Disaster recovery is rewarding work. Be it flood, bushfire, cyclone or pandemic, Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) is here to help. With our army of dedicated volunteers, we respond to disasters and deliver support to those in need.
DRA brings hope to communities devastated by disaster. We unite the skills and experience of military veterans, emergency responders and motivated civilians to deploy Disaster Relief Teams around Australia and the world. We help people during some of their worst days.
Volunteers are the cornerstone of Disaster Relief Australia’s operations. With more than 3,000 members nationwide, our veteran-led tribe serves communities before, during and after natural disasters strike to strengthen resilience and deliver much needed relief and recovery services.
News and stories are the heartbeat of our mission. Discover the inspiring narratives of our dedicated volunteers and resilient communities we stand by. These stories vividly depict the impact of our work, showcase the power of compassion and unity and remind us that we can make a difference together.
Deploying with DRA and supporting disaster affected communities is rewarding beyond measure. Through volunteering, corporate partnerships, financial donations or working with us, there are many ways to make a positive contribution and become a force for good.
There are many ways to make a positive contribution and bring hope to others. As a not-for-profit community cause, Disaster Relief Australia exists through the combined generosity of volunteers, donors, corporate partners and fundraisers.
A veteran friend suggested I look at Disaster Relief Australia when I was looking for an opportunity to give back after many years of paid work. I was immediately impressed by DRA’s focus on getting things done and helping others in their hour of need. Thinking about it, I realised there was a huge gap between the initial emergency response in a disaster and the subsequent recovery from that disaster. DRA had the solution, providing teams of motivated, trained and “can do” people to assist others in the recovery phase of a disaster.
I joined DRA in my hometown Sydney and very quickly found myself completing induction and a nationally recognised basic first aid course. Right from that moment, I felt a sense of purpose.
I went on to complete an advanced first aid course that gave me the knowledge and confidence to treat a wide variety of injuries. I’ve also been trained as a chainsaw operator.
I have now deployed on three operations with DRA, two fires and one flood. My roles have been varied in these deployments ranging from Mission Commander right down to strike team member and I can honestly say I have enjoyed them all. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than giving another human a hand up in a time of crisis. The smile on a stranger’s face is all the reward I need.
One of the things I really enjoy about DRA is meeting and getting to work with fantastic fellow volunteers. DRA members come from all over Australia and have varied backgrounds. I have deployed with ex police, ex military, paramedics and motivated civilians, amongst others, and made many friends in the process. We all have one thing in common and that is a desire to help others in their hour of need. I find it immensely satisfying to walk amongst people like this.
I aim to deploy with DRA at least once a year and hope that I’m able to continue giving back for many years to come.
I come from a military family. My father is an Officer in the Army Reserve and so I spent much time in my childhood surrounded by the ADF community. Whether through attending a family barbeque in Keswick Barracks or doing my homework on my dad’s Army Reserve office couch, the values were always around me. My father’s suggestion to become a volunteer for Disaster Relief Australia was enticing. He was already a volunteer and he explained to me the values and mission of Disaster Relief. It was perfect, my dad was giving me the opportunity to both experience new things and genuinely help out.
Immediately I signed up and was extremely fortunate to be chosen to be a volunteer in Operation Kelliher. The catastrophic floods in New South Wales and Queensland were all over the news and so it was clear that if there were any place that needed help, it was those local communities. Within a week I was sent to NSW, specifically to a small town called Coraki.
Coraki was absolutely devastated. Almost every house was flooded inside and out and its residents were shellshocked. It would have been overwhelming for me, but once inside the base of operations at the Coraki Golf Club I felt that I could get through it. It was clear that the operation was well organised and that I could play my relatively small part and trust that if I needed support it was there.
I was part of the second wave, so we missed the flood itself but were essentially the first group to deal with the rehabilitation of the community. With my assigned group, two veterans and one civilian, we began to drive out to locals who specifically asked Disaster Relief for help. The first house we visited was a farm owned by a couple in their 80s whose entire livestock and first floor of their house were destroyed. It was clear then that our service was as much about mental help as it was physical help. The couple were dejected and knew their livelihoods were taken away from them. We cleared up their shed and fences, making considerable progress before leaving at the end of the day.
The second day saw us visiting a house containing a huge amount of items that when finally piled up outside their house for a garbage truck to remove, were enormous. Removing cupboards, beds, furniture, cutlery, and everything else was a huge task that taxed my physical strength and resilience. The house was owned by a couple that had a different perspective on their predicament. They seemed almost happy to have the house cleared out so that they can start again even though the majority of what was inside of their house had to be thrown out. Speaking to both couples gave me a good perspective on my role as a volunteer. I could not impose my feelings on them. Except for providing support, I could not tell them how to feel or what to do; my job was to help them if they asked and do that job as best as I could.
