Evelyn Hardy · 54 min
When the worst flood in 70 years hit Broke in July 2022, Evelyn Hardy, still displaced from her own flood-damaged home, unlocked the community hall and spent the night keeping her neighbours safe, proving that healing a community and healing yourself can be the same act.
Hear this story
Evelyn Hardy has lived in Broke for 39 years. Two workplace accidents, one twelve years ago and another four years ago that left her unable to walk, forced her to rebuild her life by helping others. She started a monthly morning tea at the Broke Community Hall because she needed the community to feel alive again, and because helping people gave her a reason to get up.
When the worst flood in 70 years hit Broke on July 5, 2022, Evelyn unlocked the hall and spent the night keeping her neighbours safe. Power and water failed. A critically ill woman waited for a helicopter that never came. Two homeless men set up lights and phone chargers so people could see and stay connected. Evelyn watched water rise and fall beneath the building all night, knowing her own home was flooding while she tended to others. She didn't call her insurance company for three or four days. It didn't feel real.
The physical damage to her house was minor compared to what it cost her: control of her own home, the garden she and her husband built from nothing over decades, irreplaceable photos. She learned to split her life into separate boxes: work, family, community, home. At work she had to be fully present for others while her own disaster went unfixed. The size of the loss didn't match the size of the damage.
What saved her was the same thing that saved Broke: people showing up for each other. She formed deep friendships with women she didn't know before, working shoulder to shoulder at the hall. She discovered she could speak and lead when it mattered. The flood deepened what was already there: Broke's fierce belief that community and family are the same word, and that no one has to face hard things alone.
“the minor damage and the major damage cause the same mental damage to everybody”
“helping others helped myself to get my mind and physical body back on track”
“community and family really are one word”
The hero, today
Evelyn chose to help others partly because she believed it would help her rebuild herself after her own accidents, and that belief turned out to be true. The size of the flood damage people suffered did not match the size of the mental damage, losing a small box of irreplaceable photos hurt as much as losing a house. Evelyn had to compartmentalize every part of her life into separate boxes so that at work she could be fully present for others while her own home remained unfixed and her insurance calls went unanswered. Community is what worked best during and after the flood, not because people had perfect answers, but because they kept showing up for each other and refused to let anyone face it alone. The best outcome for Evelyn was not rebuilding her house, but discovering her own strength and forming friendships so deep that she and these women now counsel each other through what comes next.
Yes. Evelyn Hardy is a real person who shared their own story in their own words. Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit that shares first-person stories of overcoming adversity, told with the person's consent.
Kintsugi Heroes, a registered Australian not-for-profit. Every story is shared with the hero's own consent and reviewed under Kintsugi Heroes' trauma-informed content standard before it goes public.
Evelyn chose to help others partly because she believed it would help her rebuild herself after her own accidents, and that belief turned out to be true.
The size of the flood damage people suffered did not match the size of the mental damage, losing a small box of irreplaceable photos hurt as much as losing a house.
Evelyn had to compartmentalize every part of her life into separate boxes so that at work she could be fully present for others while her own home remained unfixed and her insurance calls went unanswered.
Community is what worked best during and after the flood, not because people had perfect answers, but because they kept showing up for each other and refused to let anyone face it alone.
John Milham (Host) · 00:00
Kintsugi Heroes brings you the following flood resilience stories in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Centre and grant funding from the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network. To find out more about this podcast, head to kintsugiheroes.com.au. On July 6th, 2022, the worst flood in 70 years hit the town of Broke and the surrounding Hunter Valley region. The The community is still recovering from the trauma the floods brought, destroying their homes and their livelihoods. In this special limited series of Kintsugi Heroes, John Millum sits down with the community who suffered as a result of the floods and gives them space to share their adversity, resilience, and compassion. It's only through connection and empathy that there can be a path to recovery. These are stories of trauma and can be confronting. If you find they have a triggering effect, please reach out to someone who can help keep you safe. Listen in as John takes you beyond the deluge with Kintsugi Heroes. Hello listeners and welcome back to Kintsugi Heroes and Kintsugi Heroes: Stories of the Floods. And of course we're talking about the Broke Floods in 2022. And today we are very, very blessed with the opportunity to chat to What everyone tells me, probably not herself, but everyone else tells me is an absolute local legend. You're a volunteer par excellence. So you have volunteered in just about everything in the area and currently coordinating many of the community efforts to clean up and adjust itself. So welcome, Evelyn Honey, and thank you very much for talking with us again today. So Evelyn, you're, you're a longtime member of the community, mum, key volunteer at say Singleton Neighbourhood Centre and secretary of the Broke Community Hall Group and, and many other, you know, residents, uh, community association and so on, and many other elements of community. Tell us a little bit about how you ended up, you know, so connected in your community.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 02:22
Quite by accident, I think. We've— I lived in Broke for 39 years. Both my kids were born and raised in the area and just normal community life, you know, kids go to school and playgroup and, you know, gardening, just normal life. I worked and it wasn't until about 12 years ago I had a bit of an accident at work and I no longer worked in mainstream work. So once I got over that, I was doing okay. I ended up at the neighbourhood centre, and that was 7 years ago this month, and everything's fine. I just sort of got used to the idea of working back with people again. And then about 4 years ago, I had another accident, which really, that wasn't nice at all. And it made me think that I need to focus on myself and getting my health, my mental health back right again. I started to reach out to people so that I didn't feel sorry for myself. I began to help others see that they too can move forward. We can't let accidents and things stand in our way. The Hall actually started me off. I went, "I need to get involved with the Hall. I need this Hall to start breathing again." And I did, and I started up the morning cup of tea chat the last Wednesday of every month, um, so that I could get people to come together and just chat, just— and I could keep an eye on how the community was feeling and then link them to different people and organizations that I thought maybe might help. So that's where the neighborhood center became outreach for No. Right. And anyway, things were cruising along and then the BRCA was born and I became involved in that. And then of course the flood happened. So that was, that really pushed things out.
