Marysville leading senior constables Ian Hamill, Ken Dwight and Ian Walker with Senior Constable Peter Collyer are By Kath Gannaway
THE tag ‘heroes’ doesn’t sit comfortably with the police officers who went into the fire storm at Marysville on Saturday 7 February.
“What we did on that night is what I believe any copper would have done,” said Marysville Senior Constable Peter Collyer.
The Marysville police officer along with colleague Sen Const Ian Thompson, Alexandra police leading senior constables Andrew Walker and Ian Hamill and Leading Sen Const Ken Dwight from Woods Point made up the five-man team that evacuated Marysville and Buxton, saving hundreds of lives.
Officers Collyer, Hamill, Dwight and Walker fronted the press last week to tell of their Black Saturday experience.
Their personal, and at times chilling, accounts of what unfolded as they evacuated the town left no doubt of their bravery, but also of their teamwork and cool-headed approach, in the face of what they admitted was a terrifying ordeal.
They had been liaising with colleagues in the area throughout the afternoon and as the situation progressed a decision was made at around 5.30pm to try and head into Marysville.
They could see the fire as they headed from Buxton into the town.
“Our first priority was to get as many people out as possible. We did a lap of the town and told as many people as possible to get out and then went to Gallipoli Park where people were starting to slowly move out,” he said.
Their attempt to get to the park from the rear was blocked by trees bursting into flames.
With the convoy of cars from the oval moving Sen Const Collyer, who had teamed up with Leading Sen Const Dwight, did another lap of the town before heading up the rear of the convoy, which was being led by leading senior constables Walker and Hamill.
“It got very black, dark as midnight. The most prominent thing I recall is the noise,” he said.
“I think our biggest fear at that time was that if the fire reached the bushland to the west of the 10 kilometres of road between Marysville and Buxton, we would all be trapped.
“We had to take that risk and in my opinion, it would have certainly been a death trap if anybody had stayed.”
In Buxton, with the fire coming up behind them senior constables Collyer and Dwight drove down the most populated street in the tiny town, siren going and beeping the horn to get people out of their homes.
“Our plan was that once people came out to see what was happening, we would tell them they needed to get out,” he said.
One elderly man who didn’t have a car became the third member of the team, travelling in the back seat of the car as they continued to alert people.
Local knowledge probably saved the life of one Buxton resident. “We went into one house where we knew the occupant was deaf to see if we needed to get them out as well,” said Sen Const Collyer.
He said Marysville people would have to think deeply about whether they rebuild, or not. “Others will stay. They’ve lived here all their lives,” he said.
“It will be rebuilt on the same geographic point. It will be named Marysville, but it will be a different town.”
