'Publicans Helping Publicans'

and bring support to the Victorian Bushfire Zone

The 7th of February will live long in our memories and will be forever know as Black Saturday . For this was the day bushfires ravaged much of country Victoria. A total of 173 people were confirmed to have died in the fires with around 500 injured.
The fires destroyed at least 2,029 homes, 3,500 structures in total and damaged thousands more. Many towns north-east of Melbourne were badly damaged or almost completely destroyed, including Kinglake, Marysville, Narbethong, Strathewen and Flowerdale. Many houses in the towns of Steels Creek, Humevale, Wandong, St Andrews, Callignee and Koornalla were also destroyed or damaged, with several fatalities recorded at each location. The fires affected 78 individual townships.
Exactly two months later, on the 9th of April, I felt very privillaged to be given the opportunity to show support for the hoteliers, their customers and townspeople of five areas affected by the fires. Dougal Hollis called me to tell that AHA Victoria were putting together a group of people under the heading of “Publicans Helping Publicans” to visit five pubs in five ‘bushfire effected’ towns.

I immediately told Dougal I wanted to be involved and asked if I could bring my pal – legendary Aussie cricketer Max Walker – with me. Max was certainly a hit with the locals of all the areas. He was fantastic. He chatted with everyone and was photographed with anyone and everyone who asked could they have a photograph with him. He was particularly happy every time I asked him if I could take a photograph of him and the owners of all the pubs we visited. I am quite sure these photos and stories about them will become treasured possessions.

There were many ‘highlights’ of the day including how the Kennedy’s at the Black Spur Inn became ‘foster parents’ for many families who were split up and feeding 120 emergency service, police families each day; the story of Eric Notley saving the town and having to ‘borrow’ the Council bulldozer to do it; Daryl Worthington who spent most of his time away from his pub fighting the fires; Steve and Viv and their friends and customers having to defend their town as the CFA volunteers where already occupied in other hot spots; the verse Peter Autie recited for us at Flowerdale; Craig and Sharon story at Kinglake where the fires and loss of life was horrendous.

And still these publicans, with all their problems, demonstrated their professionalism as ‘mine hosts’ in welcoming their fellow hoteliers. We finished the day at the National Park Hotel at Kinglake where we were treated to several ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ look-a-likes riding their horses into the bar to join us for a beer. Good on you guys!

I have attempted to record most of these special moments on video.

Max Hitchins