More stories
This site is part of Kintsugi Heroes. Visit the main site for the full podcast. If any of these stories hit close to home, support is out there, you don't have to sit with it alone.
Read how we handle these stories ↗
Kintsugi Heroes · Registered Australian not-for-profit · kintsugiheroes.com.au ↗
This conversation includes 39 years in broke, two accidents, and finding purpose, the hall starts breathing again, the water comes up fast, the hall becomes a shelter and water under the hall.
John Milham (Host) · 04:34
Yeah. So you, you mentioned the hall, obviously, you know, a couple of serious accidents had, you know, left you with a recovery. So you described it as reaching out. Sort of connecting and, and serving others. Was that part, you know, that was that a response to your recovery? Was that part of you?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 04:54
Yes.
John Milham (Host) · 04:55
Healing, if you were.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 04:56
Yeah, absolutely. Um, I still question a lot of things, you know, but my, my mind frame and especially the last accident, well, the first accident took me 6 years to get back on my move forward. Um, but then when the second accident happened, I was non-weight bearing for 4 months. I had to learn to walk again. It was— it really, it took a toll mentally. I was, I was knocked down and I really didn't know whether I had the strength to get back up again. So I started thinking, you know, I can't do this, this— I can't feel sorry for myself. So I refocused and I focused on people that were either like me needed a hand up. Uh, so I started pushing in areas where I thought if I help them, it's going to help me as well. So that's what I did. I started putting things in place and really pushing out there and interacting with people and finding how, how they were. And it made me feel as though I had a purpose, and it was it was hard going. It, um, and still to this day, especially when my leg gives me heck, you know, I, I think, wow, can I keep doing this? But you have it. Oh, don't be such a sook. Off you go. You can, you know, um, yeah. So it was all about me helping others helped myself to get my mind and physical body back on track.
John Milham (Host) · 06:29
Absolutely. Uh, I understand that. But I also see interesting your journey and your involvement in helping the community post floods, which we'll get to in a minute, but almost a, you know, you've gone through your own journey to sort of prep for that same healing journey that the community's gone through. Does that?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 06:51
Yeah.
John Milham (Host) · 06:52
Does that make sense?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 06:53
It does. It does make sense. Um, my accident and the way I approached my self-healing I feel has the whole community collectively has had to do that. I mean, a lot, every, a lot of people were knocked down and still are knocked down. Um, so it's a case of trying to pull them back up and, you know, there's not much I can do to get their houses fixed or anything, but I can certainly make sure that their mind and themselves are in a happier place, a place where they can escape to, where they don't have to think about all the mess that they've gotta clean up and still cleaning up and will be cleaning up for quite a while. So yeah, collectively the community was knocked to its knees and gradually, you know, starting to pick up again.
John Milham (Host) · 07:45
Mm-hmm.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 07:46
So it is, it's a collective healing pod.
John Milham (Host) · 07:49
Yeah. And through connection, right? So building, you know, you decided to to reach out for your wellbeing and, and, and as a result, receive as well as gave, right? That's similar to what's happening with, with the community. Renewed focus, connection, feelings.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 08:07
Yeah, that's right. I can remember the, the first Christmas after the flood, we're all in, still in a big mess.
John Milham (Host) · 08:15
Yeah.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 08:16
And, uh, the BRCA, which is a Broke Residents Community Association, decided let's put on a community Christmas. So we called it Christmas with the Neighbours. And wow, what an event. It, it just brought everybody together. There were people that were not going to have Christmas quite like they used to, but it turned out to be an incredible event. And then I, a, a dear friend of mine and I went, well, you know what? Both of us are out of our houses. You know, we're, our, our houses were wrecked. We, you know, and we was, you know, living at my son's house then, and we thought, you know what, let's put Christmas lunch on at the hall for the people who won't be doing Christmas. So we did, and it was amazing. We had, um, sponsorship, we had a local, uh, restaurant chef put on beautiful parts of the meal, and I think we had— I think it was close to 40 people had Christmas lunch in the hall and it was beautiful. So these were, we wanted to reach out and try and make things as normal as possible in a very not normal situation.
