By Kath Gannaway
DON Bigham was farewelled on Thursday, 19 January, as an elder statesman of the CFA, and of his beloved Gruyere community.
His coffin draped in the CFA flag, he was carried on the shoulders of his friends and Gruyere Brigade colleagues to a shiny red fire engine and was both applauded and saluted as he passed by an outstanding guard of honour.
Don died on 10 January, 2017, as a result of a sudden heart attack.
At 71, he had earned the ‘elder’ status, but as more than 1500 people farewelled the much-loved family man, CFA stalwart, ground-breaking farmer and friend, with laughter, tears and deep sadness, there was an overwhelming sense that he had been taken way before his time.
His life-long friend Kevin Spence said it on behalf of many – “It’s been a great trip with Don all the way.”
Sharing laugh-out-loud stories of their exploits growing up and living their entire lives in Gruyere he added “It shouldn’t be Don … he is still ‘Young Donny Bigham’.”
Don’s wife of 49 years, Pat, daughters Andrea and Kerri sat at the front of the Heritage Chapel in Woori Yallock, surrounded by family and friends among a sea of CFA and other emergency services uniforms.
Leading the service, CFA Chaplain and family friend, Harley Kitchen, gave an overview of Don’s life.
Born Donald David Bigham on 24 March, 1945 to Jim and Lill Bigham he had a happy childhood growing up with two brothers, Ken and Alan, and a sister, Eunice, on the family farm at Gruyere.
They epitomised the Aussie battler family.
He said even into the 50s, as the Bighams transformed a bush block into a fully functioning farm, they lived in a small home with dirt floors and no electricity.
Don got his first pair of shoes at six years old, learning to fight for his rights when times were tough.
He went to the local primary school and to Lilydale High School, finishing at Form 3 to join the family poultry business.
Don’s sense of community and strong work ethic were ingrained from an early age. The family was active in the Gruyere community with his father among the founding members of the Gruyere Fire Brigade.
“Larger than life”, heard often on the day, encapsulated the qualities of a man who lived life to the full from care-free days shooting rabbits, playing football for Coldstream and driving to his first fire at 16-years old, to leading the way in the establishment of free-range poultry farming, serving as president of Lilydale High School Council and making an unparalleled contribution as a volunteer fire fighter over 55 years.
Kevin Spence gave an insight into what it was like being always a couple of years younger than ‘young Donny’ as part of a tribute that was a mix of hilarious roast and gratitude for the fortunate lives they shared.
“Don showed me where to hang my bag at school … he was big time,” he said by way of introduction.
He said knocking around with Don was always interesting, but also meant always being the kid who was just that much too young to do the things his more experienced friend got to do – putting lacka bands around sheep testicles at seven years of age, getting to fill the ink wells at school and lighting the kerosene lamps were some examples that raised more than a smile.
“Don’s a bit older” was something he heard often.
He said Don was a league best and fairest and talented athlete who represented the CFA in competitions.
“If you were playing in the same side he was looking after you,” he said.
“It was the same at school and throughout our long history. He always had your back.”
Gruyere CFA Captain Matt Sartori took over from Don when he retired from the captaincy 13 years ago after 18 years at the helm.
Captain Sartori said CFA was his passion and his life and shared anecdotes of what was sometimes seen as Don’s unorthodox approach to CFA.
“Practical training is the only way you can learn, he would say; forget about learning out of a book, it only gives you the basics.”
He said Don led by example and always had the team’s safety and welfare as his top priority.
“On strike teams he was always at the end of the food line and if there was an accommodation crisis, you would always find Don sleeping under the stars,” he said.
He described Don as an exceptional driver educator who taught many CFA members driver skills, especially the off-road skills he was renowned for.
And, he was a generous mentor.
“If you had the time, he had the coffee and would make himself available. CFA was his passion and his life,” Captain Sartori said.
“We thank you for your supreme effort on and off the fire ground.”
CFA District 13 Operations Manager David Renkin spoke on behalf of the CFA a giving a summary of his CFA service which, on paper, started in 1961.
He served as captain of Gruyere Fire Brigade for 18 years and as Deputy Group Officer and Group Officer over a number of years for the Killara Group which later became the Yarra Valley Group.
He was Gruyere representative on the Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria at the time of his death.
“Don has been an integral part of our training for many years. With his knowledge, experience and passion he would just ooze it at recruits training,” he said.
“He wanted to make sure those people would come home safely.
He said Don attended many of the major fires including 1962, ’68 and ’69 fires in the Dandenongs and Ash Wednesday in 1983, which he said had a huge impact on him.
He went to the Sydney fires in 1994 and the Dandenongs fires in 1997, the Alpine area in 2003, was active in the Black Saturday fires of 2009, and went up north to the floods in 2010.
“Everywhere Don went he made friends. He was always the first to put his hand up to help,” OM Renkin said.
He paid tribute to Don and Pat as a couple who, along with Andrea, have dedicated a huge part of their lives to the CFA. Pat has been coordinator of the District 13 peer support program since the Ash Wednesday fires.
Don’s contribution to CFA was recognised with a 55 year service award, life membership of Gruyere Fire Brigade and the CFA and received the National Medal with three bars.
There were moving tributes from Don’s great-nieces Tegan and Hannah who were a big part of his life.
“Uncle Don was the best man in my life,” Tegan wrote. She said from building go-karts to bedheads to showing her how to take a fish off the hook, he was always there.
Hannah recalled how Don would always greet them singing, although it was well established that he was not the world’s best singer.
“You would make a cup of tea and he would go out for a five minute job,” she said.
“By the time his so-called five minute job was finished it would be cold because we didn’t factor in that it was Gruyere time, not our time.”
Having the last word, as her father had often joked she did, Kerri spoke of a man, husband and father who measured up to the highest standards.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not in the way he stands in times of comfort and convenience, but the way he stands in times of challenge and convenience,” she said.
She spoke of his love of the CFA and community saying he was sensitive, passionate and proud of the family he had raised and the many kids he had helped over the years.
She spoke of his ‘beloved Gruyere’ and his connection with place and land.
“But his most admiration, love and pride was for mum” Kerri said.
She said it was a relationship of friendship, respect, love, support and perseverance.
“Dad was like a ship without a compass when mum was not at home,” she said.
She painted a picture of a happy, loving and encouraging home.
“Our parents were those who would kiss and cuddle in the kitchen … spontaneously dance around the kitchen.”
Kerri said her dad was generous in giving of his spirit, time, knowledge and love.
“If there be no truer measure of a man than what he does, it must be by what he gives,” she said.
She said the ultimate expression of his giving was his donation of a kidney to Andrea 10 years ago, giving her the opportunity to live a quality life.
On his final resting place Don had made his intentions very clear. He wanted to be buried at Lilydale Memorial Park looking back over the Warramate Hills and keeping an eye on Gruyere.
Which he was.
And he had strong views on cremation.
“He always said he had not fought the red bastard all his life to give in to it at the end,” Kerri said.
RIP Don Bigham.
