It’s a heartwarming tale of a neighbourhood coming together to help the more vulnerable in their midst.
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Five residents of a Dundaloo supported accommodation house at Wingham were frightened out of their skin by an almighty bang. The noise was heard by residents up to two kilometres away.
Two staff members rushed out to see what had happened and noticed fire coming out of the power pox. A staff member tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher while waiting for the fire brigade to arrive.
With a storm circling at the time, staff and neighbours believe the fire was caused by lightning.
The fire originated in the power box attached to the garage. Damage was limited to the box and part of the interior wall.
Wingham Fire and Rescue are still investigating the fire.
Neighbours, alerted by the sound and three fire brigade vehicles and an ambulance, ran to the house from all directions to help in any way they could.
Next door neighbour Bill Esam ushered the worried residents into his house and supplied them with cups of tea. Bill’s wife Olga was not there at the time, but came rushing home after an urgent phone call from Bill.
Olga fed the residents, and plonked her dog in the lap of Damien Herring, in the hopes that a good dog cuddle would ease his anxiety.
Bill and Olga have always had a good relationship with the residents, who have been living there for two years in April.
We get on real well with them. We chat over the fence so it made it easy for them to come over here.
- Bill Esam
“We get on real well with them,” Bill said. “We chat over the fence so it made it easy for them to come over here”.
“The spirit and the care given by the neighbours is most impressive,” CEO Dundaloo Support Services, Shelly Sabey said.
While initially some in the neighbourhood were concerned about disabled people living in their street, the Dundaloo home has become the crux of the tiny Apanie Close community.
“I think by having our house there, we’re bringing the community together,” Shelly said.
The organisation held an open house and a pre-Christmas gathering where, Shelly says, “people turn up and hang out,” and any resistance to their presence on the street has been overcome.
The residents are still not able to return to their home to live, as a new power box needs to be installed and further investigation of the extent of the damage takes place. They expect to return on Friday.
Julia Driscoll
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
