Kangaroo Island fires: Calls to extend mental health support as the region rebuilds

The smoke has cleared but the mental toll of KI's devastating fires remains. Now the island fears losing critical support that’s due to expire.

Kangaroo Island Community Centre co-ordinator Maree Baldwin in the community garden at Kingscote with volunteer Anne Hamlyn. Picture: Simon Cross

Calls are being made to extend the extra mental health services brought to Kangaroo Island after last summer’s bushfires, as the region’s recovery co-ordinator warns of the potential for post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Mental health has emerged as a key focus on the island in the wake of the inferno, which swept across its western part in December and January.

Recovery co-ordinator Rob Manton said health and wellbeing was “without doubt” his office’s most important focus.

“I fully anticipate there will be people in 10 years’ time who present with depression or post-traumatic stress that relates back to last summer’s fires,” he said.

“But having said that, it’s a remarkably resilient community.

They support each other and health and wellbeing and particularly mental health is well and truly on the state and federal government’s radar in terms of funding and support.”

There are still 37 singles, couples or families living in pods, another two in caravans and about six in holiday accommodation after 87 homes were destroyed in the fires.

Community events such as the Parndana Show and sailing on the One & All tall ship have boosted spirits in a year that other events and sport were cancelled because of social-distancing restrictions.

More events will be hosted in February, when the island marks a year since the fire grounds were declared safe.

A Koala looking back towards Kingscote on the Playford Highway, after the fires. Picture: Brad Fleet

Junction runs the Kangaroo Island Community Centre, which houses services including Headspace, Drug Arm and Uniting Communities.

Centre co-ordinator Mar­ee Baldwin said the Federal Government’s Country SA Primary Health Network responded to the fires by funding new Headspace and PsychMed services on the island, and up to 10 free psychology sessions were on offer for locals.

Mrs Baldwin said the funding for those services was due to expire on June 30, and she was advocating for it to be extended. Meanwhile, she successfully applied to the Fay Fuller Foundation for funding through its Our Town Initiative, which will provide $3m towards a 10-year mental health plan for the island.

Wellbeing SA community engagement officer Kath Bald said residents were feeling anxious about the looming fire season and others reported feeling “survivor guilt”.

A Country SA Primary Health Network spokesman said extra services on the island included trauma counselling, a social worker, an “engagement officer” who ran group work and co-ordinated care, and various community activities.

Some “key mental health services” would be extended until December 2021 and extra activities would happen early next year.

Denise Elland and Jan Verrall with their new book, Sampson Flat Bushfire, January 2015, A History: 100 Individual Accounts of Lessons Learned. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Amid tears, friends document trauma of Adelaide Hills inferno

By Clare Peddie

Traumatised by their harrowing experience in the Sampson Flat bushfire in January 2015, two friends have published a book with 100 personal accounts of lessons learnt in the disaster.

Historian Jan Verrall and nurse Denise Elland, of Upper Hermitage in the Adelaide Hills, hope it will help their community heal and also reflect on what the fire has taught them, so they can be better prepared next time.

While neither of the women lost their homes, Mrs Verrall will never forget wat­ching her old vineyard go up in flames.

“It just started raining fire into the vineyard, which had lots of high grass because it hadn’t been worked for several years,” she said.

“We’d watched each row of vines burn, coming down the hill. One row would burn 10-15 feet into the air, and then the fire would jump into the next row.

“And then the water bom­ber came and there was nothing. No flames, no smoke. It was amazing just to see that.”

Mrs Verrall’s family had subdivided and sold the vineyard seven years earlier, but retained the cottage, which they saved.

Even though it wasn’t her vineyard any more, she still felt the loss deeply. She took photos and wrote in a journal, but nothing helped.

“I was in a hole; I couldn't climb that ladder,” she said. “I think I was mourning.”

Almost two years later, after having counselling for post-traumatic stress, the idea came to write a book.

The women interviewed residents, CFS staff and volunteers – anyone who was willing to talk.

“At an interview, you’d have these adults who were sobbing, males or females, and you’d have to get tissues out, too, crying with them, sobbing with them. But it was a release. And it helped me,” Mrs Verrall said.

“There are so many people who didn’t do the interview that possibly should have, but they couldn’t face it again in their mind.”

The bushfire destroyed 25 homes, 146 outbuildings and many horticultural and small businesses. Fortunately, no human lives were lost but 142 people were injured.

The Sampson Flat Bushfire History book costs $50 plus postage. Contact [e-mail] to order. All proceeds from book sales are being donated to the SA CFS