Whereas externally, I was a friendly helper to the locals, among the Disaster Relief volunteers, I found a wonderful and supportive community. The balance between veterans and civilians allowed me the opportunity to meet and get advice from different people from different parts of Australia. The veterans told me their history and often traumatic experiences in the field of war and the civilians told stories about their lives both of which gave me perspective on my own. After a week of hard yakka, I was fully bonded with them and felt I had made firm friends that I would keep outside of Disaster Relief.
Coming back from Coraki after 7 days of work and 2 days of travel I was a changed man. I had gone through an experience unlike any other that gave me perspective on my life and the opportunity to genuinely help people in need. Speaking to my father afterwards, I began to understand, in a small way, what he went through as an Army Officer, which strengthened our relationship.
I advise any person reading this who is a civilian not to be intimidated by the veterans that are the core of the organisation. They will support you through the operations and respect you for the service you do. There is no other organisation that I know of that provides such an experience, so take a leap of faith, sign up and get going!
I’m a registered nurse and I’ve been a part of DRA for about four years now. I initially joined DRA because I thought I might be able to use my nursing skills and help other people in the community. But now I’ve realized, that you don’t have to be a nurse, you can use any of your life skills and hard work and get in there – it does really make a difference for the people in the community.
It means a lot to me to be able to help people as a nurse, I help people in my day to day life. What I really enjoy about that is knowing that if someone comes in when they’re quite unwell, we can make them better generally, and then they go home. To be able to continue that story for a wider community, if we can come in and help a community, get it back on its feet, in whatever way we can, then it’s really satisfying.
It’s knowing you’re making an impact, on people as individuals in my day to day life, and then also people as individuals in their home lives and also hopefully the community as a whole has impacted my life in a few ways.
I’ve gotten a lot of personal satisfaction out of coming in and seeing our efforts actually come to fruition and seeing families and, and communities actually sort of start to take that step to get on the road to recovery.
My daughter has also joined DRA and I love the confidence and skills that she’s learning. Being here with her now and actually seeing the amazing woman that she is, it’s incredible to see, you can’t count them. It’s for both from a personal point of view and for the communities point of view and the individuals within the community as well.
Everybody will be able to make a contribution in some way. They will bring their own life experiences and be able to make a purposeful impact on other people – and that’s such a wonderful thing to be able to do to people in our community who may not have that access to those resources in another way.
I was drawn to volunteer with Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) due to its focus on supporting veterans. After service in the Royal Australian Navy in the 1960s and 1970s, I wanted to put my skills to use in helping Australians, especially with the recent floods in New South Wales.
Currently deployed to Corakai, New South Wales in response to the floods of February 2022, I got to work assisting residents in mucking out houses, removing flood damaged items and restoring the environment. I have volunteered for years as a veteran’s wellness advocate in Coff’s Harbour and I wanted to bring that expertise to Corakai, in addition to doing the more physical work.
While working at a home along the river at Woodburn, I met a fellow veteran. This 82 year old veteran had served in the Australian Army in Vietnam, Malaya and Borneo. We quickly bonded over shared experiences; we had many similar stories from our time in service. While DRA worked to repair his home, I made sure I took the time to talk with this veteran and understand his needs.
The local Vietnam veteran had been devastated by the recent floods and and required physical, emotional and financial assistance. With my experience as a wellbeing advocate at a veterans centre, I quickly understood the need for assistance. Working with this local resident, I was able to reach out to Coff’s Harbour and confirmed that RSL Defence Care was available for to assist.
It was great to see that we could get more support for this veteran than was intially available. I like to know that veterans are going to get the assistance they need for the repairs of their house and that their safety is guaranteed. It is important to see that at their age, in vulnerable circumstances, they get the support they deserve.
I’m heading home to Bellingen as Wave 8 of DRA’s Operation Kelliher winds down, but I will never forget this Corakai veteran. I’m working with veterans services, and will be able to follow up on this case to ensure that this local resident gets the support he needs as the area moves to the next phase of recovery.
I first heard about Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) by following the journey of another member who has been with DRA for a few years and seeing the operations that he had deployed on. Seeing the great work he’s done as a member of DRA led me to think “this is an organisation that I want to be a part of’.
The moment that made me ‘push the button’ so to speak was when my friend had posted a call-out on his Facebook page that DRA was launching an operation to assist the recent floods in Northern NSW and Southern Queensland. I made contact with my friend and asked him how to join DRA. As luck would have it, he is a DRA Membership Coordinator so he had all the answers and provided me with the guidance I needed to join DRA.
I shortly thereafter submitted an Expression of Interest to join DRA and 2 weeks later, here I am on my first operational deployment, Op Kelliher in Coraki NSW.
