Family still living in shed 12 months after Black Summer bushfires

A full year from the start of the Black Summer bushfires that killed 33 people and destroyed 3000 homes, the recovery mission is still ongoing.

The fires tore through the country, burning 24 million hectares of land and reverberating around the world.

The NSW mid north coast was one of the worst hit areas.

Rainbow Flat resident Gwenda Duncan is one of thousands still without a permanent home.

Her five-bedroom house was destroyed, with only dust left where it once stood.

"It was our paradise that we had worked most of our lives for," she told 9News.

Gwenda and her family of seven now live in a small shed. She's uninsured and living on a pension, and the struggle, she said, can feel endless.

Little of the Rainbow Flat community was left untouched by the blazes.

Even the local fire station was destroyed. But here at least there is a fresh start, with a brand new station just weeks away from its official opening.

"I think it's boosted morale already," firefighter Ben said.

In the small village of Bobin nearby, the local school was destroyed – a 137-year-old library the only building that survived.

But thanks to community resilience and support from around the world, a new school is now fully functioning, and all 13 students are back to work.

"We had letters and cards and donations from around the world," principal Sarah Parker said.

The land itself is slowly turning from black to green as it slowly heals after the longest fire season in record – running from July 2019 until March 2020.

But there's a long way to go for a lot of people before things can be said to be back to normal.

"The community is still recovering," firefighter Stuart said.