The Nymboida Whitewater Mosaic Circle had its official opening on 11 December, just over two years since bushfires devastated the area.
Around 50 community members came together to celebrate the opening of the mosaic circle, located at the Nymboida Canoe and Camping Centre. The centre was used as a disaster recovery hub following the fires.
The mosaic was made during a special workshop at the Clarence Valley Camp Oven Festival, held at Nymboida in June 2021. Healthy North Coast funded the project through the Australian Government’s Bushfire Community Grants program.
The circle consists of 12 mosaic pavers, representing the eddies and swirls of white water, around a newly planted native lilly pilly tree, grown locally from seed and planted by long-time community member Laena Stephenson.
The mosaic signifies an acceptance of the wildness of the Nymboida landscape and the possibility of life into the future.
It is also a memorial to the strength of the community and the kindness shared following the catastrophic bushfires of November 2019.
The Clarence Valley Camp Oven Festival was the first community event following the fires. The Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, Red Cross and other services were present to offer counselling and ‘conversation corners’ were set up to allow community members to share and reflect in a supported environment.
Two years on, many community members are still living in sheds or caravans as their homes are rebuilt. The mosaic circle and associated gatherings have created opportunities for the community to come together to heal, commemorate, renew and continue to strengthen their sense of connection to place and each other.