Evelyn Hardy is a well -loved local pillar of the local community in Broke. She loves to keep busy and found that during the 2022 floods her commitment to the wellbeing of the local community was a way of dealing with her own losses in the flood.

In her story she shares her experiences during the floods. As secretary of the Broke Community Hall and together with a wonderful group of local women she played a pivotal role in offering help and support to the local community.

“Keeping in touch with community and helping out is something I enjoy immensely.

Ever since the flood in July 2022 there has been an enormous amount of work needing to be done and being a part of our local committee, Broke Residents Community Association, has kept a focus on getting back on ours and everyone else’s feet.”

“For the past almost 20 months everyone in our community has been focusing on getting back on track to pre flood.

The BRCA and many others have worked toward helping in the recovery and wellbeing of all of our community members. Being a part of this community has been something that I personally am very proud and humbled by.

It’s been an incredibly hard experience with several people still nowhere near over the impact of the floods. Being there for the ones still going through this is very important to me personally and providing support and wellbeing is top priority moving forward.”

Biography

I’m a mum of 2 adult children and a grandmother.

I volunteer at the Singleton Neighbourhood Centre.

I am the secretary of the Broke Community Hall.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Tony is a long-time resident of the Wollombi area up near Broke. He moved there with his partner in 1992.

His story concerns the 2022 Broke and Bulga and Wollombi flood situation. He has a unique perspective because of his long association with the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and community support.

During floods, the community reaches out for help and support from existing community organisations and the RFS played a pivotal role in the 2022 floods.

Biography

After a long period of service as a Volunteer with the NSW Rural Fire Service, joined the RFS as a staff member, specialising in bushfire mitigation.

Tony has a dual passion. Understanding and implementing best practice bushfire management and sharing that knowledge and experience through training and mentoring. He has a professional and personal desire to develop existing programs to a higher level and is highly qualified.

For the last few years, in private consultancy, he has been involved with training, including in cultural burning practices in the Hunter. Following the fires in 2019, he has been involved in community resilience training.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Carly Dawson only moved into Broke almost a year to the day before the floods. She had been around the area for a while before that after she and her and her son had spent a long time travelling and working around Australia with a caravan, but with no plans to settle in Broke.

Circumstances led them to the Hunter and she subsequently got a job in the Broke area. They had been traveling for about five years at that stage and it was time to settle down somewhere and try something new. In 2021 she bought an old house in the centre of town.

Carly tells her story with compassion and clarity. The flood did not enter her house but came very close and she witnessed the devastation suffered by others as she struggled with Covid so had to remain in isolation.

“At one stage I dozed off and I woke up much later, to a lapping sound. For a minute I thought I was in a boat because my brain wasn't working properly. I thought, hang on, that doesn't sound good. I went to one of my back rooms to look out the window onto the street and the water was up around the house. I went out to the front patio and the water was completely up to top of the stairs of the patio.”

Like other locals she expresses her appreciation of the supportive community and what that meant to her as a newcomer to the area.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.