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Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Weekly Newsletter of St John Ambulance Australia (NT) First Aid Services
Thursday 08 August 2013
August 2013
Please send contributions to
Vollie News
Before 8.30pm Thursday
Frank Dunstan 0429 886751
Newsletter editor
On other pages this week:
Paddy Bird Cup
Darwin Cup photos
Re-accreditation
Position Vacant
Historical Pix
Administrators of the NT
Snake Tale
Historical Pix 2
Bits & Pieces
History stuff
Ghost Story Part 2
Darwin Festival
Coming Events
Book Order Form
Volunteer Office Contacts:
Phone: 08 8922 6234
08 8922 6205
I will be going on leave this Friday and will be back on Wednesday 16th
October. I am heading over to the UK to spend some time with my grandsons
and touring Europe so looking forward to having lots of fun.
I know the ladies in the office will look after you while I am away.
Gwyn Balch
Happy Birthday, Kelly A little bird whispered that Kelly Raven
will crack the half ton on Saturday.
I am a volunteer and proudly tell anybody who cares to listen.
Volunteering gives a sense of purpose and worth in my retirement. I do not
ask for reward for what I do; the deep feeling of satisfaction in knowing that
my contribution makes a difference is reward enough.
All of our volunteers make a difference. That public duty most likely could not
go ahead without your attendance. The injured and sick know they are in good
hands when they see the black and white of our volunteers or the green of the
paramedics at major sporting and cultural events.
So, be very proud of yourself as a volunteer with St John Ambulance.
I am … Frank Dunstan
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Paddy Bird Cup – Benny Butler
Benny and Angie attended the Paddy Bird cup emergency services fund
raiser …
(Patrick) Paddy Bird was a young man living and working in
Darwin who lost his life in a tragic gas accident in 2011. He
was just 24 years old when he died.
On Sunday, teams came from all over the NT and Australia
to be part of the fundraiser, playing Gaelic Football.
Patrick’s brother also flew in from Ireland.
The main game was Australia v Ireland. With a good crowd
in attendance, a sausage sizzle and then the game was on;
the Shamrocks Darwin team won.
It was a really good duty.
Darwin Cup photos – Peter Poole
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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First & Advanced Responder Re-accreditation – Barbara Klessa
On Saturday 3 August a group of First and Advanced Responders gathered in Parap for re-accreditation run by
Christine Turner aided by Barb Klessa. There were scenarios a plenty with everyone demonstrating their skills with
the Oxy-viva, KED, Hare Traction Splint and air splints to name a few. There was also good acting by those who
became stand in casualties as well. On a serious note, we had to sit the AAFA challenge questions that made us all
concentrate for a while.
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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VACANT POSITION
Limited Tenure
1 Month
TRAINING ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
DARWIN
Full Time
We are currently seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic and experienced individual to fill the role of Training Administration Officer within our Casuarina centre, on a limited tenure.
Commencement Date 23 August (TBC)
To be successful in being appointed to this position, you will need to be able to demonstrate:
Excellent Customer Service Skills Experience in computer operation (including use of MS Office, order processing systems and
databases) Demonstrated administration experience Interpersonal and organisational skills Ability to promote training courses and convert to an enrolment
Please forward your expression of interest to [email protected].
Enquiries to Annetta Albanese 08 8922 6226
Historical Pix
Thanks to Graem Harding for these old photos of Alice
Springs in 1979
Above: Sparky, the Station mascot
Left: Graeme Harding, Brian Males, Norm Bartlett,
John Loadsman, Suellen Schubert , and Malcolm
Aslin on Bonnet
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Administrators of the Northern Territory - Paul Rosenzweig
MR ROGER DEAN KStJ
Ninth Administrator of the Northern Territory (1964-70)
President of the St John Council for the Northern Territory (1965-70)
The St John Council was formed in Darwin in November 1965, as a Branch of the St John Council for South Australia,
and Mr Roger Dean CBE KStJ was the first President. It would not be until 16 July 1977 that an autonomous St John
Council for the Northern Territory (Inc) was established.
Mr Roger Dean was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Civil Division (CBE) in 1968,
and was also a Commander Brother of the Order of St John (CStJ). He was later promoted to Knight of the Order.
Refer:
Rosenzweig, P A (1993) Government House Darwin; The House of Seven Gables.
Historical Society of the Northern Territory, Darwin. ISBN 0 9599702 6 6.
