A year on from Porepunkah police shootings, High Country is finding its way forward
A year after the fatal police shootings in Porepunkah, the local community is reflecting on the trauma and the long process of returning to normalcy. The event, which involved a major manhunt for gunman Dezi Freeman, deeply impacted the High Country region.
Why it matters
The story highlights the lasting psychological and social impact of violent crime on small, tight-knit rural communities.
Jo Marsh says it took some time for a sense of normality to return. ( ABC News: Erin Somerville )
Link copied Share Share article From the front porch of her hilltop home, Jo Marsh had a bird's-eye view of the township of Porepunkah the moment Victoria's biggest manhunt got underway.
She remembered how the normally quiet winding roads suddenly filled with convoys of police cars and a helicopter hovered low in the distance searching the valleys for the gunman Dezi Freeman.
"It was just police everywhere," she said.
"As you can see, we've got a fairly good viewpoint from our property here, so we were really exposed to a lot of what was going on."
Jo Marsh says it was a strange time for the community and businesses. ( ABC News: Kyle Harley )
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