Kate McAlpin and Andrea Bauer have formed a close connection after working tirelessly at the Highlands hub for weeks.
Photo by
Billie Davern
After all of the controlled chaos, two strangers have formed a lifelong bond, and countless others have been supported through the worst days of their lives.
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Kate McAlpin has had just three full days off since the Highlands Community Hall transformed into a self-sustaining hub days after the Longwood bushfire began.
She said the hub could be symbolised by the “old school” metal kettle in the kitchen.
“That kettle is symbolic of everything we have here,” she said.
“We don’t really know where it comes from, but it’s someone who knows someone who went to school with someone else.”
Andrea Bauer set up the hub on Monday, January 12, and what began with an assortment of snacks and water on a trestle table quickly morphed into clothes, delicious meals and even three outdoor showers.
“It’s been amazing, just amazing. People just keep coming,” she said.
“The first thing I got was a 12.5 BAK generator delivered with a tray of sandwiches and snacks for the firies — that was the very first day.
“Since then, it’s all just come to us.”
The pair have been through it all together, watching as the hub grew and grew until storage had to be outsourced to a donated shipping container and a shed in the hall’s backyard.
Seymour business The Brewer’s Table has also been instrumental in feeding those who have accessed the hub’s services, with Andrea saying “they’re the foundation of our meals”.
Kate McAlpin and Andrea Bauer have been ensuring the community has what it needs at the Highlands Community Hall.
Photo by
Billie Davern
While it’s a game of many hats at the hub, Kate’s background working at Services Australia has allowed her to aid locals with paperwork for accessing grants, and while she said it was difficult to break through the “someone’s got it worse than me” mentality, it was important to assure people that “it’s not a competition of who’s lost the most”.
“People that have lost so much are the ones that give the most,” Kate said.
“We’ve got a resident who has lost their home, and they needed a project, they needed to give back, and it was on day two when they were driving up with their car and sweeping the signs to get the soot off them.
“It’s things like that that happen almost on a daily basis. It’s just constant, everyone gives so much.”
The hub now runs, with the support of volunteers, every day of the week.
And although it’s important to ensure everyone has the material items they need, community connection remains at the core of what the hub offers.
“That’s certainly a focus for us going forward, maintaining that connection, that’s a high priority,” Andrea said.
“It really has helped, that connection from the hub, they feel supported and heard.”
Kate said she hoped that connection would be upheld long into the future of Highlands.
“It’s kind of nostalgic of the ’90s, that last really good, golden decade,” she said.
“The kettle was always hot, and there were always people to chat to, and events going on.
“That’s what it feels like: that sort of silver lining of community spirit.”
Looking ahead, the recovery effort will be about both maintaining community connection and replacing a significant amount of fencing that has been lost in the fires.
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