Nestled on a 5,000-hectare peninsula in Eastern Victoria, Australia, the isolated community of Lake Tyers has been facing a state of emergency.
Two hundred indigenous residents who call this place home are living in constant threat of serious danger. They have been contending with severe drought in recent years, and the tinder-dry forest that surrounds the community could go up in flames at any moment. Worse yet, there is only one access road to get into and out of the community – which means it would take outside fire crews a staggering 45 minutes to arrive on the scene. It’s a dangerous situation.
Luckily, some unexpected heroes have decided to fill in the gaps and have been stepping up to the plate in impressive ways
The Banana Women
Charmaine Sellings is the visionary behind the County Fire Authority Brigade. Her crew is quite notable, as it is Australia’s first all-female, all-indigenous, fire brigade. They work tirelessly to fight fires and protect the people of their small, isolated community. However, they also strive to protect the important cultural artifacts that lie within the community too. It is their story, their history, and they want to see it preserved.
Talk about girl power!
“When we first set up the brigade, the men called us the Banana Women because of our bright yellow outfits. We had a giggle about it because they were a bit jealous of us, but the name stuck and that’s what we call ourselves today.” Charmaine reflects.
Rhonda and Charmaine for women’s weekly. Photography by Jessica Shapiro.
In The Beginning
It all began about 20 years ago when some fires (later discovered to be deliberately lit) burned a house down and threatened the entire community. Charmaine and a few of her friends, Rhonda Thorpe and Marjorie Proctor, decided they wanted to do everything they could to protect their people and community. Together they gathered volunteers, and a total of eight women underwent training with the County Fire Authority, making up the original brigade.
“There was a sense of helplessness before we came along, but we feel empowered that we can look after ourselves and our people whatever the situation. The community is proud of us and they value us.” says Charmaine.
An Ever-Evolving Team
Charmaine and Rhonda, co-captains of the CFA brigade, would have never imagined fighting fires like they are now. They reflect on all the amazing skills that they have learned, such as handling chainsaws, clearing bush tracks, and driving complicated fire trucks. In fact, they are a highly regarded team that have been called out to various emergencies all across Victoria.
“We fought the Black Saturday bushfires, fires in Wilsons Promontory and Omeo. We’ve attended so many call-outs I’ve lost count,” says Charmaine. (1)
Today their team is made up of four women, with a few volunteers who help out when they can. Also, they are proud to have recently welcomed a man into their tribe, Julien ‘Tiny’ Edwards. “We let Tiny join!” Charmaine jokes. “Nah, he’s terrific, he works hard” (1).
“It’s given us enjoyment, friendship, a great sense of camaraderie among the women and independence,” Rhonda says. (1)