John Milham (Host) · 09:28
That, uh, that's an amazing idea. And you mentioned not normal and the damage to your own place as well as the community. Can I ask, you know, can I, you give us a, a description of what your flood experience was.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 09:43
So leading up to the 6th of July and, you know, well, the 5th of July was like any other rainy day. We decided to go to town because there was nothing else to do. So it was my son and I and we went and I don't know, shopped, done something, and we thought, okay, better go home. It's looking a bit wet. Er, and we get to Broke and we thought, well, let's go down to all the access roads into Broken. Let's check how things are going. And by that stage, the water had come up on the Wallumbi Road like normal. Every time we had some kind of flood, that flooded there. It was nothing out of the ordinary. It was high, but it was, it was okay. We thought, yeah, it'll be fine. We went over to the, over the Milbradale Bridge, went, yep, it's about where it's normally at. And it sort of stabilizes and we checked everything and we came back and, uh, then I think, oh, we just did a drive around and to make sure everybody was all right and went down on the common to see that people, if anyone was camping, get them out, move maybe. Anyway, we were back going back towards the fire shed and next minute, um, I think it might've been my daughter-in-law who had just been told to come and find me. To get the keys to the hall and unlock the hall. Broke is being evacuated. Well, wow. That was it. You know, it went, I think that was around about quarter past 5, if I remember rightly. I did, I went to the hall. I had to go home and get the keys, and for some reason I grabbed my laptop, some few things in a bag, and left. Run into my husband and I said, get back to the house, start putting things up. And I did. I went to the hall, I turned on the heaters, I turned on the urn, and people started to turn up. At about 20 to 6, I got an SES message to say evacuate Broke now. Too late. The road, every road, it literally went from yes, the water was under the bridge to yes, it's over the bridge and you're not going anywhere.
John Milham (Host) · 11:54
Wow.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 11:55
So then all these people started to come in and it wasn't too long after that that the power and the water went off. Mm-hmm. So we were all in the dark, but, uh, we had enough hot water in the urn to still have warm Milo at midnight. Blech. Wow. Um, so, and then we had, we had two homeless guys come into the hall and they were a blessing, the pair of them.
John Milham (Host) · 12:20
One.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 12:21
Helped me look after and entertain any children with the preschool stuff, pencils, books, Play-Doh, you name it. So he entertained all of them and got drinks, warm drinks for people. And the other fellow had a bank of lights and a battery that he set up so that we could see enough so that we didn't trip over anyone.
John Milham (Host) · 12:44
Yeah. Yeah.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 12:45
He, he set it up so that people could charge their phone, recharge their phones to 50% so that everybody got a fair amount of reception on their phone, which was great. And then the night just got continually freezing cold. It was terrible. Then we had to— we got a lady in who was incredibly sick and we were going to have her medevacked out by helicopter. But at midnight that was canceled because the weather was appalling.
John Milham (Host) · 13:18
Yeah.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 13:19
And, um, that didn't happen. But then I got a frantic phone call from a neighbor saying that, can someone come and get them? They were sitting on their kitchen table and they thought they would be all right, but they weren't. They have water all through the house. So the fire brigade had to go and get them and bring them to the hall. So yeah, that was a crazy night. Um, never seen anything like it. And here the corrugated iron or clip, uh, Colorbond fences breaking and ripping tin from the force of the water.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 14:09
Right. Yep. There was water under the hall. I actually used the water at the back steps to indicate how high the water came. And then as I watched it, this is the next morning, I knew when it was starting to recede and that was around about 9 o'clock. It started to drop it. I think it dropped about 3 centimeters and then it stayed that way for a while.
John Milham (Host) · 14:32
Yeah.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 14:33
And then it started to drop again. So yeah, it was definitely water under the hall.
John Milham (Host) · 14:37
My goodness. So that must have been incredibly unsettling for everyone trying to, you know, evacuate and then not even sure the safe place was safe.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 14:46
Well, exactly. We, it was all a case of we're just gonna have to watch this and take it as it comes because it was all new there. I don't think there was anyone in— well, there was no one in that hall, but I'm not sure that there was anyone even living in Broke that had ever experienced water in the village. It was 1949 was when the last big flood actually inundated the village. And the queer thing is, right over from the church, uh, right over from the hall are two churches, and between those two churches is a, a local resident, his house and cattle yards and everything. And when the water breached the road into the village, it actually went around both churches and that house in the middle, didn't touch them one little bit, filled up the paddock behind the churches, flooded the hall, and then the rest of the village. So the churches and that little house was an island. It was really weird. Um, none of us knew what to expect, and houses that you would've thought would've flooded for sure, didn't. And then others did. It's very strange. And then how, like our house, it flooded and my friend's house down the road didn't flood but had such serious pier damage that it's, it's ruined as well. So it, it was very hit and miss as to where the damage and the worst damage actually happened, or just minor damage. But you know, that's something I always say though, the minor damage and the major damage cause the same mental damage to everybody.