Top left: Roger Dean CBE KStJ
Above: Roger Dean and Deputy
Commissioner Dr W.A. “Spike”
Langsford at the St John
Ambulance HQ, Parap circa 1966
Left: Kevin Kettle, Dr Roger
Gauthier, Dr Langsford, Roger
Dean, Barrie Fricker, Grant
Keetley and Morris Setton at
Government House, Darwin
circa 1969
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Snake Tale! – Alan Caust
Us Ambos come across some pretty weird stuff – but
when your offsider puts a whole Accident and
Emergency Department at high risk – you don’t forget
such things!
It was late one afternoon and my mate and I were
dispatched for a snake bite. He sort of considered
himself as some sort of herpetologist – I can’t recall
his name as he didn’t last too long! We found two
very seriously envenomated patients breathless,
vomiting and really crook. We broke out our
stretchers and got them loaded pretty quickly – there
were a group of people trying to sell snakes! I had
clambered into the patient cabin and was organising
oxygen etc and my mate was rummaging in the linen
locker – I didn’t take much notice. He clambered in
and I slammed the rear doors and hit lights and sirens
as I sped towards the old Darwin Hospital casualty.
Two Doctors and a couple of nurses were soon
helping us unload our patients.
Inside casualty – which back then had only about 4
beds – a Doctor was drawing blood and saying we
need to get this to pathology Sister urgently – we
need to start Polyvalents asap – but we need to
identify the snake to start anti-venom! I was only 20
and wide eyed! Suddenly my mate cooeed out – I
have the snake Doctor! I have never in my whole
career seen an Emergency Department come to such
a silent standstill.
It’s over here on the bench in the pillow slip. 12 pairs
of eyes looked over to the bench – at a flattened
pillow slip filled with nothing but air! Nurses and
Doctors backed away – including myself in horror!
There was a damn venomous snake loose in casualty!
The senior Doctor barked at the Charge Sister –
evacuate the Department and Outpatients of all non-
urgent patients NOW! The damn thing was never
found!
St John teachings are totally correct – NEVER wash the
venom off the skin over the bite site. I have
personally, as a nurse used that venom to assist in the
correct anti-venom identification for Doctors to save
lives. We don’t need damn snakes running around
causing havoc! He copped a hiding from me en route
back to the station – and for weeks afterwards – I
noted nurses gingerly opening cupboards under the
benches to gain instruments and dressings, checking
very carefully for a snake! Can only happen in
Australia?
Historical Pix 2 - http://www.caringonthehomefront.org.uk/stories/air-raids/betty-popkiss/
During World War 2 in Britain, 17-year-old
St John Ambulance Cadet Betty Quinn was
awarded the George Medal for saving
seven people trapped in a bombed shelter
during the Coventry blitz in 1940.
As Betty Popkiss, she returned to England
from South Africa for the first time in over
60 years, as a special guest to the unveiling
of a national monument to the Women of
World War Two, in Whitehall on 9 July
2005 by Her Majesty The Queen.
Click on the link in the header – it’s an
amazing story of cool courage in wartime.
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Bits & Pieces
Awkward Hours, Awkward Jobs A History of St John Ambulance in the Northern Territory 1915-2012
A book about volunteers by volunteers – more info at https://sites.google.com/site/anawkward history/
Price: $30 per copy, discounted to $25 each for bulk sales of six or more
Postage in Australia: $8 per book.
Have a look at the Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Awkward-Hours-Awkward-Jobs/616409081725827
While at the Katherine Show selling books, Frank
Dunstan entered a “lucky door prize” draw with the
Bendigo Bank. For a bloke who normally couldn’t win
a kick in a riot, it was a pleasant surprise to find that
he had won the $200, to be spent on a lunch outing
with the Vollie Office staff.
Left: Frank at the Coolalinga and District Community
Bank
Photo courtesy Branch Manager Lucia English
History stuff – Frank Dunstan
The publication and release of Awkward Hours,
Awkward Jobs isn’t the end of historical research in the
Northern Territory, just the beginning.
Lesley King is working on a “Women in St John, Northern
Territory” project, Dawn Bat is researching and writing
about the SJANT Commissioners and Frank Dunstan is
working on a future revised and expanded version of
Awkward Hours, Awkward Jobs.
