The entire Lifestyle Wimmera Edition 6 is available online. READ IT HERE!

By Dylan De Jong 

A set of bright yellow fire-resistant overalls are never too far out of reach for Wimmera teacher and father Cameron Whelan. 

His students at Horsham College might not even be aware that his Country Fire Authority emergency pager is always at the ready as he stands teaching at the front of the classroom. 

As a full-time teacher, one would think time would be a limited factor in life – but without hesitation Mr Whelan will always jump at an opportunity to lend a helping hand.   

The Warracknabeal Fire Brigade captain is eager to help those around him and he barely misses a beat. 

His self-sacrificing nature was reflected earlier this year when asked to help with the on-the-ground efforts during the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires, on two occasions.

The memory of bushfires might seem a lifetime ago through the thick of a global COVID-19 pandemic.

But Mr Whelan still vividly remembers burning embers floating across the sky, a dense smoke-haze washing the landscape and the almost palpable anxiety of fire-affected communities. 

He was among two firefighters from the Warracknabeal brigade who found themselves boots on the ground at Batemans Bay late last year. 

Fire crews were assisting with asset protection, implementing containment lines, clearing trees and ensuring people were safe from flames that were engulfing the landscape. 

“That was an absolute eye opener,” Mr Whelan said. 

“Up there timber was as far as the eye could see, and as far as the eye could see had been burnt – it was just on a different scale.”

Just one month later, Mr Whelan was called on again to make a 600-kilometre journey to fire-devastated Walwa. 

He joined a strike team of 20 CFA firefighters, predominately from the region’s District 17, to assist.

Before the team arrived, the town of 200 had been left without power and telecommunications. Residents stuck it out for a week, alone, to defend the town from flames that were encroaching from each side with a single fire truck and a ute with a tank on the back. 

Mr Whelan said after a five-day deployment, strike force members found it hard to leave because of the relationships they had formed and knowing the road to recovery would be far longer lasting for the community.  

“When the pressure is on and you’ve got the fight on, it’s pure focus,” he said.

“Afterwards, when you have the ability to stop and look and take it all in, you go through a range of emotions.”

Empathy

On returning home, a Wimmera committee consisting of Warracknabeal residents and members of the strike team formed the Wimmera-Walwa Bushfire Recovery Appeal. 

The appeal led to more than $90,000 being donated to the small Upper Murray community. 

“I think one of the biggest things this year for me was empathy,” Mr Whelan said. 

“Usually when you go in for a fire fight, you get in, do your job and you might meet the locals and spend a few minutes with them, but because we were in the community for such a long time, you actually made more of a connection.” 

Mr Whelan said it was also hard to forget the devastation of livestock that was lost. 

Authorities estimate more than 70,000 sheep and cattle across Australia perished in the fires. 

“Growing up on a farm, you have that connection and you know the value of stock. When you see the poor cattle or sheep that’s either been burnt or they’re still alive and haven’t got anything to eat, I think personally that’s one of the things that hits me hardest,” he said.

Growing up in central Victoria on a farm at Dunluce, near Maryborough, Mr Whelan was always exposed to the CFA.  

At 16, after seeing his father’s involvement in the fire brigade, he decided he wanted to give it a go. 

But throughout his time, he never expected to become a leader. He now oversees a brigade of more than 32 operational firefighters. 

“In incidents sometimes there’s a spilt-second decision and you’ve just got to make it and go with it. It’s in those moments you’ll find things can go wrong,” Mr Whelan said. 

“Knowing you’ve got a good team behind you certainly gives you confidence.

“It was never a goal to become a fire captain. I’m just very lucky that right through my experience in the CFA I’ve had some amazing mentors as captains.” 

Life on the farm ended for Mr Whelan when wool prices hit ‘rock bottom’ in the ’90s. 

His father encouraged him to jump into a trade and he started an apprenticeship as a diesel fitter and turner with the Australian Defence Force to earn a bit of extra money. 

Later, Mr Whelan found himself in the Wimmera, in early spring 2000, seeking a pre-harvest job at GrainCorp so he could save up enough money to travel overseas. But something kept him here.  

“I was just looking to get a few extra dollars in my pocket and go, but work with GrainCorp just kept on going, so I stayed for a few years,” he said. 

“I found I actually really enjoyed the lifestyle and the climate here in the Wimmera, so I decided to have a look around for other careers and teaching was always something I enjoyed, especially in the defence industry where I was in Bendigo.

“It was going to be an option where I could further my trade and stay in the region.” 

After a three-year teaching degree at La Trobe University in Bendigo, Mr Whelan moved on to teach technology classes at Birchip P-12 and later Horsham College. 

He said during his time in classrooms his love for the job only grew stronger. 

“I’m getting so much more from my job when helping others, especially those less fortunate,” he said. 

“That’s where I’m at in my career – supporting students and families in that welfare and engagement side of things.”

Mr Whelan said his desire to help others was something he carried into all aspects of his life. 

“It’s like any organisation you’re with, regardless if it is the CFA or you work for the local op-shop, it’s about what you put in,” he said. 

“When you love something and you have a passion for something regardless of what it is, you can add value to that by helping someone else.

“The reward is that growth in that person. I think that is the true meaning of why I do what I do. 

“I’ve had great mentors and people who have influenced my life and I just want to try to do the same to others who might not be as fortunate. If you see an opportunity that is going to help someone else, why wouldn’t you give it a go?

“Just with a smile while walking up the street, you might make somebody’s day.”

Mr Whelan said he was proud of his sons Declan, 15, and Harrison, 11, who were eager to get more involved in volunteering with the CFA.