John Milham (Host) · 16:29
Oh yeah. Same level of dislocation and absolutely distress. Yeah. It's a good point that, um, you know, you, you sort of talk about damage to your place, but you were severely impacted on a personal level. How did you go with, um, getting stuff up and, and managing your spa?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 16:48
Oh well, um, I, I sent Claude back, uh, twice, and I— he came back and he said, I've done all that. And I said, for goodness sake, don't put the dog in the crate. Every now and then I thought about, you know, I hope she's up on the table and, you know, wherever she is and safe. And I can remember walking around talking to everybody in the hall, and some people were saying, oh, I don't know what to think. And it still never prompted me to think that my house would be impacted. But about 2 o'clock in the morning from a neighbor, and it was flooded, all right. It was, but it still didn't really sink in until the next morning. And then he come up and got me in his big ute, and I waded knee-deep into the house, into the yard, way up my you know, just above my ankle. And you wouldn't think that amount of water could cause so much damage, but it did.
John Milham (Host) · 17:46
Wow. So, you know, what, what was, um, happening? You know, how did you sort of deal with that? You were running around looking after the community and suddenly you realize, you know, you are part of the impact.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 17:58
Yes. Yeah. I, I thought, well, there's no— being obsessed with what I can't control it. It wouldn't—
John Milham (Host) · 18:08
it—
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 18:08
I, I could get upset. I could, you know, tear my hair out. I could— every— all of us were in the same boat. We, we just— I just had to concentrate on making sure everyone was safe and do what I had to do. So it— yeah. And, and even then when I did see it, it was, oh, okay. Um, it didn't compute. It did not sink in. And to this day, I still, it's surreal. It happened, but it happened to someone else. It couldn't possibly be me. And, um, flood is terrible. And I can remember saying, I was talking to the fire captain, poor girl, she'd only just taken fire captain that week.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 20:02
I think I'm incredibly strong, probably too strong because I think people can be too strong. I've had to put up walls because there are times, you know, I've had to do things that I've probably not felt like doing. You know, like, there for a period of time, I had my phone constantly stuck to my ear. If I wasn't dealing with related companies to the insurance, I was dealing with community issues. So, um, I mean, I didn't go to work for probably, I don't know, and then even then, I had to distance myself from what was happening in Broke and my home and everything so that I could concentrate on work. Involves helping people and they have problems. And I, I had to be careful because even though some of them knew what I was going through, I had to be mindful that my problems were not their problems and I had to keep it from them so that I could work with and deal with them and respect were paramount. Whilever I had my hat for work on, that's what I had to think about. So I had to learn to compartmentalize my entire life. You know, family, broke, commitments, work, everything had its little hat. Wow.
John Milham (Host) · 21:33
What about physically, right? So did you say goodbye to aspects of your life? You'd been there in that cottage for 40 years.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 21:41
Yeah. Well, it's still, it's very much ongoing. When I walked into the house and seen what a heck of a mess it was, I mean, I, I've all the fun, absolutely everything. And then when I found photos that were just a mess, but my neighbor next door, he's a clever— don't move them or anything. Just give me your photos. And I didn't lose one of those photos. But months and months down the track, I had other photos that I had stored in a box, red and, and whatever, and I lost the lot. And they were very special photos. You wouldn't think a photo, you know, heartbreaking, but they are. These are photos that, of an event that I don't think I can get copies of these photos. I'm I don't know, I don't even know how to find the people who took the photos to get copies. So it's silly things like that, and it's really not silly because it's a personal thing. Other people might not understand that. They'll say, oh, it's just, it's just things. It's then they don't matter. They don't matter, I suppose, because lives weren't lost and, you know, material things really don't matter. But sometimes those material things have a terrible habit of jumping up and, you know, smack anyone when you least expect it. But, uh, I, I've lost everything up in cupboards and, and they're all safe and everything, but anything that was low down, and I've gotta start all again, you know. Um, but we've gotta get a house built first before I can go and get any.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 25:13
Yeah. I think control and autonomy in my home.
John Milham (Host) · 25:20
Mm-hmm.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 25:21
You know, my surroundings. I have no surroundings except boxes and mess and— because I'm a big cook. I love cooking. And it's nothing for me to put on a big meal and invite— and I can't because my home's full of—
John Milham (Host) · 25:39
Invite 40 people for Christmas. Yeah. Yes.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 25:42
Um, yeah, I miss my home. I miss the surround your home.
