“I went back to mainstream teaching in a place called Maraylya near Windsor. I stayed for a few years then went to Berrilee near Berowra, a tiny 2 teacher school. Long story short I applied for the Assistant Principal job at Kyogle Primary thinking I had no chance at all but I came up for the interview and got the job. It was a tough time because at this stage we had our daughter Maddie as well. Lynne was down trying to sell our house and I was up here staying with friends and there were two ghosts up here, my sister and my father. When Jacob got on the phone and said Daddy, when are you coming home? All I could hear was me as a child. That’s what I said to Dad when I waved goodbye to him on the train at Tamworth to go to Sydney and I never saw him again. I hit rock bottom.
In 1998 we moved to Modanville and I transferred to Wyrallah Rd Public where I worked for 14 years. I can honestly say the last 6 years were the best of my teaching career.
In 2014 I retired and through the course of my teaching I was always into sport and outdoor education. I was one of those teachers that got extra training to take swimming classes. Retiring to me didn’t mean that I would hang around home doing a bit of this and that. Lynne being 6 years younger was still working so through the encouragement of a teacher I started instructing at G-SAC. Unfortunately I had a reactive dermatitis to the chlorine so I started at Trinity which has low chlorine and the rest is history. I’ve been teaching there for 7 years. The last few years have been wonderful because I really think I’ve found my calling and that’s working with babies, toddlers and their Mums and Dads. It’s beautiful.
I won the Swim Australia Award and to be honest I was in a state of shock. My step niece saw the post with 10 names of nominees for different categories and told me I was nominated. I was asked to do a zoom meeting with Swim Australia and they said in a couple of minutes we’ll give the signal for you to do your acceptance speech. I said What!! Have I won this?? It was Covid time so it was all zoom rather than a big slap up do but It was pretty cool.
Ok the mega flood!! We went to the movies in Lismore on the Sunday night, the 27th Feb and on the way home we drove past Lynne’s work where there is a big stormwater drain behind the Paint shop. The water was up. During that day we had put a whole heap of stuff up in the mezzanine level which is a metre above the 2017 flood. thinking it would be more than safe. We went home and 3am it was like a bang. The heavens more than opened. Dawson St coming down from the hill was like a foot deep flowing river. The whole road was like a waterfall. The drains were spraying up 2 metres high. It was so surreal. At 5.30 we looked and noticed the water was coming up the street. I put my boardies and a rashy on thinking some people might need some help to lift things. At that stage is was lapping at Bruno’s which is pretty high. I went over to Jo and Al’s and they had a little kayak. A guy said there are people out there who need help.
I jumped in the kayak and went down Dawson and saw Bruce and his partner and at this stage the water is nearly up to their upstairs verandah. Bruce had a Scanoe which fits about 4 people safely and all I had was a double bladed paddle. We tied the scanoe to the back of the kayak with Bruce and Marie in it and I towed them to safety. The water was coming up fast and we could hear people crying out. I paddled into Park St and saw Cathy and Norm Clapham and at that stage the water was up to their waist on the second level of their home. They had a plastic tub with some belongings and as I was going to get them I saw out of the corner of my eye, in the house across the road, a head and an arm waving from the roof cavity yelling…Help me!!. I paddled down, told them to kick out the boards so I could get them out. Four people and a dog. I steadied the canoe and got them in.
At that moment I remembered Moti next door who is very elderly. I yelled out to him and he answered. I paddled over and he got his front door open. At this stage the water is up to his chest and still rising fast. I said..Quick hop in! He said, No Craig, I have no pant’s on. I said, Don’t worry mate but he went to find some. I said ok Moti there’s enough people traumatised at the moment without seeing you with no pants on (laughs). He disappeared and I thought I’d have to rescue him but he found some trackies which he was pulling on as I was pulling him into the boat.
As I’m paddling back I notice Rex Upton (who had just raised his house super high) calmly sitting on the railing of his verandah. I told him I’d be back. I had 5 people and a dog on board. I paddled back past the Claphams and dropped everyone up the hill. I went back to get the Claphams who are in their 80’s. By now the water was shoulder high and there was no way I could have lifted them into the canoe. I said a little prayer and Norm fished around in the chocolate brown water and found a chair. I managed to get Cath in and their little dog fell in the water. I reached down and found the dog and said…I work with babies and toddlers so I’m used to pulling little ones out of the water. I got Norm on board and went on to get Rex. By now the electricity lines are at the same height as us so we’re trying to dodge those and the tops of trees. There were huge gas tanks, shipping containers, so much stuff in the water. On the way back I heard screams from the units. I managed to get Anne in the canoe and I was worried about the balance so I jumped out and swam back side stroke pulling Anne in the canoe. So all in all that was 13 people, 2 dogs and a cat.
I was just one of so many people who saved lives that day. I was very grateful I was here because of my past training. I spent many years doing marathons in kayaks and I knew I could do it. I came in, had a shower and I collapsed….the adrenaline and the fear and the relief. A couple of weeks later Anne across the road said someone wants to meet you. This young lady ran up and hugged me (tears from me and Craig now) and said, You saved my Grandparents.
One of the ladies I saved came over with some chocolates and a bottle of red wine and she said ‘Thankyou for saving my life and thankyou for making me feel so safe. You made us all feel so safe.”
I also want to mention that there were hundreds of guys out there rescuing people and pets. Hundreds would have perished without them. I also want to mention Anne and John Meagher across the road. What they did was unbelievable. They became a temporary evacuation centre for over 30 people and their pets for over 48 hours. The fed them, gave them their own dry clothes, let them shower and sleep in their home, some neighbours, some strangers but all made welcome and looked after. I call them the saints of Dawson St. They really are the best humans.
This is what’s worth saving in our town. It’s the people that care about each other. It’s the community and slowly but surely the town is coming back. If you talk to the businesses who are up and running the best they can, there was no question. Having to shop in Ballina and Goonellabah and this is not a criticism because they provide a service but you realise there’s a vibe here in Lismore that you don’t get anywhere else.”