‘WE’LL TAKE IT ONE SMALL STEP AT A TIME’
This tiny town is determined to rise from the ashes and be bigger and better than ever
If you were to ask any one of the locals from the town of Glen Innes how they’re holding up in the aftermath of bushfires that raged through the community, you won’t hear a single complaint.
The inhabitants of this steely town and its surrounding villages nestled in the NSW Northern
Tablelands are resilient to the bone and tougher than a pair of well-worn boots.
“We’ve lost so much, but the focus now is to wipe off the ash and get back up and be stronger than ever,” deputy mayor Di Newman tells Woman’s Day. “We’re a close-knit community, and we’re determined to rebuild.”
And it’s a heartfelt statement that echoes throughout the area.
In November last year – while already battling the worst droughts in history – Mother Nature delivered another cruel blow on Glen Innes when a catastrophic fireball of bush flames left what was a rich agricultural area in ashen ruins.
The entire community was broken, including the small hamlet of Wytaliba, east of Glen Innes. The locals tragically lost three of their most-loved elders, Vivian Chaplain, Julie Fletcher and George Nole, in the fire. The heartbreak was unfathomable, and to add to that 70 homes went up in flames and the local primary school burned to the ground.
“We were rocked to the core,” says Di. “The priority now is to get the school rebuilt – we’ve 15 primary aged students, and the principal Debbie Hunter is extraordinary and making a difference to those kids’ lives.
“Right now the focus is to get things cleaned up, which takes lots of manpower to coordinate. We have to balance that and rebuilding with the ongoing care of our farmers – they can’t be overlooked. They’re also our RFS members – they were the ones
‘The focus now is to wipe off the ash and get back up’
out there fighting the fires and looking after their neighbours.
“The best way to help us is come and visit! We’ve the Glen Innes Show coming up in February, and it’s the best classic country show in Australia! We’ll show you warm country hospitality at its best.
“Book a motel, drop into the Railway Hotel for a beer, walk down Grey Street and shop at any one of our gorgeous gift stores. Even give Hugh a call over at the Norco Rural Store and buy a bag of stock feed.
“We won’t be beaten, come on out and say g’day! We might be in drought, we might be battle weary from the fires, but we’ll always be smiling
– it’s going to get better.”