John Milham (Host) · 25:48
Yeah. Wow. And of course your personal reaction to that, which is very difficult, you know, thank you for sharing that moment with us, but your personal reaction was to dig into the community and, and because other people were experiencing what you were experiencing. So tell us a bit about what you think the community went through?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 26:09
Oh, you know, like grown men crying, you know, and ladies just— you know, I'd get up to the hall and I'd be out half past 5 walking across the road. You'd see people starting to come in and they're covered in mud. They were like wandering around like lost souls, really. And then you'd see the anger boil up. And, you know, we had some services and people that come on board, big businesses, and Ngarlindja Mission Centre in the hall, and people had come in wondering what to do next, you know, where do we go from here. So it may fall into place, but it was so hard seeing people just wandering around, really not knowing what to do. We had many, many people start picking up those pieces and guiding people into the right direction and to be there to, to, you know, the old someone to suddenly burst into tears, you know, and, um, or anger or yell. Every single one of those, uh, emotions were very much justified. But it was a real tennis match. You didn't know which thing to follow because every moment of every day was just really hard to see. Normally very stand-up, strong people belted around. It was, yeah, it was hard. And then, you know, you'd see people start picking up because, you know, they, they, they got what they You know, the army boys come in and bulgukkole and oh gosh, there was trucks of stuff being moved out. It's all there. And when people started to see action, especially around their own personal space, it made them feel a bit on the level of damage and, and impact as to how people reacted. And here we are still trying to pick up pieces. That's, that's very hard to take. It's very hard to sit.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 28:40
But, uh, yeah.
John Milham (Host) · 28:41
What do you think worked best?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 28:43
I think the very fact what worked best. Community, on a community level, you know, we really tried to keep everybody in the loop as best we could. Some people reached out for that, and then there was others— there was all manner of levels of help. Others wanted to help, um, but it worked. It worked where each helped the other. Some people didn't want so much help, others needed help that couldn't be provided immediately, but everybody tried their hardest to help wherever they could. And I think that community was very, very— it was very important for the overall mental health. Um, media was great. There was a couple that I thought were absolutely brilliant, and they step up every now and then.
John Milham (Host) · 29:48
Sorry, in what way did they help? You know, how did you feel that that was an important element?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 29:55
Well, they put the story, you know, they— and these were a couple, couple didn't quite get us right, but you know, that's the story. That's the way it is, you know. Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story, if you know what I mean. But anyway, really amazing journalists that— they were great. They, they helped in many, many ways, just simply putting the word out there. And, um, there was a couple of local— they never stopped being in contact with us, and they put the word out if we needed, we needed anything. There was It was there, it was, it was done. Um, I don't— it did get, um, it's like, oh no, I don't want to talk again. I really don't want to go through this again and the same old questions. And, you know, it, it became tiring at times, but that I think depended on the day as to what we'd already experienced that day. So sometimes it's like, no, that's— I'm done. No, but overall I think it was a positive, positive experience. And without them, it would have been well and truly not noticed. Um, as it was, a dear friend of ours' son lives in Cessnock. Oh, I don't know, 14 months or so, it was only this year, he got in touch with us to ask a question. And I'll get on to it as quickly as I can. Um, but with— I'm still dealing with our house issue, and I'll probably forget, but I won't forget for long, I promise. And he said, well, what's the matter with your house? And I said, it got flooded. And he goes, what? I said, July 2022, big flood broke. And he goes, oh my God, I didn't know. Sesnok, 24 kilometers away. I couldn't believe it. I had to have a chuckle about that. Because that's almost, yeah. But anyway, it, I mean, some people don't turn the news on. It's understandable. I actually don't want, yeah.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 35:10
Oh, it's got better. It's got better. Whereas there was before, it was, do you know, you know, someone needs a bit of a hand. There was always that help and concern and mateship. Now it's entwined into us. It's even more, it's made it even more noticeable. Actually, one of the media people said to me, it was only a week or so after the flood, she said, so do you think you'll move? Do you think you, you don't want to be here anymore? And I was, I couldn't believe, I said, what? No, no way. This is my home. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere. It's broke, but we can fix it. I'm— it's broke, as in the broke village, but we can fix it. Not— yeah, I didn't know I said that until it went everywhere, all across the country.
John Milham (Host) · 36:06
So you created a, a meme.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 36:09
I didn't do that, but you know, when I think about it, it's absolutely true. And we, we are fixing it. Yeah, absolutely.
John Milham (Host) · 36:16
And in the spirit of fixing it, do you think Broke has changed? And if so, how do you feel about that?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 36:24
I look, it was always a quiet, lovely, private, whatever you wanted it to be, village.
John Milham (Host) · 36:32
Hmm.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 36:33
But I do believe it's grown. Um, and look, places grow. It doesn't matter where you, it, you know, people move in, move out. Business goes. But I think Broke has grown in a very positive way. It's owned by locals and, and non-locals, but it's a business family. Everyone supports everybody else, and there's no— I never see, or very rarely see, negative anything. If someone says, oh, we're doing this, half the broke people go and support it because it means a lot to support one another. So be it a business or whatever.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 44:19
The thing, the The best thing for me personally is I have gained friendships that are so strong. And actually, we're a group of ladies that would rock up to the hall covered in mud, freezing cold, trying to feed people in their businesses, like a little, you know, like B&Bs and stuff, all manner of things. And we just gravitated towards one another. I didn't know any of them, not personally, not one of them.
