OPERATION GORDON
Location: Townsville, QLD
Active: Jan 30, 2019 to Mar 9, 2019
Objective
Disaster Relief Australia (formerly Team Rubicon Australia) launched Operation Gordon in response to unprecedented flooding that occurred across northern parts of Queensland, inundating over 3000 homes and businesses in and around the city of Townsville. The purpose of Operation Gordon, named after Townsville based Victoria Cross winner Sidney Gordon, was to provide disaster relief and recovery assistance to the most vulnerable elements of the population.
Over a five week period, DRA deployed 124 members delivering a broad range of assistance to a devastated community. Operation Gordon logged over 10,000 volunteer hours while responding to 350 requests for assistance, some of which took up to 4 days to complete. The community costs saved totaled well over 3 million dollars.
For many overwhelmed homeowners, DRA brought back hope. Throughout the Operation, DRA’s volunteers managed 341 local volunteers, allowing members of the Townsville community to help each other, and in the process, help themselves.
Operation Gordon was enabled through the generous support of Clubs QLD, and its member clubs, including the North Queensland Cowboys Leagues Club, whose staff and members worked alongside DRA in the wake of the disaster.
News and Field Ops Reports
Community & Volunteer Reflections
Caught Everybody by Surprise, Tony Carusi Thanks
The floods caught us. They caught everybody by surprise. The magnitude and the speed with which the flood came up; the hundred-year flood is nothing compared to this one. We were awake all night. We’d put our heads down for ten minutes and then jump up to see where...
Really Rewarding, Health Care Australia Volunteers
Today was really rewarding and a big eye-opener seeing how much was destroyed in the floods. It’s one thing hearing about it - but seeing it is completely different! When we first arrived at a homeowner's house, we thought "this is a huge job, how are we going to do...
Never seen anything like this ever – Steve Baker Community Reflection
I’ve lived here for 12 months but I've never seen anything like this ever. About a metre of water came barrelling down the stairs and ramps. The water pressure has blown the heavy fire doors off their hinges and ripped them in half. It’s come through the carpark and...
Positive About the Future – David
Before moving to Gipsy Point in 2009, I was living in Melbourne and just felt like a tree and sea change, I've been here about 12 years now with my partner and our dog Trixie. The day the fire came through was pretty heavy, we had been watching it on the internet for...
I Have Hope Again – Takeshi
The day the fires came into Mallacoota a farmer friend told me it is really coming. My house is on the outskirts of Mallacoota, my driveway is quite long, so I thought, if I stay, I won't know if the fire comes to us, so decided to go to the shop. I planned to camp...
Afghan Refugees Rolling up Sleeves for Disaster Relief
In December 2019, devastating bushfires ripped through the Adelaide Hills, destroying 86 houses and damaging around 160 more as well as burning through hundreds of hectares of farmland and vineyards. Following these unprecedented Black Summer bushfires, Disaster...
A Fence at the Front of the Property Again – Bushfire Impacted Homeowner Judy
I have lived in the area for over 40 years on and off. I moved to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia and lived there for nine years before coming back here. It’s our family farm of 200 acres. We, my son and daughter-in-law, left for town two days before the fire came...
Motivated Us to Action – Don and Jane
One of our biggest concerns, when the bushfires were coming, were our cattle. We wanted them to be safe, and despite everything, they all survived. No burnt hooves, none needed to be put down. The rest of the property didn’t fare so well. Our house narrowly survived...
Part of My Life Forever – Esther
It was all a bit surreal when the fires came through. It may have been 18 months ago but the feelings are all still there and quite upsetting. I remember that when I drove out of here with a few things in my caravan I didn’t realise how close it was, or how serious...
Port Macquarie-Hastings Mayor Pinson Volunteers for Flood Recovery
Peta Pinson is the first woman elected to the role of Mayor in the region of Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW. For her first term in office, she has witnessed two fires, an ongoing pandemic and is now overseeing the recovery of her community after the devastating...
Done So Much in Just One Day – Flood Impacted Homeowner Matt
The NSW floods have been a total disaster for us. We are usually up at 3am each day doing the milking and then we milk again later in the day. It is so exhausting keeping things going when you live on a farm. We don’t get weekends and holidays, the work is constant....
Really good seeing you guys here – David Massie
It’s really good seeing you guys here, it’s been 7 weeks since the fire came through and did an awful lot of damage to the property and you guys have been the first people to actually arrive on the property and start helping with the clean up. Just your response has...
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel – Janene Love
I am 75 and had a knee replacement last year. I live here with my mother who is 96, but she will tell you she is 96 and three quarters as it is her birthday in July! My family, which included me and my two brothers, bought the property and we have lived here for 47...
Good to share a story – Andy Frantz
My father bought the Malula Bay property in 1976. He was in the Austrian Navy but has since passed. He was brought up in Pula which is a seafront city on the tip of Croatia’s Istrian Peninusla. In 1979, my father planted several pine trees along the driveway to the...
Shared stories – Stephanie Batlow bushfire recovery
My daughter and I own Bonza Organics apple orchard just west of Batlow, bearing the brunt of the firefront in January 2020 which destroyed all our buildings and belongings, all fences and nearly 3,000 apple trees, half our orchard. Most of the dead trees were pulled...
Community Story: Aaron Nimmo
Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) responded in the community of Rosedale left devastated by bushfires in 2019. Many residents lost houses, sheds, stables, fences, stock and the clean up efforts are ongoing. There are stories that pull on your heart strings and bring you...
Community Story: Brendan and Deb Clarke
Brendan Clarke and his wife Deb are one of the few District Coast locals who lost everything, including their home in the Deepwater Bushfires that swept through the region in late 2018, early 2019. They had initially stayed to protect their property and thinking it...
I can’t thank you enough
I can’t thank you enough for the fast and friendly response to our situation. I thank all involved for their efforts, a great organisation to support.