Alpine Bushfires
Darren Murphy · 52 min
When the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires tore through Victoria's Alpine region, retired Army Major Darren Murphy mobilised the Lions Club of Myrtleford to deliver water, fencing, farm supplies and social connection — proving that organised community generosity can reach where government aid cannot.
On Black Saturday 2009, Darren Murphy was celebrating his ex-wife's birthday at a poolside gathering in the Alpine region when the fires broke out. A retired Army major with three generations of family volunteering behind him, Darren did what came naturally: he stepped forward. The Lions Club of Myrtleford called an emergency meeting the next day to figure out how to help. Their first response was practical and immediate. They found a water contractor and sent him to every farm gate to refill tanks that had been emptied fighting the fires. Within weeks, the district gave the club over $100,000 to distribute. Darren and his team spent nearly a year working out how to spend it fairly, creating $1,000 farm vouchers for struggling landholders and giving the local CFA $5,000 for a dedicated response vehicle. They even salvaged an old railway line, cut it into fence posts, and delivered them free to farmers rebuilding their properties.
What makes Darren's story different is that he was not a direct victim of the fires. He was part of the response, the person who showed up. He talks openly about the limits of what volunteers can do, why community matters more than government cheques alone, and what he has learned watching recovery unfold over 14 years. He also speaks honestly about the pressures facing rural communities now: low farm prices, repeated natural disasters, and the arrival of new residents from the cities who do not yet understand the risks or the rhythms of life in fire country. Darren's message is simple. Do not bottle it up. Stay connected to your community. Join the groups that matter to you. Lift, do not lean. The fabric of a town is what gets people through.
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