John Milham (Host) · 44:54
Wow.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 44:54
And now we try very hard to catch up every month or every 2 months, and we get together and we have— we just, you know, we talk about it, we support one another, we help one another. We're there. We're sort of like our own counselors, group counseling. The best thing I got was absolute undying friendship, beautiful deep friendship. And from that, again, the, the ones that, that helped, I helped, we helped each other. The hall was the recovery center. Develop friendships there and, and contact and I feel I am much— I, I don't— I would never— I could never initiate a conversation. I couldn't talking like this. My self-esteem was— that's it. Now I might go, oh, do I really have to? I'll be fine. I'll, I'll get in there. I never, I never spoke to— I, I wouldn't even pick up a phone. So the best thing is made me a very— I just dust off and I'll, I'll just keep going. I, I work because at the end of the day, I'm a, a results person. I need to see results. So if I can work towards doing that, that's, that's the end game for me. I see a job completed and I just feel so good about the best results from that. And I'm pretty sure groups of people seeing a job well done or their own personal jobs, whatever they're facing in their life, has got to be the grandest of feelings. So that's got to be a plus, you know, that the best thing that's come out of all this have moved on and they are putting their best foot forward now. And it's some people, though, a real healthy outlook. Some, some are still working towards that, but I have every faith that they can achieve, you know, their best moving forward place.
John Milham (Host) · 47:13
Well, that's amazing. Um, in some ways, like, at the core of the response to the village was you and, and, um, some people around you.
You don't have to be in crisis to call.
John Milham (Host) · 13:50
Wow.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 13:51
It was absolutely amazing. And tanks and garbage bins floating by all night. It was amazing.
John Milham (Host) · 13:59
The, um, you know, the whole area itself stayed dry, but across the road, no, no, the there was water all under the hall. Oh wow.
John Milham (Host) · 18:48
My goodness.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 18:49
And she was thrown in, you know, baptism of water, not fire. Um, but she said, give me a fire any day. This flood business is just horrible. And it goes on and on. And the smell, that's something you'll never forget. It's, it's revolting. So yeah, it was— I really don't think I had time to think about our personal stuff and our house and belongings. And I didn't— I don't think I even rang our insurance company until 3, maybe 4 days after the event because it didn't happen to me, you know, it was a bit of denial. So yeah, it was, and to this day I still wish it didn't happen.
John Milham (Host) · 19:37
But anyway, at the time you sort of created some distance mentally between the event and, you know, what, focused on what you were doing around the place. Now, in terms of now that you've had a, you know, had a a period of time or a couple of years to sort of take inventory. What did you lose? Both sort of, you know, the physical aspects of it, but what else?
John Milham (Host) · 23:21
Yeah. So you still haven't, um, still, still haven't sorted all of that out? No.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 23:26
No.
John Milham (Host) · 23:27
As, as there are a number of people in that situation. Isn't it?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 23:30
Yes, there is. Um, my friend down the road's work's going to start on her house, um, I think in about 3 weeks' time. Um, my work, and we're still in the DA stage, but we're finalizing the last things now, and I've been assured that once I sign on the dotted line, work starts immediately. Wow.
John Milham (Host) · 23:54
So that, that must offer a sense of ongoing sort of drama to the whole thing. So the event, and then it's basically you've been in the event ever since.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 24:03
Yes. It's, it's every single day. It's Groundhog Day. It, nothing, nothing changes. And then when something, you question it and you go, nah, nah, nah, something's gonna come up and change all this back to, you know, whatever else was happening before. Not trust what is happening. But you see, I, as far as loss is concerned, we have had a beautiful garden. We've had weddings and photo sessions and everything in our garden. Most of it's destroyed. We've had to completely pull out gardens, 100%. And for the new house to be built, trees, shrubs have to be removed. So that I don't know how I'm going to cope with that. And as you know, you go, it's just a tree. It is just a tree and it is just a garden. But when my whole life we created that garden from nothing, so that's yet another thing that's going to be taken away. Silly as it is, but this might be a hard question.
John Milham (Host) · 25:09
This might be a hard question, but is there one thing that you miss?
John Milham (Host) · 28:26
So during the, during the event and then, you know, in the immediate aftermath, right? What, what do you think worked right? 'Cause it sounds like, you know, it's such a, a, a sort of focus of suffering and, and challenge, right?
John Milham (Host) · 32:03
What's, uh, news, news for you is, yeah, exactly. Far away for someone else.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 32:09
Yeah.
John Milham (Host) · 32:09
So, you know, all of those, it's really interesting that, that, you know, that the external, you know, being, you know, heard outside of your own village, like, was, was comforting and useful. What do you think other lessons were learned, right? You talk about the community and some of the individuals in that community really stood up. What were the lessons that you see were learned for Broke and for the individuals in Broke?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 32:35
I think a lot of people realize now that community and family really are one word. And yeah, it's— we are there for one another. Live in each other's pockets. We don't have to be involved 100%, but just to know that community will put our hands up and we will help you and we are there. It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what has happened that life can throw out at you. The lesson learnt is we are not alone. We are one big community, and that is a lesson that it can be very valuable in knowing. And there are some people, you know, it's in their nature that they'll sit back at home and, and be happy to watch the world go by, and that is fine. But for them to know that if things get tough, all they need to do is put their hand up, yell out, people are there, you're not alone. And then there's the ones at the other end of the scale that really put their hand up and really, really just never stopped. And they just kept going to the point where sometimes there was a few collapses. Enough is enough. I can't go any further. Then it was a case of eventually picking themselves up. 'I've got this.' You know, 'I just needed a moment. I'm fine.' So at both ends of the scale, whether you're the one that likes your privacy and your home base and everything, or the one that really puts their hand up and wants to be out there, our mental health and our own self-awareness and wellbeing We're all on the same level there. It is all as everyone, everyone is the same. But knowing that every single one of us can be there, it was such an important thing. And I do think Broke has got that. It's got that etched into it. It really is there. You mightn't see someone for 6 months, but all of a sudden you, wow, there you are. How you going? In that sort of thing. It's a very important feel to know that we've got community family.
