March 2004

Bushfire work earns award

Gelantipy Bush Nursing Centre Nurse Manager Beth Allen was named East Gippsland Citizen of the Year on Australia Day for her work during the 2003 East Gippsland bushfires.

A nurse for 26 years, Ms Allen trained and worked in Melbourne hospitals until 1997 when she moved to Gelantipy.

The Bush Nursing Centre is the primary health service and community agency in the area and was a key source of advice and coordination for emergency services.

The East Gippsland bushfires had a marked social and economic impact upon the people of Gelantipy and districts.

The fires took everything in their path, killing massive numbers of livestock, burning hundreds of kilometres of fences, many houses in the area, thousands of hectares of pasture and many thousands of hectares of bush.

The power was cut off for a week, food went rotten in freezers and fridges, there were no telephones because the lines had melted and the roads were closed because of fallen trees.

A sole part-time practitioner, Ms Allen worked around the clock for some weeks responding with practical advice, medical treatment and emotional support.

She was also the primary medical service for the fire fighters and emergency services.