Rebuilt together: Eugowra celebrates restored and improved self-care units

Rebuilding Eugowra's self-care units has been a real community effort, and all came together on Australia Day to celebrate with residents. Volunteers, businesses and all levels of government worked together to build these units in 1990 - and to rebuild and upgrade them following the devastating November 2022 floods. At a celebratory breakfast on Monday, 26 January, Federal MP Andrew Gee paid tribute to David Hyde and the volunteer committee that manages the units, along with everyone who contributed to the clean-up and restoration after floodwaters tore through the site. "These units were basically a wrecked-out shell and there's been a lot of work from a lot of people to bring them back to life and allow them to continue to provide important residential living facilities," Mr Gee said. "It shows the caring nature of this community that you've been able to deliver this facility after such devastation." Mr Gee said Australia Day was a fitting occasion for the gathering. "How appropriate it is on Australia Day when we talk about what it means to be Australian," Mr Gee said. "And how lucky we are to live in this country - and we really are, we've got so many things to be grateful for - but I think if you really want to know what the Australian spirit is you see it when the chips are really down." The five self-care units, which are managed by a volunteer committee under the auspices of Cabonne Council, first opened in 1990 following a partnership between the Eugowra community, council, and State and Federal governments. Enjoying Australia Day breakfast together are (front) Indi and Gus Fren and William McIntyre, (back) Kathy and Toby Fren, Mavis Cross, David Tildsley and Keira Idiens. Residents were evacuated on that terrible morning of 14 November, 2022, but the units were directly in the path of high-velocity floodwaters and sustained extensive damage. The clean-up and rebuilding effort drew support from across the region. Contributors included Cadia Mines, whose teams worked on site for weeks, as well as local electrician Mick Miles, plumber Jake Porter, Cabonne Council staff and architect, and Dr Wymer. David Hyde acknowledged the dedication of the committee and the many local volunteers who assisted from the earliest days, along with members of the Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service. He also thanked Forbes Rotary, whose members contributed to the new gardens, the metal mural and elements of the concreting. Cabonne Council was represented at the Australia Day gathering by Cr Kathryn O’Ryan, while State MP Phil Donato was an apology for the breakfast but separately visited the site to inspect the refurbished unit. Mr Gee said the community’s response to the flood had been nothing short of remarkable. "It's a great testament to the resilience, the drive, the passion and the love from the Eugowra community that you've been able to achieve so much through such tragedy," he said. "I know it's been very hard, I know it's been a long hard grind in so many different ways for so many people, but the progress continues and these units are proof of that and testament to the spirit of Eugowra."