John Milham (Host) · 35:03
And do you think that has, you know, been changed by the flood experience?
John Milham (Host) · 37:23
That's a lovely thought. And of course, you at the middle of it with the BRCA, the Broke Residents Association. And of course, you're talking about the hall. What do you think is possible now? What are your plans for supporting the village and—
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 37:43
Well, I want to see the hall keep growing, get more and more bookings, and especially when this refurbishment happens and it's a whole new facelift. We've got many, many things happening. Brooke's going to be the place. It, you know, October, we started the year and then we had the Festival of Small Halls, which was a pretty amazing night. And then we've got all these little things happening. We'll start seeing things, bicentenary look.
John Milham (Host) · 38:21
That's right. Yeah. Broke is coming up to 200 years old.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 38:23
Yeah. And it's going to be one big back to Broke party.. So there's lots of those kind of plans, but I want to see the cup of tea, morning cuppa and chat still remain. I want to encourage community events, small community events, bingo nights, all the little stuff. I would like to see that start becoming a regular thing. I want to encourage the hall people to hire the hall. Have wedding seminars. It doesn't matter what it is. I'd like to see life well and truly pumped into the hall community-wise to become a base, a hub for the community. And then there's all manner of things happening around the village.
John Milham (Host) · 39:12
So it's interesting, you know, like the community hall was such a focal point during the flood, right? And it became the place of refuge and the place of supplies and the place of encouragement and mental support, emotional support. Do you think that helped people see the Hall and the village around it in a different way?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 39:36
I think so. Especially the ones that are old enough to remember the dances. And then of course, over a period of time, that all fell off. It wasn't quite so community-minded or based. Mm-hmm. But it reawakened many, many memories, many things. And then of course the different things that we introduced to help the community, it's actually prompted people to become more focused again on what the Hall can, the community as a whole. So I, I think it has reawakened what the Hall used to be Nice.
John Milham (Host) · 40:18
Nice. What do you think, you know, like I find it interesting that so many people who have spent time, you know, and have all grew up or, you know, have been around Broke and Environs for a while, still talk about the '49 flood as, you know, like the record flood. It's still in people's memory.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 40:37
Yes.
John Milham (Host) · 40:38
Do you think this, how will this one be remembered?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 40:41
Oh, this one I think will be, There's not too many people physically remember the '49, but they, that their parents certainly would've been. But because there wasn't, it was a different layout of the village. There wasn't fences, there wasn't road like as in the way they are now, wasn't as many houses. So the impact wasn't as dramatic. This flood, it took out houses, took out cars. Washed out roads. Absolutely. It doesn't matter what direction you look in. Huge erosion ponds. Houses that have massive big holes under them. It— this one will be remembered for simply that. It was— when it came, it came big, you know, and I think it superseded from the '49 era. Well, the old fellow that used to live in our house saying the water came up at sunup, uh, sundown, and the dog and I sat on the kitchen table till sunup, and he just swept the mud out of the house and carried on. That was it. Wow. And now if Mr. Watts—
John Milham (Host) · 41:56
different days—
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 41:57
still around, yep, absolutely. Well, the house is no more. It will have to be demolished. So it's a different dynamic as well. I think 2022 July flood is going to go down in history as not to be forgotten in Ari.
John Milham (Host) · 42:16
Yeah. So, and you know, going down in history, the efforts of yourself and other locals to support each other and in a magnificent way. I'd be interested, what do you want to see? What would work for you going forward as a volunteer and a key community member? What are you hoping for?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 42:39
Oh gosh. One, I'd like my house built. That'd be nice. Personally, I want to get my personal everything all in place. I want all my ducks in a row. I want everything fixed. This hall is important. It's refurbishment, its facelift. It's about to start. It's very close to getting the sod turned. It's going to happen. Now, when all that's happened, I want Broke, um, remain the very community-focused village it is. Um, and I'm sure that will happen because a lot of the people that, uh, very much They live in the area, they live in the village, and they, they are a kind of people that want to see things go forward. They, they want to see positive stuff, uh, they want to see growth in the sweet little village it is, but encourage people to come and enjoy our lifestyle. And they can know that that was a really beautiful place to stay. We had a wonderful time. And it's not impacted on us as a village, you know, everyone loves without it being impacted by big, huge growth.
