers go to you all, I just wish I could do more xx

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I offer my sincere condolences to all thos people affected by the Victorian Bushfires in any way. It's such a tragic loss of life and property, but the community spirit shall remain strong. I can't even begin to imagine what you're feeling, but we, as a nation are here for you, and will continue to be here for as long as you need us. I admire your courage and strength, stay strong in the face of adversity, because you're not alone.. Australia is with you. I send my love and hope that you, your families, friends and pets are safe. Rachael

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones, and also homes. I cannot begin to imagine what it is like. You only know when you've experienced it yourself. My thanks go to the heroes the firefighters, and those who dared stay back and fight for their homes. Its such a tragedy such a sad loss. I hope and pray you have the strength and will, also faith to carry on. We will not falter, we will not give up! You are in my prayers.

I can't imagine what its like for everyone involved in this tragedy , it is a form of terroism it's having the same effect as 911 to me we experienced our own tragedy 4 years ago having lost a loved one in a senseless car bomb and had his funeral on 911 so much to cope with for so long and without justice . why I say this is not because this isn't about us ,I just want to reach out to you all and hope that time will heal the pain and remind fellow australians that we need to be there now but more importantly to keep supporting you all for years to come as this will take time to heal may Angels surround and protect you all lots of love xx

sarah bailey

15 years ago

After all the tradgy you have been through, you are a really special person to share your own grief to help others.

My prayers and thoughts are with all the families whom have lost homes and loved ones. To the firemen, police and all the volunteers . Thankyou. My heart goes out to you all.

Many people from all over the world hear your call and are there in spirit, they feel your pain and loved to be there to shear your grief at this time, looking at just some of those wonderful l people who have past on, and those who have yet to be found may the lord be with them all. To all those that are doing what ever they can to help, may the lord guide you and keep you all safe. Sid NZ

Our greatest sympathy goes out to all the precious lives lost and we are all thinking of you.