My background comprises 2 full-time periods in the Royal Australian Navy. My first period concluded with attaining Warrant Officer Rank and then I later rejoined as a commissioned officer where I attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander (LCDR). I have also been a volunteer member of the Rural Fire Service (RFS) for the past 18 years.
As an RFS volunteer, I have been on many bushfire deployments to Queensland, NSW and Victoria. I have also experienced similar Command & Control, Logistics processes that you employ within DRA, however, what I have not experienced previously was flood disasters and their associated recovery.
After 5 days into my first deployment with DRA, I have found that whilst the daily briefings and the command and control are nearly identical to my RFS experience, it is the comradery, and the friendliness of the deployed members and their passion to give up their time and help this affected community that has really struck a chord with me.
A lasting memory for me from this, my first DRA deployment will be that besides the many new friends I have made, it was the validation that the work that DRA is doing is very much appreciated by the community. After completing a damage assessment for a community member, I had an elderly lady clasp both of my hands and with a tear in her eyes, she said, ‘thank you for assisting us in our time of need’.
That is all I needed to know that I will definitely be seeking to deploy again. I intend to continue a long and lasting relationship with DRA and its members. I also have no hesitation in encouraging my friends both ex-Navy and RFS to join DRA, in fact, I have already started to spread the word.
My military service began at age 17 as an Army reservist, with the 2/17 Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment. Based in Blacktown, Sydney. Not long prior, I completed year ten and had an apprenticeship fall through. It was a friend in the reserves who drew my interest towards formal military service, at a time in which I was rather directionless.
I later came to join the police force, followed by the Australian Regular Army as a full-time soldier. I served with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and 2 Commando Regiment.
By trade, I am a fitter and turner, although I received formal training in psychology during military service. My study has progressed to the point of internship and graduating with honours in my field.
Disaster Relief Australia caught my attention through social media, I subsequently applied and secured membership, training and operational deployments. I arrived in Coraki to fill a welfare role during our second operational week and decided to return shortly after to continue facilitating direct support of the vulnerable.
Manually laborious work is within my scope, but my primary concern is with the psychological welfare of community members and the DRA team. I view this role as essential, and achievable through a degree of compassion, care and positive support through empowerment.
In the 80’s I was a writer in the Navy. My grandfather, my great uncle, cousins, myself and now my son, all joined the Navy. It was generational. After 5 years of service, I left and headed down a pathway in training and development, training in First Aid and computers with the Queensland Ambulance, Red Cross and Qld TAFE. I also spent 10 years developing and training teenagers in the Australian Navy Cadets while my son was growing up.
I grew up in a big family. From the young age of 5, I had the urge to help other people for a small time whilst in a Qld orphanage. I knew how tough life could be and wanted to ensure that no others had to endure hardship without support. This is my purpose, my why in life. Wherever I can, I help. This is what attracted me to DRA and what we do for the community.
Last year in July, I was sitting watching the tv with my wife when Disaster Relief Australia appeared on Sunrise with members assisting the community after the 2019/2020 bushfires. It was at that point that I decided to do more in my spare time. I went on to the DRA website and submitted an EOI to join. Two weeks later I become membership coordinator for southern Queensland because of my previous skills, training and a desire to help as much as possible.
Operation Kelliher is my third deployment with DRA. My first deployment was to Coolah to assist with Operation Traill after flooding. I have now been on two deployments to Operation Kelliher. The first operation I assisted in the IMT, however this time I am on the ground as part of a strike team, to support the people and community of Coraki. It has been eye opening talking to people and listening to their stories. I definitely take my hat off to the community and their strengths. They are the true heros.
In the wake of the 2020 fires which ravaged our beautiful bushlands and devastated communities, I was transfixed by the awful scenes and was almost overcome with a sense of helplessness. I desperately wanted to do something to help and knew that I would run out of money donating to causes as often as I wanted to and needed to find an alternative way to connect.
Tasked into Disaster Relief Australia as a spontaneous Volunteer by the state volunteer peak body (Volunteering SA & NT), I found a purpose I did not even know I was looking for. As a business owner, I didn’t think I would be much help on the fire grounds but quickly learnt how wrong I was. Surrounded by an incredible team of capable and skilled Veterans and First Responders, they instilled a sense of confidence in me and put me to work helping them with some honest hard work. It was dirty, it was intensive, it was hard yakka… but it was rewarding and I loved it. I was signed up to be a fully-fledged Disaster Relief Australia Member by the end of my first day.
Two years on, and I am not just a part of this wonderful organisation, it is a part of me now. As Disaster Relief Australia established a Disaster Recovery Team in South Australia, they have given me opportunities to learn new skills – I can use a chainsaw, I can drive a 4×4 through a water crossing, and I am a master wood stacker and fence roller. I don’t even know what I am going to learn next, but I know it will be exciting!