John Milham (Host) · 44:04
Right. That's a, a beautiful vision. Um, what was the best thing about it? Like going through all of this dramatic event and subsequent challenges to rebuild and recover and heal. What was the best thing?
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 47:23
I must say, the people around me, um, I won't name them, but there was a group of people and still are very, very focused on the outcome of the health of Broke. And they were and are, still are the best people. They are amazing bunch of people and, um, very resilient. Um, mind you, we had a few crashes. You know, like chucking willies and everything. But that's human nature, you know, like you can't— if you have a wanna cry, have a cry. But these people, they are one heck of a backbone. And you know, we all know that we've got each other's back and that's what's very, very important. They are a great bunch of people.
John Milham (Host) · 48:17
Well, it's beautiful. I see, um, You know, some others have told me, and you mentioned it in a conversation, that, you know, the sound of the flood still sometimes captures you.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 48:29
Oh yes. Yeah. And, um, yeah, that was crazy. I'll never forget. It was, I, I don't know what time it was during the night. Um, but then I heard this and I think that's a boat. What?
John Milham (Host) · 48:41
Yeah.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 48:41
I could not believe it, but it wasn't, it wasn't until after a house two doors down from the hall there, they were stuck in the house. The, the fellow that lived in the house swam to his shed and got the boat. Well, he couldn't get it unhooked from the trailer, so it was just like, okay, we couldn't get it unhooked properly, so he just started it up and he managed to get the boat up to the veranda so his family could get in the boat, and then they up and over the fence and onto the— and that's where the boat stayed for several months, I think. Uh, it wasn't a healthy end for the boat, I don't think, but he at least got his family out of the house. But I couldn't believe, why would anyone be starting a boat in the middle of a flood? You're not going to go anywhere. Like my house, it's amazing, the smell. I— my new house, I can prom— and I'll tell anyone this, I've I've said it to hundreds, no way on this earth will I ever have carpet in house again, ever. It's revolting. You get flood mud over carpet. Oh, it's disgusting.
John Milham (Host) · 49:54
Those, um, so those moments, those, um, emotional and, and, um, psychological issues will echo, but I, I see, um, you know, in you, uh, like the healing and the focus is amazing. And of course, I think you and some others are paralleling the healing of the village, right? That's, you know, I find that, you know, driving that healing as a community effort, not just as an individual.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 50:22
Yes, it is. It is. We could never do it individually. That'd be a big load to carry. And that's why I think, you know, like the girls, we you know, we, we unburden on each other and, you know, each other's problems and whatever, you know, just let it out there. But as a, as a group, people working together, shouldering the load, we get together and we can sort out different problems the best way we can. If you did that on an individual basis, it couldn't be done. It's too much. We would individually crash, crash and burn. That's what we do. But sharing the load and helping one another, yeah, hand ups and do what we can for each other. And I do believe that with that strength and keep showing people that strength and that they can do it. You know, you can do this. It'll take— I'm not saying it's not going to be fixed in 5 minutes. I think there's a little milestone coming up after an event. There is a wall coming up soon that's going to be hit, and some people will climb the wall and other people will hit the wall just to drag them away from that and make them realize that no, this is normal, what you're feeling is normal, we can move on, we can do this, and you'll be fine. So early days, still coming, but we'll be doing it. We can do it.
John Milham (Host) · 52:07
I love it. That's so inspiring and so honest. And thank you both for your chat today, but also for your giving and your commitment and positivity for the community. Congratulations on rebuilding yourself and good luck with the house and good luck with keeping that community growing.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 52:30
Yeah.
John Milham (Host) · 52:31
Love it.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 52:32
Yep. Thank you so much.
John Milham (Host) · 52:33
Thank you so much, Evelyn. It's been a wonderful chat and I wish you all the best, especially as the new hall gets done and you'll be presiding over a true testament to the power of bro.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 52:46
Yeah.
John Milham (Host) · 52:47
Thank you, everyone.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 52:48
Thank you, John. Thank you.
John Milham (Host) · 52:53
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Beyond the Deluge about the 2022 floods in Broke and the Hunter Valley. If anything in this conversation has had a triggering effect, please seek support and find someone who can help keep you safe. Please share the show to your friends, family, and colleagues so we can help more people with their recovery from natural disaster. If you'd like to find out more about Kintsugi Heroes and our other podcasts, please head to kintsugiheroes.com.au. Our theme song was provided by Colin Lilly. Thanks to Matthew Bliss for editing and production, and to John Millum for hosting the conversations. And most of all, thank you to the community of Broke and the Hunter Valley for sharing their lived experience with us. We'll see you next week in Beyond The Deluge.
Evelyn Hardy (Guest) · 53:45
Only when it's broken, only when it's broken, when it hits you in the middle of the night and the truth burns so bright. Only when it's broken. Only when it's broken. Take pride in those cries, it's only for tonight, and then you rise. Only when you're broken. Only when you're broken. Only when you Broken.
Subscribe
Spotify
Apple