Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I want to take your cross to a really wonderful story.
And we know that a volunteer Brigade captain is celebrating
forty years of service to bushfires in Tea. An afternoon
tea and awards ceremony was held yesterday to honor Die
Tya and a number of others at the Nunamar fire Shed.
(00:21):
And I'm very pleased to say that Die joins me
on the line. Good morning, Die.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Lovely to have you on the show. And a massive
congratulations to you, Die. Forty years Oh thank you. Oh
that's a long time to volunteer.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Die. Yeah, one of the gentlemen yesterday, I said I
was only born that year.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Did you say, don't make me feel like I'm old.
I'm experienced. Ah, Die, what an incredible contribution to your community.
What has kept you going all this time?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I'm not sure. Yeah, that's sort of yeah, out there
helping the community out. And yeah, there's not only just
no like fighting bushfires, there's also your local community too
that get involved with and yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Do I tell me how rewarding is it to be,
you know, to be a bushfires into volunteer. What's it
like for.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
You, well, sometimes it can be a bit challenging, but
it's yeah, when when you're sort of early in the year,
get together and go out and do some describe burning
to make your community safe and yeah, you've got your
your community together. It's also helping your community and other
(01:50):
things as well, like yeah, supporting them, yeah, come a, yeah,
all sorts of things. Yeah, and yeah and just ye
just supporting your community. And it's a.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Wonderful thing to do. And you know, and like the
thing is, we've got so many incredible volunteers around the
Northern Territory. But you know, with bushfires n T, if
you didn't have volunteers like yourself, you know, it would
be well really fighting fires out in the rural area
and beyond, I don't know what, like I don't even
know what you do.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, well, even sort of at times you get very
light on the ground with like volunteers bushfires and tea.
Only there's not that many Bushfires and T staff members,
so it gets rather stretched at times. So you've all
got to jump in and all support each other, which
(02:48):
bushfires counsel than bushfires and T. I've all seemed to
be there supporting each other like a big, a big family.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yeah, Hey, Dike, tell me, are there any incidents that
you've been called out to over the forty years that
really sort of stand out in your mind for you know,
for one reason or another.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Off the top of my head, not really there are.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
There'd be so many. There'd be so many bush fires
probably that you've gone out to. Do you have any
idea how many fires you might have fought over that
period of time. No, if it have to be in
the thousands, wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
It it would be Yet.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Well, you know, in terms of the way in which
as well you deal with bush fires over forty years,
has it changed a lot?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
We've changed sort of like equipment wise, safety wise. Yes.
I was only saying to somebody the other day that
without our ppe back out detective clothing that we wear
nowadays was not quite like that. Years ago. We actually
(04:04):
had overalls and orange gum boots was our some of
us were wearing. Yeah, yeah, and there's yes. I mentioned
that that somebody that somewhere there was a photo of
me putting that there was a fire coming. So when
there's a fire coming, one of the ways to try
(04:27):
and pull a fire up is you have a fire burner,
a firebug, and so light what's in front of the
fire that's coming at you, so it draws, hopefully draws
itself together. So somewhere I was saying there was a
photo of me dressed in my ringer's hat, shorts and
(04:51):
fishermen's sandals in full flight, jogging with a firebug. Well,
actually somebody found that photo. Yeah, yeah, it would definitely
be well and truly frowned upon today.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, I reckon some of the stuff, but that was
the way you had to do it right, Like you
had to do what you had to do, and you
had to wear what was you know, what you're wearing
to be able to get those fires out.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah. Actually, also remember rocking up to a fire one
day in high heels.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Had you been had you been at your other like
at work or what had happened?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I think I was coming. I don't know where i'd been,
but imber up on high heels. Good on you.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
That's a woman who's there to get things done, you know,
no matter what, no matter what your retire.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Is, definitely would be frowned upon nowadays.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I love that. I love it. What in terms of
some of the friendships that you've made. I mean, over
that period of time, you must have have made some
wonderful friends. And I understand as well that you helped
to establish the you know, the brigade that you were with.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Ah. Yes, yes, there was the community i'd been like
doing their own firefighting with their own personal equipment. Yeah,
we had our own Suzuki and we'd been given a
China water China that we actually towed with our suzuki. Yeah,
(06:24):
and then there was other residents in the area that
had like a you know, chanks on backs of utes
and that. So we decided we had a progress association.
