The Black Saturday bushfires mark a dark chapter in Australia’s history. One of our country’s deadliest bushfires, it saw many homes, businesses, and lives destroyed in the blink of an eye.
One of the most affected areas was the picturesque town of Marysville in the Shire of Murrindindi in Victoria.
About 90 per cent of the town (made up of only 519 people) was decimated in the fires, including the primary school, police station, and almost all of its houses.
Watch the video above
Little Lily Morrow lost everything she knew in the fires. Then six years old, her home burnt down, as well as her parents’ tourism business.
“It was a very sad time in my life, and [for] everyone in my community,” she told nine.com.au.
“Even before the fires, we were a very tight community, my hometown.
READ MORE: How DPR Ian went from a Wollongong teen to K-pop idol to dominating the world stage
READ MORE: Former K-pop idol DPR Ian sheds light on mental health in the industry
READ MORE: You see these dancers in the city all the time. Here’s what they’re really doing, and how much is on the line
“The fire has definitely brought a lot of people together, and we had a lot of people donate and help us, and so I’m always really grateful for all of the people who helped us along the way
“The community really came together, and it really made me appreciate the people around me even more.
“Though it was a difficult time our family, we definitely got through it … and we ended up in a good place.”
That is especially true for Lily, finding her way to global stardom.
After the fires, she suffered from trauma and depression, avoiding going outside and screaming every time the wind picked up, as it was windy on that fateful Saturday.
It was a psychiatrist who suggested she look into singing as treatment.
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Movie child stars: Then and now
“I had always liked music and singing, but it wasn’t a really serious passion for me,” Lily said.
“But after she suggested it as a way to express my feelings and feel better about myself … I actually started seriously practicing it as a hobby, and that’s where it grew into something even better.”
Soon she began coming out of her shell, even starring in a local film The Weatherman’s Umbrella. She starred in the lead role of a self-centred city girl who goes to spend time with her grandfather, played by Australian film legend John Flaus, discovering the magic of the bush.
The cast and crew were mostly made up of all Marysville residents, including her dad Bruce, who produced the film and worked on sound and location.
Filming was halted near the end of production so Lily could fulfill a side quest – competing on Korean reality show K-pop Star 4.
Her mum had seen a notice for auditions for the program, with Lily and her family coming down to Sydney to audition, and finally going to South Korea to compete for the attention of celebrity judges, each of them founders of the biggest K-pop entertainment agencies in the country.
Lily was 12 when she competed on the show in 2014, remembering it as “a really good experience”.
“All the other contestants were so kind and loving, even though I was so little. I knew nothing about Korean culture. They all taught me a lot about music as well. It was my first time really getting professional singing training, so that was very new for me as well,” she said.
“I was so young and naive back then, and it was a little sad sometimes being away from home and [being] so young and having to practice every single day. But I mostly had a lot of fun with it.”
She eventually placed fourth in the competition, and though she didn’t make it to the finals, she was immediately snapped up by one of the judges, Park Jin Young, head of JYP Entertainment.
From there, she was dropped into the world of K-pop, balancing school with a strict regimen of singing lessons, dance lessons, and anything required to create the perfect girl group.
It all culminated in her debut in 2022 as the vocalist of JYP’s girl group NMIXX. In the past three years, the girls have seen many highs, including international tours, their hits O.O, Dash, Love Me Like This, and their recently released first studio album, Blue Valentine.
They performed the title track of the same name for the first time in Australia, as well as many other songs, on Saturday November 8 as part of the K Content Planet exhibition.
Hosted by Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) Australia, fans of Korean culture gathered in Sydney to explore the exhibit, which included pop-ups of the best of Korean food, games, music, entertainment, and fashion.
Lily “never thought there would be a day – I mean, I obviously always dreamed there would be a day” she would be able to show her group, made up of herself and members Haewon, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin, the best part of her home country: the fans.
“It’s kind of surreal still that so many people have found love in K-pop and in NMIXX, especially from a country that’s so far away,” she says.
“Korea and Australia have both been really important parts of my life, but in Australia, Korea wasn’t really very famous, especially K-pop. Not a lot of people knew about it until the last few years, where it’s really blown up.
“I’m so happy that I get to be a part of that experience. Every time I see an Aussie NSWER [the name of their fan group], it really makes my day, because it’s so crazy that someone who grew up in the same country as me can still know about me and love me.”
Lily’s star is just beginning to shine, with her talents taking her from singing and acting to even hosting her own web show Issue Club, showing interest in the sequel of the hit film KPop Demon Hunters.
“That’d be a great opportunity. Voice acting, I’ve never done that in my life. I mean, I would love to – if I get to sing in it, even better!” she says.
“I’m so happy that a lot of international fans are knowing even more about K-pop through KPop Demon Hunters. So it would be great if I get the opportunity one day.”
However, she admits, “In the industry that I’m in, nothing is really set in stone. So I might have my own little daydreams about what I want to do in the future, but I’ll really have to see how it goes with my career.”
One thing is for sure, though.
“I’m never gonna stop singing. I love music. I’m gonna forever be pursuing that, and so I really do hope that everything works out in the future.”
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
![‘Our Hero, Balthazar’ Thwarts a Would-Be School Shooter in First Images For Wild Satire Starring Noah Centineo and Asa Butterfield [Exclusive]](https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/untitled-design-70.jpg "‘Our Hero, Balthazar’ Thwarts a Would-Be School Shooter in First Images For Wild Satire Starring Noah Centineo and Asa Butterfield [Exclusive]")
