‘We’re not cult-like’: How staying silent cost town at centre of mushroom meal

The town of Korumburra was unwittingly thrust into the spotlight in the wake of the deadly mushroom meal. But the decision to stay tight-lipped took an unexpected toll on locals.

Korumburra locals say they were unfairly portrayed as “cult-like” country folk when three beloved community members died from alleged mushroom poisoning last year.

Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson died after eating a beef wellington allegedly laced with death cap mushrooms in July last year.

Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, a pastor at Korumburra Baptist Church, survived the lunch but spent weeks fighting for life in hospital.

The two couples were dedicated parishioners at the local church – a fact which former South Gippsland Shire mayor Nathan Hersey said led to them being wrongly labelled as “cult-like”.

“I think there was a narrative there for a while of overly religious, cult-like people but it’s just a regular country town filled with great people in a very picturesque and beautiful place,” he told The Mushroom Cook podcast.

“We’re very proud of South Gippsland and we’re proud of Korumburra as a town and the way it has responded … to this tragedy and this crisis.”

Former South Gippsland Shire mayor Nathan Hersey told The Mushroom Cook podcast he was forced to become a spokesman for the tragedy after the town closed ranks. Picture: Supplied

Mr Hersey said he was forced to become a spokesman for the tragedy as the town closed ranks.

“I was surprised the community stayed so tight-lipped,” he said.

“I thought that there was a real opportunity to steer the narrative in a way where there was respect but also not allowing media to sort of have free reign over portraying our community as a place that was a bit of a backwater or a place that was filled with people who were a little bit unusual.”

A Korumburra resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said the public were “quick to judge” the town.

“So many assumptions were made about us country folk soon after the deaths,” he said.

“I think there were a perception that we picked our food from the ground and were really religious and that’s just not the case.

The resident said the “rumour mill went into overdrive”.

“About 5000 people live in Korumburra and yes, some go to church, but others don’t,” he said.

“We are just normal people with normal lives.”

The deaths of Don, Gail and Heather made global headlines with the some of the biggest media publications like The New York Times and BBC covering the tragedy.

Mr Hersey said council had an “onslaught” of national and international media requests.

“We had, for a number of weeks, media everywhere and there were times amongst that where I was doing media sometimes three times a day at a national and international level,” he said.

At the time, Victoria Police Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the media’s interest was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

“This investigation has been subject to incredibly intense levels of public scrutiny and curiosity,” he said.

“I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria but nationally and internationally.”