Page 00 - The Local Paper - Wednesday, September 19, 2018
www.LocalPaper.com.au
Local People
Hundreds pay tribute to Captain ■ Several hundred people attended the funeral service on Saturday (Sept. 15) for Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Frederick Philpott at the Murrindindi-Woodbourne Community Hub. Local people remembered the former Murrindindi CFA captain, who was one of the first to notify of the local Black Saturday outbreak in 2009, which were found later by authorities to have been caused by fallen electricity lines. Mourners recalled how for 2½years Ronnie was in the national spotlight as some investigators and some media incorrectly directed the blame for the fires at Ronnie. A small statement exonerating Ron Philpott from any blame was issued years after the fires, but no public apology was ever issued to him. Mourners recalled Ron’s selfless service to the community, and how he courageously faced the unfounded criticisms and accusations. Celebrant Ann McCormack led the service that included tributes from family members: daughter Liese Johnston, son Trevor Philpott, and grand-daughter Anneliese Johnston, as well as the Firefighters’ Tribute recited by CFA District 12 Operations Officer Charlie Cleary. A guard-of-honour was formed as the cortege made its way to Lilydale for a private cremation. The service commenced with That’ll Be The Day (Buddy Holly), and the lighting of four candles: Grief (Liese), Courage (Trevor), Memory (Peter), and Love (Anneliese). A picture show, set to the music of Over The Rainbow, celebrated Ron’s life and loves. It was Michael Guerin who delivered a frank and loving eulogy: “We are gathered here today not to celebrate the life of a famous, or as they have become recently, infamous politician, nor are we here for some fabulous media star. “Instead, we are here to honour the memories that we have of a truly famous Australian icon, a little Aussie battler. “If you wanted to be a battler, when and where would you have been born? You guessed it, Ronald Frederick Philpott was born in Tasmania during the Second World War, on August 29, 1944. “At the age of only three, for reasons lost in time, he was placed in the care of, and raised by, his grandmother and aunt. “He was educated in the Deloraine area and we don't know if he ever got to high school before he joined the work force as a labourer. “In 1966, at the age of 22, he married Hermenegilda Angel. Many of us have heard Ronnie speak fondly of the Dragon Lady. Well, she is who he was referring to. “They had four children (Ronald, Grantley, Liese and Leah) but Dragon Lady left with the kids when they divorced in 1978. “Ronnie managed to track down his oldest daughter, Liese, years later and they have remained very close ever since. “That was very lucky for him given the support she and her daughters provided to Ronnie later. “Soon after the divorce, Ronnie took up with a family friend, Christine Hay. They had three boys, Brad, Trevor and Peter. The latter two boys have also remained close to Ronnie
● Funeral director Mick McCormack leads the cortege at Ron Philpott’s serve at Murrindindi on Saturday. and are his pride and joy on the male working bloke who didn't have it easy “The program's polygraph ‘ex- behaviour. For a very long 2½-years, side. Ronnie and Christine divorced but didn't complain. pert’ declared the result inconclusive Ronald Philpott lived with the label in 1986. “Ronnie's big passion was the but blamed the volunteer firefighter of 'killer firebug'. “At some time during this era, Country Fire Authority. He joined for failing to sit still during the proce“Then, suddenly, out of the blue, Ronnie had the Tasmanian second the CFA in 1986 at Highlands, then dure. and I quote, ‘the veteran firefighter head surgically removed and he was at Glenburn and finally joined “Ronnie wanted to fly to Sydney suspected of lighting the Black Satshifted to the Mainland. the Murrindindi-Woodbourne Bri- to see his son off, but was stopped urday blaze that claimed 40 lives “We believe he lived in the High- gade in 1997 and was elected Cap- from leaving the area, such was the was quietly cleared by police’. lands area for a while, as he often tain only five years later in 2002. 'buzz from the fuzz'. “In a massive backflip, police say talked about working on a farm there. “Life for the little Aussie battler the Murrindindi fire was not delib“When the Brigade was struggling “He then shifted to Glenburn to survive with old equipment in a little became an absolute hell. He was so erately lit. A year before, they said where we also assume he worked tin shed, Ronnie would invite the scared of retribution from devastated they had discounted all accidental on farms for a few years. community to sausage sizzles he had victims that his neighbour Stan causes ... (and described the killer “He finally moved to Horseyard paid for out of his own pocket. Banbury used to spend nights sit- blaze as "a deliberate attempt to creCreek, a suburb of Murrindindi, “In a town with a social life as ting in the dark with Ronnie as they ate a bushfire on a massive scale"). where he was employed at the then busy as it gets in Murrindindi, he listened for intruders on the property. “So what caused the massive Murrindindi Timber Mill, on used to get turnouts of anywhere be“He was sure his phone was backflip, for which no formal apolWilhelmina Falls Rd in about 1995. tween 40 - 80 people, standing out- bugged, he felt he was under con- ogy by either the police or the media “Initially, Ronnie lived in one of side around a roaring fire, quietly stant watch and that his car was be- was ever made? the houses directly opposite the mill freezing to death. ing tracked wherever he went. “Ronnie told me it was his own but later moved to the current ad“Even some of the neighbours legal representatives that eventually “At only one event do I recall that dress at the entrance to the Murrin- we had the luxury of a Port-a-loo toi- thought their phone lines were being tracked down the 'black ute' that he dindi Reserve. let. Unfortunately, a 'slightly inebri- bugged. had seen on Wilhelmina Falls Rd “He was so respected by the