through the farming deputy’s eyes Natalie Bowman, Deputy Shire President (2015 - Present)
Tuesday 17th November 2015 started out as many other
we needed to make. During harvest, where I was
lives, but who, during an emergency, stepped up to form
Tuesdays have for me, with the usual 8am start at the
surrounded by a busy staff, mostly of men, the drive
a team tasked with roles and responsibilities to deal with
Shire of Esperance, in a meeting with the Shire President
was my sanctuary, my peace and quiet, where I took the
the situation at hand.
and the CEO. In my position as Deputy Shire President,
time to enjoy the trip and relax. This Tuesday was one of
we started each Tuesday with a meeting to discuss the
those drives, watching headers busily working early, and
Being fully involved in this new role and having only been
Council agenda that month and any other issues that
enjoying a sing along with the radio.
in the Deputy position for 4 weeks prior to this day, I was
were happening.
very focussed on gathering information and participating We had a full day of meetings and it wasn’t until lunchtime
to provide local knowledge where I could.
I still had
As I left the farm at Grass Patch at 6.45am for the 1 hour
that I stepped outside to realise the full extent of the
not really placed the location of the fire in my head,
drive into Esperance, I knew that it was going to be a
weather. It was an oppressive heat, one that surrounded
concentrating only on what I needed to do to help keep
hot and windy day. You could feel it in the air and the
you completely and that wind, something I have never
people safe.
blowflies were already lining up on the verandah walls,
experienced before. We have had windy hot days, but
signalling the heat that would come. We knew there was
this day had a different feeling to it – it was eerie and
On the wall of the room was a map showing where the fire
a fire in the North in the bush, but that wasn’t unusual,
made us all fall silent as we felt the intensity of the heat
front was and this was being kept up to date minute by
they are often out there, started by lightning.
coupled with the power of the wind.
minute, with someone coming from the communications room next door with the most up to date information and
We also knew that there would be a harvest ban called
Still nothing untoward crossed my mind, knowing that
transferring it to the map. I remember being continually
early that day due to the weather, so the blokes were
there was a harvest ban in place and my husband and
shocked at how quickly that red fire front line was being
already heading to the paddocks to get as much harvest
staff were probably at home under the air conditioning.
moved.
them to stop. I checked the dog and cocky had plenty
As the council agenda briefing ended, we were made
It was at the end of one of these updates, as the room
of fresh water and jumped into the car without another
aware that there was an issue with the fire in the north
emptied out a little, that I was able to take a closer look at
thought, never thinking that it might be some days before
and the Shire President and myself were asked to head
the map and then realised, with a sinking feeling, that our
I would be able to return.
to the Incident Control Centre for a briefing. It was there
own farm, my home, my family, friends and neighbours
that I began to understand the full extent of the fire issue
were indeed being gobbled up by that rapidly moving
I often used my hour drive to morph from Farmer to
and the risk to my family, friends and neighbours at
line. At that time all I really wanted to do was grab hold
Deputy, switching from thinking about farming, food and
home. The room was filled with Incident Management
of someone who knew the details and focus them on my
staff to thinking about the town issues and the decisions
team members, people like me who had other roles and
farm and find out what was going on out there and what
in as they could before the heat and wind arrived, forcing
pg 26 | NATALIE BOWMAN