Awards to men for flood efforts

JANUARY 1972

The Assistant Director of Posts and Telegraphs (Mr H.G Shaw) presented Certificates of Merit to Narrabri postal staff at a function.

The certificates were in recognition of outstanding work performed by line staff, technicians, exchange and Post Office staff during and after the 1971 flood.

The function, at Narrabri Golf Club, was attended by the Shire President (Cr L Hibbens), the Deputy Mayor (Ald D Bairstow), Mr B Haylock (representing Civil Defence at the time of the flood), and senior Northern postal officials.

The dinner and social was organised by the local branch of the Australian Postal Institute.

A similar function was held at Wee Waa.

Cr Hibbens said he was very pleased to note the calibre of people who maintained communications during the flood.

“You can rest assured the people of the Shire are very proud of you all,” he said.

Mr B Haylock, who was Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Civil Defence controller during the flood attended in the absence of Mr W Heath.

“Without the PMG linesmen, the Civil Defence operations would have been made much more difficult, and without the untiring efforts of the staff I think we can say that many more lives would have been lost.

“There was always a cheery voice at the other end of the telephone although the exchange girls were working under trying conditions.”

Ald Bairstow spoke of the high regard in which the people of Narrabri held the PMG personnel.

“Communications are vital in an emergency and when the need arose the PMG provided them as usual.

“If it was possible to get a phone going, the technicians would have it working.

“The girls on the exchange deserve special mention for among other things maintaining their sense of humour during the flood.

“The postal staff kept up the tradition that the mail must go through, and they could be seen stuffing mail bags onto every available means of transport.”

The Assistant Director, Mr Shaw, presented the Certificates of Merit to Mr Bob Cunningham (representing the line staff), Mr Paul Gledhill (technical staff) and Postmaster Mr H Stuart (Post Office and telephone exchange staff).

“You demonstrated that the Post Office tradition of getting the mail through is not forgotten,” said Mr Shaw.

The original concept of awarding Certificates of Merit came after the 1955-56 floods, when the same situation occured in Northern NSW.

At that stage, the then Postmaster-General (Mr C Davidson) felt that words of commendation were inadequate, and that a more tangible appreciation by the Post Office should be established, so the Certificates of Merit were introduced for outstanding service.

These certificates were introduced for award in exceptional circumstances.

These awards are not given lightly – for instance, one of the initial awards went to a Narrabri man, R.E Davis, who attempted to swim a flooded creek to restore a line.

The certificates represent a personal award to the particular groups of postal staff.

Mr Shaw made a presentation of Certificates of Merit to Wee Waa postal staff at a ceremony.

The three certificates, awarded for outstanding devotion to duty, as were the Narrabri presentations, were received by Mr Ed Dorrington (on behalf of the postal staff), Mr Jim Schafer (technicians) and Mr A Wells (linesmen).