Old Station Flying Club president Allan ‘Kiwi’ Andrew dies in quad bike crash at Raglan

A Central Queensland aviation enthusiast is being remembered as a man who ‘would give you the shirt off his back’ after his tragic death in a quad bike accident at Raglan.

Allan ‘Kiwi’ Andrew is being remembered as a passionate aviator and a well known and well respected member of the Raglan community following his shock death on Monday.

Emergency services responded to a quad bike rollover involving Mr Andrew at ‘The Old Station’ on Langmorn Road, Raglan around 5.40pm.

Paramedics assessed Mr Andrew’s critical injuries, however, the 59-year-old tragically died.

The Old Station Flying Club president Allan (Kiwi) Andrew.

Ron Creed, longtime family friend of Mr Andrew, said the father-of-one was a very well known and well respected member of the Raglan and wider Central Queensland community.

“But not just in the Raglan and wider community, in Gladstone and surrounds as well because he held several jobs at Gladstone Airport,” Mr Creed said.

Allan (Kiwi) Andrew at The Old Station.

“He was a very caring and generous man who would give you the shirt off his back when you needed it.

“He loved his flying and even established a flying club, The Old Station Flying Club, more than 30 years ago on the property he lived on.”

The club has staged the incredibly popular Old Station Fly-In and Heritage Show since 1989, with pilots and aviation fanatics from all over Australia and even internationally attending.

The weekend-long show, which is open to the public, also features tractor pulling, truck shows and vintage machinery.

The event has long supported the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service.

Speaking to The Observer in 2017, ‘Kiwi’ lauded the annual Fly In and Heritage Show, claiming it was the biggest private air show in Australia on private property

“I go that bit further to cater for the air show, it’s just an amazing place. I live here but it still amazes me,” Mr Andrew said.

Mr Creed said the Andrew family did not have funeral plans for Allan at this stage.

Tributes have begun to flow from the wider community, with friend Wayne Hopkins saying he was ‘devastated’.

“I and many others who had the privilege of working alongside this bloke or met Kiwi over the years will be feeling as disheartened as I am,” he said.

“ Condolences to all that graced his presence. Such a loss to many people.”

Allan ‘Kiwi’ Andrew has been remembered as a kind and generous man with a passion for all things aviation. He was photographed here with his Cessna 150. Photo: Christopher Chan.

Mr Andrew’s death was the fourth serious quad bike-related incident in Central Queensland in the past two months.

On September 15, a woman suffered rib injuries after falling from a quad bike near St Lawrence and was airlifted to hospital.

The day before, on September 14, a man was airlifted from a cattle property near Glenden after he was trapped underneath a rolled quad bike on a cattle property and suffered injuries including a crushed pelvis.

Tragically, 14-year-old St Brendan’s College student Mitchell Norris died after a quad bike rollover on his family’s property near Yeppoon on August 27.

According to quad bike fatality data compiled by Safe Work Australia, as at September 30, there had been six quad bike fatalities in 2021.

Queensland Farmers’ Federation CEO Dr Georgina Davis said quad bikes were one of the most common causes of fatality in Queensland, and had been involved in more than 50 fatalities across the state since 2011.

To help reduce the risk of fatality and injury associated with quad bikes, the national quad bike safety standard was introduced, with phase one implemented in October 2020 requiring improved information for consumers including a rollover warning label and additional information in the operator’s manual,” Dr Davis said.

“Phase two of the safety standard begins on October 11 and requires all new and imported second-hand general use quad bikes to be fitted with an operator protection device or have one integrated into their design, and to meet minimum requirements for stability.

“QFF encourages farmers to be aware of the requirements under the national safety standard and uphold their responsibilities under Queensland law to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all their employees and visitors at work, by confirming quad bikes are safe to use for the situation and skill of the rider.”