“Knocking off work to carry bricks,” my mother used to call it.

At Goomalibee, a tiny hamlet west of Benalla, retired people are bending their backs to help the farming community recover from a fire that swept through the place prior to Christmas.

The small army of volunteers is living in a make-shift camp set up around the Goomalibree Fire Station and sweating through the northern Victorian summer to rebuild the fences and tidy up the debris created by the fire.

Camp co-ordinator Debra Ong (herself a former nurse and professional volunteer co-ordinator) is not so mean to see them working in 40 degree-plus heat. They start early and knock off early when the scorchers arrive.

But it’s still dirty, gritty work, straining fences and cutting up fallen trees from the blackened landscape, seven days a week.

While many of the volunteers for the national organisation are retired, there are others who are much younger, including backpackers who can earn credit to extend their visas by volunteering.

“We love backpackers,” Debra said.

“They bring in new and interesting cultures, they’ve got lots of energy and we find we can learn from each other.”

Chinese volunteer Xiao Xiao Song was introduced to the chainsaws for the first time and proved adept at trimming fallen trees.

She was also learning English on the job, albeit, a distinctive Aussie form.

Debra said the welcome and support from the local community for the volunteers was “unbelievable”.

“It’s the best I have ever seen. We have people offered to do laundry, provide food and generators. We have even had offers of a nearby swimming pool.

“Two of our cars broke down and I put out a call for help on Facebook. We had a mechanic offer to help within half an hour.”

Anyone able to volunteer or give assistance to Blaze Aid can contact Debra at the Goomalibee camp on 0427 669 934.

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Sunday, 26th July 2026

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