The latter is a long term project that will be expanded to
include all aspects of the paid Ambulance Service. To
facilitate this and gather historical information we have
started a Facebook group named St John Ambulance-
Northern Territory – History
https://www.facebook.com/groups/151724685024440/
We want people who are interested in contributing to
our history to join this group. We want your stories and
photos uploaded for all to read and comment to add to
the story. If you don’t feel comfortable with this, or have
many photos and a large story to tell I have created a
Gmail account: [email protected] to handle very
large emails. The other alternative is to burn a CD and
mail to:
Frank Dunstan, PO Box 121, Darwin River NT 0841
There must be many long serving or retired members
who are disappointed that a lot of material didn’t appear
in Awkward Hours, Awkward Jobs. That’s because I
either didn’t find it in any available records, or that I
stopped looking due to the size of the project with a very
tight deadline. This time there are no deadlines to meet
and no restraints on what can or can’t be included.
The next version of Awkward Hours, Awkward Jobs will
be on CD-ROM, which means that it can be as large as we
like with easy to produce annual updates. It will also be a
lot cheaper to produce than a printed book.
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Ghost Story – Part 2
A couple of years ago Vollie News ran a story about
the ghost in the old Palmerston Ambulance Centre in
Rolyat Street, with the information taken from an
Outback Ambulance story. Feedback on this story
suggested that the ghost was a fiction,
although Renee Caldwell-Harris says
that it still rings Comms in the middle of
the night.
Well, it appears that the old Reg Marsh
Building, aka the Darwin Ambulance
Centre on Ross Smith Avenue also has
its resident ghost.
Paramedic Bridget Oudeman posted this
on the new SJANT History Facebook page:
Would anyone happen to know anything about the
friendly ghost that has taken up residence at Parap
Station (past 3 or more years that I know of and much
longer according to some of the longer serving
members)?
I am a Paramedic with SJANT and have seen this
apparition on several occasions at very early hours in
the mornings (4am) through to about 10am.
He is a tall slender man, short dark hair, seemed to be
wearing shorts and shirt; quite friendly natured. Loves
to play pranks on us too.
Any help would be lovely, we've been wondering for a
while who it could be.
Replies suggest that he has been around since
possibly Cyclone Tracy. Geoff Carter
mentioned Les Young of Darwin Division,
circa 1970-1974.
Graem Harding wrote: “Les was still active in
St John for a short while, then he moved out
to Jabiru as a medic at the mine site. He
eventually ended up working as a Paramedic
in Melbourne, which is when I last saw him.”
Another – who, me? – facetiously suggested
that the description fits Peter Poole, but
unless he has a doppelganger Peter has a good alibi,
having been on duty one night at Parap with Renee
Caldwell-Harris when the spook made a racket
upstairs.
Another suggested your editor as the culprit, but
unless it’s an out-of-sync spook from a past or future
life the description is wildly out.
Can any of our readers help to solve this enthralling
conundrum?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/15172468502444
0/permalink/152000451663530/
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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Coming events for 2013
When What Where Comments Requirements Web
August
Fri 9 – Mon 12 Garma Festival Gulkula, Arnhemland
Camping – Indigenous
Community Festival
Volunteer: First Aider & Responders Ambulance: TBA
www.yyf.com.au/
Saturday 17 Henley on Todd Regatta
Alice Springs www.henleyontodd.com.au/
Sat 31 Aug –
Sat 7 Sep
Variety Bash NT
Wine to Vine
This year’s event is starting at Tanunda in SA
First Aid Support for the
“Bashers” on their Annual
Fund Raising Jaunt.
TBA www.variety.org.au/NT/Events/Bash/2013/
September
Thu12 – Sun 15
Australian Superbike Championships
Hidden Valley Race Track, Berrimah
Fast bikes at Hidden Valley Racetrack and International Super Motocross at Darwin Speedway being held simultaneously over the weekend. Lunch supplied
Volunteer: Roving Patrols with use of SJA buggy/1st Aid vehicle where appropriate (TBC) Ambulance: 3 x Ambulance Crews and Coordinator supporting Race Safe
www.asbk.com.au/
Sat 14 – Sun 15
Super Motocross Hidden Valley Speedway, Berrimah
International Super Motocross at Darwin Speedway. Lunch supplied
Volunteer: Roving Patrols with use of SJA buggy/1st Aid vehicle where appropriate (TBC) Ambulance: 2 x Ambulance Crews and Coordinator supporting Race Safe
December
Sunday 1 Carols by Candlelight Darwin Amphitheatre
Vollie News Thursday 8th August 2013
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