So we decided that we should actually form our own
volunteer bush fire brigade because we had the surrounding brigades
(06:48):
of Livingston, which was very Creek and Acacia Hills would
when they could get to us because it wasn't that
the roads were sort of you know the roads like
we've got today. So yeah, so that's when we decided
that we should form our own brigade. So that was
(07:10):
back in year would have been probably in the late
eighty three that we decided to do that. Yeah, right,
So in yeah, March of eighty four is when we
officially formed our Elizabeth Funily Brigade.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Hell good, I mean that is wonderful and still operating. Now,
tell me, is the brigade on the hunt for more
volunteers at the moment?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Are always on the lookout for more volunteers. Why you
may have have on books a lot of volunteers, But
the thing is we're all volunteers. And sometimes you may
have a lot of volunteers who were available, but then
due to work and other commitments, sometimes you're actually going, oh,
(07:56):
we haven't actually got enough to to man all vehicles. Yeah,
But then other times you've got enough to like, you know,
have ye free and someone standby?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, well, and then there'd be busy times of the
year or busy times I suppose as well where you
need all hands on deck. So so if anyone is
keen to volunteer, what's the best way for them to
get in contact? Do they just sort of call through
the bushfires NT?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, call through the bushfires NT and then bushfires and
T can advise which area yeah they would either be
in or closer to yep.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Well, and then they'll be able to well, hopefully you
can get some more volleys. But I tell you what,
duy forty years of service. You should be so proud
of yourself. That is wonderful and what a contribution to
the Northern Territory community.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Thank you, Katie.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Oh, it's lovely to talk to you this morning. I
love that story about your rocking up to fight a
fire in your heels. You know a woman on a mission.
By the sounds of it, Dye, I don't normally wear him.
I love it. That makes it even better. So good
to speak to you this morning. A massive congratulations on
(09:13):
your forty years. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Okay, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
No worries at all. Thanks Di.
I want to take your cross to a really wonderful story.
And we know that a volunteer Brigade captain is celebrating
forty years of service to bushfires in Tea. An afternoon
tea and awards ceremony was held yesterday to honor Die
Tya and a number of others at the Nunamar fire Shed.
(00:21):
And I'm very pleased to say that Die joins me
on the line. Good morning, Die.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Lovely to have you on the show. And a massive
congratulations to you, Die. Forty years Oh thank you. Oh
that's a long time to volunteer.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Die. Yeah, one of the gentlemen yesterday, I said I
was only born that year.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Did you say, don't make me feel like I'm old.
I'm experienced. Ah, Die, what an incredible contribution to your community.
What has kept you going all this time?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I'm not sure. Yeah, that's sort of yeah, out there
helping the community out. And yeah, there's not only just
no like fighting bushfires, there's also your local community too
that get involved with and yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Do I tell me how rewarding is it to be,
you know, to be a bushfires into volunteer. What's it
like for.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
You, well, sometimes it can be a bit challenging, but
it's yeah, when when you're sort of early in the year,
get together and go out and do some describe burning
to make your community safe and yeah, you've got your
your community together. It's also helping your community and other
(01:50):
things as well, like yeah, supporting them, yeah, come a, yeah,
all sorts of things. Yeah, and yeah and just ye
just supporting your community. And it's a.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Wonderful thing to do. And you know, and like the
thing is, we've got so many incredible volunteers around the
Northern Territory. But you know, with bushfires n T, if
you didn't have volunteers like yourself, you know, it would
be well really fighting fires out in the rural area
and beyond, I don't know what, like I don't even
know what you do.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, well, even sort of at times you get very
light on the ground with like volunteers bushfires and tea.
