Nat Young loses North Coast homestead in NSW fires

Richard Snowden picture
Richard Snowden (Rick Snowden)
Swellnet Dispatch

The fires that have been ravaging Australia’s East Coast have so far claimed four lives, innumerable wildlife, burnt through more than a million hectares of forest, and razed 300 houses.

One of those to lose their house is '66 World Champ and Aussie surf icon, Nat Young.

Bought in 1974, the 810 hectare property is near Nymboida, about an hour southwest of Angourie. 

Nat was in California when the fire struck, touring his new book 'Church Of The Open Sky'. He was unable to return to battle the blaze which levelled the home he built using timber from the property.

In his book, 'Nat's Nat and That's That', he described building the house as, "...a huge undertaking, but one of the best projects I have ever done."

Scrapbook shots of Nat's homestead from 'Nat's Nat and That's That' (Nymboida Press)

The Young's primary residence is in Angourie, which was threatened by bushfire that tore through Yuraygir National Park in September.

On Monday, the NSW government declared a state of emergency which is still in place as fires continue to burn in both New South Wales and Queensland.

The current fire threat comes just a few weeks after Derek Hynd also lost his North Coast house to a fire - though in that instance it was electrical not bushfire.

Comments

bipola's picture
bipola's picture
bipola Thursday, 14 Nov 2019 at 12:55pm

sad news

abc-od's picture
abc-od's picture
abc-od Thursday, 14 Nov 2019 at 12:58pm

Fucken devastating. Self-built......christ.

Flogonalog's picture
Flogonalog's picture
Flogonalog Thursday, 14 Nov 2019 at 2:57pm

Heart goes out the Young family. When you build something with your hands it really is more than just a house. Especially when you use the timber from the land. Absolutely devastating.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Thursday, 14 Nov 2019 at 3:35pm

A house can be rebuilt, the animals that died or had to be euthanised is the real tragedy.

tonks's picture
tonks's picture
tonks Friday, 15 Nov 2019 at 12:07am

Sad news.All the best to Nat & his family!

Joshy2000's picture
Joshy2000's picture
Joshy2000 Friday, 15 Nov 2019 at 8:47am

Good call Goofy.

Ronson's picture
Ronson's picture
Ronson Friday, 15 Nov 2019 at 10:47pm

Don’t be a drip goofyfoot, it’s livestock

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Saturday, 16 Nov 2019 at 5:48am

Ah well fuck em hey, they were gunna die anyway so who cares if they burnt to death?

wallpaper's picture
wallpaper's picture
wallpaper Saturday, 16 Nov 2019 at 9:05pm

yeah fuck em. all the native flora and fauna is another question entirely, the enforced disappearance of which is the reason we are stuck with the current situation.

Ronson's picture
Ronson's picture
Ronson Saturday, 16 Nov 2019 at 10:55am

Not exactly but hardly “the real tragedy” in this context

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Saturday, 16 Nov 2019 at 11:15am

the ecological devastation from these fires has been immense and is ongoing.

Condolences to Nat and family on the loss.

peterb's picture
peterb's picture
peterb Saturday, 16 Nov 2019 at 7:00pm

I never considered Nat to have the perseverance to build a place like that, particularly on a property so far from the sea. It’s a measure of his strength of purpose, and I would like to add my comment to Steve’s. Homes are precious places. The loss of one only surpassed by the loss of a life.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Saturday, 16 Nov 2019 at 9:23pm

i totally agree.

not only Nat but to the dozens of others whose dreams have been lost into the ashes.

my heart goes out to you guys down there. hope the drought breaks soon.