ELISE Wilson feared the worst.
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With the New Year's Eve fires running rampant through the region, the former Federal Football Netball Club president didn't expect to see any form of life when she surveyed the damage in the aftermath.
"I expected everything to be gone," Wilson said.
"We were shocked a fair few of the cattle survived the fire knowing the situation with the grass and velocity of the fire. I'm not sure how they survived but they did."
She has been busy doing repairs since the blaze with fencing and maintenance taking up a fair portion of her time.
The Corryong nurse said the fires had taken a huge toll on the community.
"I would say the majority of farmers have lost something," she said. "It's just the amount lost that varies. It's hard to get your head around it at times. Every day there is another issue it seems."
The financial burden from the fires is set to become a major hurdle for the Upper Murray Football Netball League with much of its revenue coming from farmers.
Wilson's children Georgia and Jordan play netball and football for Federal while her grandfather Neil McKimmie is a former club president.
She wants to see the league to thrive in adversity rather than fall away.
"The league was up in the air with the way the Upper Murray was heading but we're pretty resilient up here and need to stick together.
"The follow up support has been amazing. It sort of restores your faith in humankind a bit."
It has been Australia's lost summer. Drought, hail, floods and, worst of all, bushfires have ravaged communities all over the nation. But the selfless actions of friends, family, neighbours, strangers, local groups and volunteer organisations have inspired us and strengthened the bonds of community. Please join us in saying thanks to the heroes of the home front by sharing your stories of gratitude. To salute a person or a group, please use the form below.
