Blaze brings 89-year-old Beryl Brierley to her knees but community rallies in response

For most of her 89 years, Beryl Brierley has called a humble fibro and timber cottage near Moruya home. This week, that cottage literally burnt to the ground taking with it a precious dog.

With the help of a neighbour, the beloved First Nations’ Elder escaped with her life, the clothes on her back and one of her dogs.

She is now staying with her son Allen, isolated from many of her extended family by COVID-19 and struggling to work out how to start rebuilding after such a long life in one place.

One of Beryl’s granddaughters, Kerry Brierley, said her nan was devastated.

“We are a fishing family and we have always been on that hill,” she said.

“She’s never left the hill after she married Pop. She just wants to get back home even if she has to put a tent on the lawn.”

With five children – two of whom are deceased – Beryl has a large, loving, extended family but health regulations are making it difficult for them to rally around her as closely as they would like.

They say she is particularly devastated by the loss of Stinky, the dog she inherited when her youngest son Greg died earlier this year.

“She’s not good,” according to another another of Beryl’s granddaughters Crystal Brierley.

“She’s still in a bit of shock. Stinky was the only thing she had left of him.”

The fire started about noon on Sunday. Beryl had gone out to get a log for her fire when she returned to find the house full of sparks.

“It just exploded,” Crystal said.

“She went down onto her knees and a neighbour saw her crawling out. We are just blessed she came out alive, with minor burns.”

Beryl’s own little dog followed her to safety but Stinky made a beeline for her bedroom and sadly died when the house was razed to the ground.

“We lived there when I was a baby and my sister was two,” Crystal recalled.

“My Nan raised us from when we were little. It held all our childhood memories.”

Ironically, had Beryl lost her home in the recent Black Summer bushfires she would have had access to plenty of government support. In this instance, it’s been left to the local community to help Beryl get back on her feet.

With shops closed during lockdown, many have raided their own wardrobes to give her clothes and shoes, while Ross Moore has set up a gofundme page that has so far raised just over $5600.

“Aunty Beryl is my mother’s aunty,” Ross said.

“She has lived on that hill all her life. The house was falling down and it was really basic but she lived there on her own right up until last weekend.

“We’ve raised more than I ever expected but Aunty Beryl is adored – she’s a treasure, nobody lives to that age in our community.

“She is a treasured Elder … and her community of Moruya, both indigenous and non indigenous, respect and value her a great deal.”