Death wish fulfilled

By Kath Gannaway
PHYLLIS Christie’s dream of providing modern, comfortable facilities for the Yarra Junction ambulance officers who had served her well in her lifetime became reality last week, 12 years after her death.
Miss Christie, an identity of the Upper Yarra area, died at the age of 88 in 1994.
She left a substantial, undisclosed, amount of money to the Yarra Junction CFA and the local ambulance service to enable them to upgrade their stations.
Miss Christie’s niece, Nola Pennicuik, and her husband, Sandy, were among the guests who joined the Yarra Junction paramedics, members of the Yarra Junction Ambulance Service Ladies’ Auxiliary, and Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS) officers for a tour of the new complex and unveiling of a commemorative plaque.
The original station has been extensively renovated and extended to provide improved work and living areas which include an office, lounge and kitchen area for on-duty paramedics, sleeping quarters for relieving paramedics, a training area, additional storage and a deck which looks out over the town to the mountains.
Yarra Junction MAS team leader Colin McLeod paid tribute to the work of auxiliary member Leonie Turner.
Ms Turner was the driving force behind ensuring Miss Christie’s wishes to have her bequest spent at Yarra Junction were honoured.
“How many meetings have we been to with MAS, estate trustees, builders and all sorts of other things,” he said.
“I am sure if it had not been for Leonie this would have ground to a halt years ago. She gets things done.”
Project builder Jeff Dorvall of Environmental Expressions in Montrose said working around an operational ambulance service had been revealing.
“It’s been a real eye-opener to see what the staff go through.
“They’ll be sitting around doing nothing and within minutes, they are up, out and at the mine face.”
He said seeing how the paramedics work helped in designing the recreation areas of the station.
“They need to be able to relax. They go from nothing to flat out and that can be at any time of the day or night.
“We’ve come in and found their breakfast or lunch on the table, not even touched.
“They put up with a lot and the level of service and dedication they provide to the public is just incredible,” he said.
Mrs Pennicuik said her aunt, an amputee, would have been very happy to see her wishes finally fulfilled.
“This is what she wanted.
“It will be used for the community and people like herself who was left helpless when she lost her leg in an accident and had to rely on others,” she said.