Only there's not that many Bushfires and T staff members,
so it gets rather stretched at times. So you've all
got to jump in and all support each other, which
(02:48):
bushfires counsel than bushfires and T. I've all seemed to
be there supporting each other like a big, a big family.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yeah, Hey, Dike, tell me, are there any incidents that
you've been called out to over the forty years that
really sort of stand out in your mind for you know,
for one reason or another.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Off the top of my head, not really there are.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
There'd be so many. There'd be so many bush fires
probably that you've gone out to. Do you have any
idea how many fires you might have fought over that
period of time. No, if it have to be in
the thousands, wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
It it would be Yet.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Well, you know, in terms of the way in which
as well you deal with bush fires over forty years,
has it changed a lot?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
We've changed sort of like equipment wise, safety wise. Yes.
I was only saying to somebody the other day that
without our ppe back out detective clothing that we wear
nowadays was not quite like that. Years ago. We actually
(04:04):
had overalls and orange gum boots was our some of
us were wearing. Yeah, yeah, and there's yes. I mentioned
that that somebody that somewhere there was a photo of
me putting that there was a fire coming. So when
there's a fire coming, one of the ways to try
(04:27):
and pull a fire up is you have a fire burner,
a firebug, and so light what's in front of the
fire that's coming at you, so it draws, hopefully draws
itself together. So somewhere I was saying there was a
photo of me dressed in my ringer's hat, shorts and
(04:51):
fishermen's sandals in full flight, jogging with a firebug. Well,
actually somebody found that photo. Yeah, yeah, it would definitely
be well and truly frowned upon today.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, I reckon some of the stuff, but that was
the way you had to do it right, Like you
had to do what you had to do, and you
had to wear what was you know, what you're wearing
to be able to get those fires out.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah. Actually, also remember rocking up to a fire one
day in high heels.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Had you been had you been at your other like
at work or what had happened?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I think I was coming. I don't know where i'd been,
but imber up on high heels. Good on you.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
That's a woman who's there to get things done, you know,
no matter what, no matter what your retire.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Is, definitely would be frowned upon nowadays.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
I love that. I love it. What in terms of
some of the friendships that you've made. I mean, over
that period of time, you must have have made some
wonderful friends. And I understand as well that you helped
to establish the you know, the brigade that you were with.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Ah. Yes, yes, there was the community i'd been like
doing their own firefighting with their own personal equipment. Yeah,
we had our own Suzuki and we'd been given a
China water China that we actually towed with our suzuki. Yeah,
(06:24):
and then there was other residents in the area that
had like a you know, chanks on backs of utes
and that. So we decided we had a progress association.
So we decided that we should actually form our own
volunteer bush fire brigade because we had the surrounding brigades
(06:48):
of Livingston, which was very Creek and Acacia Hills would
when they could get to us because it wasn't that
the roads were sort of you know the roads like
we've got today. So yeah, so that's when we decided
that we should form our own brigade. So that was
(07:10):
back in year would have been probably in the late
eighty three that we decided to do that. Yeah, right,
So in yeah, March of eighty four is when we
officially formed our Elizabeth Funily Brigade.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Hell good, I mean that is wonderful and still operating. Now,
tell me, is the brigade on the hunt for more
volunteers at the moment?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Are always on the lookout for more volunteers. Why you
may have have on books a lot of volunteers, But
the thing is we're all volunteers. And sometimes you may
have a lot of volunteers who were available, but then
due to work and other commitments, sometimes you're actually going, oh,
(07:56):
we haven't actually got enough to to man all vehicles. Yeah,
But then other times you've got enough to like, you know,
have ye free and someone standby?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, well, and then there'd be busy times of the
year or busy times I suppose as well where you
need all hands on deck. So so if anyone is
keen to volunteer, what's the best way for them to
get in contact? Do they just sort of call through
the bushfires NT?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, call through the bushfires NT and then bushfires and
T can advise which area yeah they would either be
in or closer to yep.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Well, and then they'll be able to well, hopefully you
can get some more volleys. But I tell you what,
duy forty years of service. You should be so proud
of yourself. That is wonderful and what a contribution to
the Northern Territory community.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Thank you, Katie.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Oh, it's lovely to talk to you this morning. I
love that story about your rocking up to fight a
fire in your heels. You know a woman on a mission.
By the sounds of it, Dye, I don't normally wear him.
I love it. That makes it even better. So good
to speak to you this morning. A massive congratulations on
(09:13):
your forty years. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Okay, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
No worries at all. Thanks Di.
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