A heartfelt thank you
John Grono and Donna Andrews tragically lost their Bundanoon home in the bushfires that tore through the Southern Highlands in early January. Since then, a Gofundme set up by a friend has collected support from across the industry John has been part of for four decades, as owner of GAP Research and a Media Federation Hall of Fame inductee. Here, John and Donna offer their thanks.
Sadly, our home was destroyed in the Bundanoon bushfire on the night of Saturday January 4th.
It was a freak occurrence. An ‘ember tornado’ generated when the pyrocumulonimbus cloud that formed near Nowra collapsed and started the Morton fire. And also the Yuille Avenue fire.
Eerily there were no ‘red skies’ that you see when a fire is approaching. There was a ‘black ash’ shower which we hosed down on the house, the gutters, the decks and the verandahs.
Once back inside the RFS site and various satellite heat maps showed no indication of a fire approaching. Then the phone rang. My neighbours yelled “We’re on fire, get out, get out, get out.”
Looking out my office window there was still no red sky. We grabbed our computers and crammed them in the pre-packed bags at the door. My wife Donna also managed to grab the chicken we had moved to the laundry. We loaded our bags into our cars which were already packed with sleeping bags, pillows, shoes, photos and some valuables.
We left within three minutes.
Driving down our road there was a wall of fire around 500 metres long roaring up the hill through the neighbouring paddocks. By the time we hit the main road, both sides of it were on fire.
We drove through. We were safe.
Next morning we were sent this picture.
The Bundanoon home on Nine News after it was destroyed
Yes, our house was gone. Four of the 23 homes on our road were lost. But we were lucky as no lives, no pets, and no livestock were lost.
Oast House was a magical house, and was built by John Hopkins, of O&M fame, and his wife Lindi. My wife Donna Andrews and I moved there in 2015. Like a river, the magic still flowed. Sadly that chapter has now closed.
So many people in our great industry have been so kind, generous and thoughtful with their emails, messages and phone calls. It is also very humbling that so many have been very generous with much-needed Gofundme donations. No matter how much insurance you have, it rarely covers the full cost.
Donna and I have been extremely busy securing accommodation. Today the hard work of starting to clear the site starts. The wait for the insurance settlement will be agonising. We intend to rebuild, such is the magic of Oast House.
Oast House before the fires
But what I really want to say is a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contacted and supported us. We simply don’t have the time to thank you all individually – but you know who you are – so please accept our collective thanks for all you have done for us. We will be eternally grateful and indebted to you.
We are so lucky. We are safe. We will have a roof over our head. And we have your support.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
With lots of love.
John Grono and Donna Andrews.
If you would like to support John and Donna you can donate to the Gofundme fundraiser here.
John Grono worked at Nielsen, Clemenger BBDO and OMD Australia before launching GAP Research in 2002. He was inducted into the Media Federation of Australia’s Hall of Fame in 2014.
Im sorry to hear John, I also live in the Southern Highlands with many parts of our community touched by this devastation. The community will come together and re build. Take care John.
Duncan.
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Hi John,
I too, live in the Southern Highlands and had to evacuate. I was one of the lucky ones – my house is OK.
However, my colleagues in the beauty media have banded together and many amazing beauty, cosmetic and health and hygiene companies as well as individual PR agencies, have donated essential toiletries and the like (toothpaste, deodorants, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, lotions, skin care and so on).
Please reach out to me if I can bring you a delivery of these things to you and your neighbours who also have lost their homes. I know it won’t help you rebuild, but it will help you feel a bit better as you do so. Also, the cost of these things do add up, so hopefully it will save you money there.
Please feel free to grab my email from the Mumbrella folk.
Warmest regards,
Shonagh
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Oh John – so sorry to hear this awful news but glad to hear you and Donna and the animals are safe. Please let us know if we can help you in any way possible at this terrible time. Leslie
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John you have always been so incredibly generous with your time, knowledge and dad jokes – our time to support you and Donna where we can.
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John so sorry to hear that news very sad. I have family in Bundanoon. They are ok thankfully. Thinking of you such a big thing to deal with, take care. KB
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Hi John,
So sorry to hear this. We were due to stay in an Airbnb in Bundanoon, on Garland Road, that very night but we didn’t go.
Good luck with the rebuild.
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Hi John,
Been a while so sad to hear and see the devastation. Hopefully insurance covered so you can rebuild both the physical and the memories. Thoughts and wishes.
Galvo
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So very sad to read this John, but thankfully you all got out unhurt. Sending you both strength. Alice x
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Hi John, so sorry to hear of your loss, heartbreaking to lose a home so magical for you. Best wishes for the rebuild, you deserve all the support we can give you. Take care. Deb x
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Hi John,
We were relieved to hear that you and Donna made it out.
The Hopkins family was devastated to hear the news that the old family home had gone…
The best day of my life, marrying Milena was just one of the many precious memories we have of the great times had at that magical family home.
I hope you are going to re build another special home in the future!
Thinking of you both
Milena and Simon Hopkins
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Our thoughts are with you both, always.
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Dear Donna and John,
It’s hard to realise the home we built and the garden we created has gone.
A month later it’s still raw and emotional.
But it’s much tougher on you two. You have a thousand things to do including smashing through bureaucracy. Poor you.
Knowing your enthusiasm, drive and commitment, you will build an even better home and garden. And when you are ready we have a few hydrangeas that we can strike from our new garden that came from Oast House.
Our warmest and most sincere regards,
Linda and John Hopkins
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