Back where it all began: new faces, familiar stories and a fresh chapter for IBE

There was something particularly special about returning to St Andrews last Wednesday, 7 October 2026, for our first Immersive Bushfire Experience (IBE) workshop since completing our 2025 pilot.

In many ways, this was a homecoming. St Andrews is part of the heartland of IBE, where the experiences of Carol and Dave Matthews and their family during the devastating Black Saturday bushfires helped inspire an extraordinary idea: that the stories of survivors could help others prepare for the emotional realities of bushfire.

Sixteen years of determination, collaboration and community generosity eventually brought that idea to life. Returning to St Andrews was a beautiful reminder of where the IBE started, how far we've come, and how much work still lies ahead.

Some things have changed. Others have stayed reassuringly the same.

Following the enormous effort involved in delivering 16 pilot workshops across Victoria in late 2025, our founding Chair, Carol Matthews, has taken a well-earned leave of absence.

Stepping into some very big shoes is Jemima Richards, a Black Saturday survivor and community leader who, alongside Kate Riddell, established Firefoxes: Women Rising from the Ashes in the aftermath of the 2009 fires.

We're also delighted to welcome three new Board members: Vanessa Rossini, bringing her expertise in communications and content; Sam Winton, with her considerable knowledge of human resources and employment; and Tony Thompson, whose leadership and experience in community disaster recovery are extraordinary.

Their stewardship, wisdom, and generosity are helping guide IBE into its next chapter.

But while the faces around the Board table may have changed, the magic that happens when people come together to share their experiences of bushfire remains much the same.

Two participants at St Andrews brought lived experience of bushfire to the workshop. They spoke quietly, confidently and generously about what they had learned. The other participants listened with curiosity, absorbing the wisdom that can only come from having been there.

These are the moments that remind us why the IBE exists. The virtual reality technology is an extraordinary tool, but the conversations it creates are where so much of the learning happens.

One participant arrived with a professed fascination with fire and a determination that, should a bushfire threaten his property, he would do everything possible to save his beloved collection of vintage belongings.

By the end of the workshop, something had shifted.

The experience and subsequent conversations had prompted him to reconsider his priorities. His family, and his responsibility to keep them safe, mattered far more than any material possessions.

It was a wonderful example of the kind of reflection we're hoping to encourage: not telling people what to think, but creating the conditions for them to reconsider the decisions they might make when the stakes are high.

We were also delighted to welcome acclaimed Australian author Kate Mildenhall, whose parents hosted an IBE workshop in Christmas Hills last November. Kate joined us to experience the workshop firsthand and hear the stories and reflections of local participants.

Another important addition to this week's workshops was the opportunity to capture participants' experiences on video, thanks to Vanessa Rossini from VK Branding.

Our evaluation of the 2025 pilot identified an interesting challenge. While participants consistently reported finding the experience valuable, community hosts sometimes struggled to recruit people because it was difficult to explain exactly what the IBE was, and what it wasn’t.

After all, how do you describe an immersive experience that is part virtual reality, part community conversation and part opportunity to reconsider everything you thought you knew about your own preparedness?

We hope that hearing directly from participants will help future community hosts answer that question.

The testimonials will also help us communicate the value of IBE to prospective government and philanthropic partners as we seek investment to bring the experience to more communities.

As we packed away the headsets and said goodbye to our St Andrews participants, there was a strong sense of both continuity and possibility.

The people may change, the technology will evolve, and our organisation will continue to grow. But the heart of IBE remains exactly where it began: in the stories of survivors, the generosity of communities, and the conviction that sharing what we've learned can help others make safer decisions.

A bit thanks to Julie at the St Andrews Community Centre for her incredible support as a Community Host. Thanks also to St Andrews locals Bec and the team at Smiths Gully Cafe for the delicious pies and slices for lunch!

Thank you, St Andrews, for welcoming us back to where it all began.