By Michael Doran
The tenth, and final Timberworker’s Memorial Service, was held on 20 October at Heritage Pioneers Chapel in Woori Yallock.
It was a bittersweet day, full of reminisces about the Yarra Valley timber industry, the characters, the dangers and lost loved ones.
Ten years ago, Bette Phillips, from Uniting GreifWork, became aware of a spate of workplace deaths in the region’s timber industry. She got together with Woori Yallock’s Robbie Heritage and out of that the Timberworker’s Memorial Service was born.
The memorial is about supporting loved ones and families of those killed in the industry and honouring those recently passed.
Two remembered were Des Morrish at age 98 and described as ‘one of our great timber people and story tellers.” Kevin Ford, a tree cutter and later a grave digger at Wesburn Cemetery for 40 years was also honoured.
A highlight of the day was 97 year young Len Howell, who spoke about the saw mills spread throughout the Yarra Valley. His recall of detail was amazing, even down to how much he paid for his first powered saw.
Robbie Heritage spoke about the Reid Brothers and the family milling business that has been in operation for 100 years, the last 78 in Yarra Junction.
Bette Philips said she was very sad this was the last memorial service and how workplace deaths devastate families.
“We have added 20 new families to our program this year, 20 families where a loved one went to work but didn’t come home.”
Robbie Heritage spent his early working career in and out of the timber industry and has an obvious love of it, the people and what it has done for the Yarra Valley.
His efforts in keeping these memorial services going for a decade will be sadly missed by all the families who attended.