The reward I have derived from being a part of this organisation almost makes me feel guilty at times – how can helping others feel this good? My most rewarding moment was when we had the simple task of cutting up fallen trees and stacking them out of the way. I didn’t realise it at the time, but we were actually clearing the property owner’s fence line and after it was cleared she could get new fences put up meaning she could return her horses to her property. When she came out to see our progress and realised she would be able to see her beautiful horses from her front door again, she was so thrilled she cried and hugged us all. We didn’t even have to apologise for the soot stains she then had down her front! We felt like our task was a small one, but the impact it made on the property owner’s life was immense, and that moment of gratitude will be inked in my brain forever.
The 2020 fires might be what motivated me to get out and become a Disaster Relief Australia volunteer, but the people from both within the organisation and those who we help are what keep me inspired to stay. I have learned a lot from the veteran and first responders in the organisation and have developed a deepened respect and appreciation for what they do for us – so this organisation has become a source of knowledge with much broader depth than I ever anticipated.
My mission is no longer to help just those who have been affected by fires in our own back yard here in Adelaide, but those affected by disasters everywhere – be it a flood in Queensland or a drought in Western Australia. My answer to where do I see myself in DRA is the same if you ask it of me for 12 months, 3 years or a decade from now – this is an organisation I want to be connected with for as long as I am able.
I found Disaster Relief Australia when I was searching for ways to get more involved with humanitarian aid. I had been involved with medical volunteering agencies, but when the focus shifted from international travel to domestic only, I thought DRA sounded great for me.
As a career Fire Fighter and ex-Navy Medic, I’ve always found myself working in emergency settings. The nature of the work is reactive to a crisis and once the crisis has passed we move on to the next task. Being involved in the disaster recovery stage is new for me. I have found that it can be more emotional than my day-to-day calls.
When out with DRA you form a connection with the resident and their family that the team is working with that day. A chance to hear their story, which is just as beneficial for them as it is for us. In the last year of volunteering, I can’t say I have had one specific moment that stands out as the most rewarding. My favourite part of deploying though is at the end of a workday, when everyone is exhausted yet we all have smiles on our faces because we’ve worked as hard as we could and hopefully made a difference in someone’s life. That is probably the reason that even when it is 40 degrees and I am swinging a chainsaw, sweating like there is no tomorrow and melting that I keep coming back.
DRA is a bit different from other volunteer organisations I know of. Apart from the fact that we are veteran-led, the difference that stands out is the constant push to improve and expand in all areas. We have a large skill base throughout our membership and as we find more ways to use these skills, we adapt and offer more to the community.
The training opportunities that I have seen offered to existing and new members has been great. I can’t wait to see where we’ll be in another 5 years. As the first Operations Manager for the WA team, I have been lucky enough to work with an awesome DRT while we have learnt our roles, improved our systems and work outputs. When the time comes to move on from this position, I would hope that as a leadership team we have created a solid platform for the next leadership group.
Where do I see myself within DRA in 3 years? Hopefully out on the tools somewhere getting dirty.
Joining up with and volunteering for Disaster Relief Australia is something I was very strongly drawn towards after the Cuddlee Creek bushfire went through the local area. I felt it was an excellent way for me to give back to my community and help out those in a time of need.
The Pocket Forrest Project was a great example of that. It was an opportunity for me to meet up with other locals and volunteers from all over SA, to come together and work on this project in Lobethal. An opportunity to put my young and agile body at work and use my strengths and talents to give back in ways that simply just making donations, like I had in the past to those affected by the bushfires, couldn’t do.
The project consisted of a day of planting and landscaping at what was quite a special site for the locals of Lobethal. This particular section of roadside held significant importance in remembering how close the town got to further destruction during the Cuddlee Creek Bushfires. It will forever be used to remember and reflect on the turning point of that very dark day. We brought this area to life with fire retardant native shrubbery, mulch and trees. Installed tree guards and did quite a bit of weeding and clearing, laid down weed matting and did some further mulching on what is set out to be the next part of the project in the future.
This project had an amazing “feel good” vibe to it. Because by the end of a hard day’s work we could see the difference we made. Not only to the landscape and the project itself. But to the community members it impacted. At the end of the day some words were shared by some of the locals and it made it very clear just how important the work that Disaster Relief Australia and it’s volunteers, is for the Australian community facing hardship after natural disasters.
Disaster Relief Australia is a one of a kind organisation that is extremely well run and has the community at the forefront of its mind at all times. I highly recommend becoming part of the tribe and volunteering through Disaster Relief Australia, for anyone who wants to help and feels like they just “have more to give”.
Thank you Disaster Relief Australia for the opportunity to feel like I can make a real difference in giving back to my community!
Craig Barber,
Bunnings Mt Barker.
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