Fire crew shelters from Orroral Valley fire Gudgenby at historic homestead

A fire crew was taking shelter at the historic Gudgenby homestead in the path of the Orroral Valley fire last night.

Among those believed to be sheltering at the site, near Rendezvous Creek, was Brett McNamara, manager of the Namadgi National Park. McNamara, an experienced firefighter, was among those to lose his home in the 2003 Canberra fires.

The crew was understood to be confident of being able to protect the site last night, despite predictions of very dangerous conditions in the valley on Saturday.

Built in the 1960s by grazier Bill Bootes, the two-storey homestead was a late addition to a smaller, original cottage dating back to the 1840s. It has been used in recent years by researchers and parks and wildlife since the area became part of Namadgi National Park in 1989.

Research projects based out of the site include a study of the population dynamics of eastern grey kangaroos.

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