ated' individual, present in the audi“The place crawled with on that day and the driver of said ute owner, Nils Gunnersen that they be- ence here today, ended up falling out ‘Taskforce Phoenix’, with up to 250 describing the roadside fence as came friends. of it half clothed, so that was the end police working around the clock in 'dripping fire'. “Such was the relationship, Nils of the toilet! one of the largest police investiga“It was then the authorities begave Ronnie a 99-year lease on the The real pressure came on Feb tions since the (1986) Russell Street gan to question the possible involveproperty that Ronnie has lived in for ruary 7, 2009, that we all now know bombing. ment of the power lines and the cops 20-odd years. “One organisation that never re-interviewed Ronnie for the fourth of as Black Saturday. “In the 'oughties', after the Mill “Ronnie lived only a few hundred commented about Ronnie's involve- time and this time maybe they lisshut, Ronnie worked with Tony metres from where the Murrindindi ment was the Country Fire Author- tened to what he said. Mitchell but eventually joined Glen fire broke out, the same fire that ended ity. “On December 4, 2015, the CoroMc Master, colloquially known as up destroying Marysville where 40 “All credit goes to the CFA for ner was reported as finding that not 'Horace', and worked as a fencing lives were lost and 73 injured. tacitly supporting one of its own in only did AusNet's power assets contractor, hay baler operator and on “He was the first to call in the fire what must have been a very difficult cause the devastating fire, but he slashing the roadside verge. on the VHF radio and many of us situation. noted how experts, police, and wit“Hanging up in Ronnie's lounge actually heard that call and its con“The CFA actually awarded nesses had found: is his philosophy on life. ‘Some tent. Ronald Philpott the National Emer- ■ Key evidence had gone missing. people dream of success, the rest of “Only two days later, a Detective gency Medal in 2014. ■ The power pole design itself was us have to get out of bed and work Superintendent of Police (Paul “Profiling looks simple but it can flawed, (failing AusNet's own stanfor it!’ Hollowood) was reported as categori- be a very dangerous exercise if you dards). “He was just known widely as a cally stating that the Murrindindi fire become fixated on an individual. ■ The risk of the power line failing willing worker, a respected member was "a deliberate attempt to create a “A firie, a loner, known to be near was foreseeable. of his community and a loving dad bushfire on a massive scale”. the origin of the fire - Yep! That's ■ Following basic procedures and 'Pop'. “The Prime Minister of the day, our firebug! should have prevented the disaster. “His love for animals was leg- Kevin Rudd, spoke of ''mass mur“The fact that he lived in the path ■ AusNet kept no records of repair endary and his care for the der''. of the fire, the fact he spent weeks work completed on the faulty power Murrindindi Scenic Reserve made “The Homicide squad began an afterwards going into the line, (which altered its design in the him popular with myriads of camp- investigation. Murrindindi reserve feeding the days following the disaster). ers. “The media went frenetic. Chan- wild animals, the fact that he kept “Can you imagine the hell that “He was regarded by all who re- nel 9's A Current Affair had Ronnie declaring his innocence was not con- Ronnie Philpott went through for ally knew him as an honest, hard- take a lie detector test. sidered by the 'experts' as mitigating over two long years?
The Local Paper - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - Page 00
www.LocalPaper.com.au
Local People
Ronnie: ‘He didn’t start the fire’
● Pall bearers at Saturday’s funeral service at Murrindindi-Woodbourne Community Hub. Photos: Ash Long
● Some of the mourners at Saturday’s funeral service for Ron Philpott. “A little Aussie battler, shunned season where he was regarded as him to where he could be looked afby a large proportion of the commu- the 'el maestro' of the small rectan- ter by the dedicated staff that he liked nity, fearful of retribution and having gular baler. and admired at Yea Hospital, espeto step down from his beloved posi“Ronnie claimed he had fenced cially Martin Lowe. tion as Captain of the local fire Bri- most of Victoria at some stage or “Surrounded by the family he gade. other and if he hadn't fenced it, he'd cared for, he passed away in the Yea “Did he become bitter and twisted slashed the verge! Hospital, last Saturday morning as he had every right to be? “With his trusty Stihl chainsaw, (Sept. 8) “Did he go all-out to seek retribu- he could drop any sized tree on a “There is one individual who tion from those who had wronged pinhead. clearly stands out for her continued him? - That's not the Ronnie we “But, quoting Ben Cousins’ ab- care for Ronnie - his grand-daughter know! Anneliese, who put her own life on “There were mates that stuck with dominal tattoo, made famous by Ned hold for two years to look after her him. On the evening the manhunt 'Pop'. was declared over, Ronnie was with Kelly, 'Such is Life'. “Ronnie used to drop in from “After 60 years of smokes and time-to-time on his way home. He'd Horace and a few others in a pub in innumerable fires, in 2016, Ronnie have a 'traveller' sitting on his lap. Yea after a hard day's work. “As Ronnie's redemption was an- was diagnosed with cancer of the “I never had a traveller with nounced over the TV, Horace went lung. Ronnie, 'cause I was already home “After four rounds of therapy, in- and I hated the taste of VB. up to the juke box, dropped in a few coins and played the famous Billy cluding chemo-, radio- and immuno“But, today, Ronnie, the Hub therapy, the writing was on the wall. committee has ensured that we can Joel song, We didn't start the fire! “Ronnie's final 'admission' was all have a snag and a traveller with “Things eased a bit for Ronnie. He continued to work for Horace and initially to Seymour Hospital, but he you before your last journey,” Mr his team, particularly during the hay kicked up such a fuss that we shifted Guerin said.
● Ron Philpott