RFDS Base Derby Western Operations Inc. Victorian Section

Transcription

1 RFDS Base Derby Western Operations Inc. Monday, 10 th of July 2006 Victorian Section (Reported by Dr Hans- Ullrich Henschel) Derby ist the most northeastern base of the Western Operations Inc. of the RFDS of Western Australia. Derby has about inhabitants. It was founded in 1881 and was named after the british foreign minister at this time. Half of the inhabitants are Aborigines. Derby ist the center of administration for an extensive back country with farms of up to ha of land. These farms mainly breed livestock. Gibb River Road more often called Beef Road connects Kununurra in the east of the Kimberleys with Derby. The region holds many mineral resources, which so far have been explored only rudimentarilly. Further more the region shelters many important cultural places of the Aborigines. In the village you will find the RFDS Base in Loch Street and at the airport the hangar of the RFDS. Photo: RFDS Base Derby Dr Hans-Ullrich Henschel Page 1 of 6

2 Photo: RFDS Hangar at Derby Airport At the 10 th of July 2006 Dr Hans-Ullrich Henschel, the president of the association flydoc australia e.v. Inc. visited this base and handed over a donation. The Base Manager Cheryl Russ welcomed him cordially. The management in Perth had already given notice of his visit. Dr Henschel introduced the German association flydoc australia e.v. Inc. and its aims. The German support was always very much appreciated. Cheryl Russ explained the history of the base. The base was founded in From then till 1995 it was supported by the Victorian Section of the RFDS. This was because of Victoria being a very small state of Australia, which does not have such remote regions like Western Australia. Thus it does not need RFDS. At this time Victoria made it to its business to support the remote regions with a public health service. Therefor Victoria founded the base in Derby. During 1955 and 1995 this base was exclusively subordinated to the Victorian Section. Now it found its place in the Western Operations Inc. Dr Hans-Ullrich Henschel Page 2 of 6

3 From 1995 till April 2001 the base was located in Clarendon Street, as you still can find on many printed forms. In 2001 they formed a partnership with the Derby Aboriginal Health Service. Thus the base was transferred to Loch Street, so that the partners would be closer together. + Photo: The new bulding of Derby Aboriginal Health Service Of course Cheryl Russ did not leave out to show Dr Henschel the old base, which remains insignificantly in Clarendon Street. It is not completely abandoned, although the rooms are almost empty. Parts of the radio engeneering stays there, receives informations from the outback and passes them on to Jandakot / Perth. This main radio station initiates the arrangements which are necessary in the different emergenca cases. Photo: The old RFDS Derby Base at Clarendon Street Dr Hans-Ullrich Henschel Page 3 of 6

4 The highlight of the visit was as usual when Dr Henschel handed the donation of 1.000,- AUS$ from our association flydoc australia e.v. Inc. over to Cheryl Russ. With hearty words of thank she took the donation and with pleasure she wrote a receipt for the donation of the association. Photo: Hand over donation at RFDS Derby Base Bild: Spendenquittung der RFDS Base Derby über 1.000,- AUS$ Dr Hans-Ullrich Henschel Page 4 of 6

5 Cheryl Russ gave Dr Henschel more interesting informations about the organization and the work on the base. They have two airplanes for their missions, a Pilatus PC12 and a Beecraft King Air B200. There are three doctors, five flight nurses and five pilotes working for the base. The tasks of the base are emergency cases, public consultation hours in the outback (so called clinics) and they have to organize the transfers from one hospital to the other, which - with the lack of specialized hospitals in the small villages in the north of Western Australia - is an extensive task. Later the Flight nurse Leonore Maxwell joined the conversation. She showed a Medical Chest and explained that there are 800 Medical Chests like this in whole Western Australia lokalized at different important spots. Each of these Medical Chests has a value of 1.200,- AUS$. The money for these Medical Chests comes from donations. Photo: Visitor Centre at RFDS Derby Base Dr Hans-Ullrich Henschel Page 5 of 6

6 Of course Dr Henschel visited as well the hangar at the airport of Derby, where he was also welcomed cordialy by the Flight nurse Joss Forbes. Although she had just absolved an exhausting nightshift, she showed him the hangar with pleasure and told him a lot about her work. Photo: Cheryl Russ, Base Manager at the RFDS Derby Base, talking by Dr Henschel Dr Henschel had absolved an exciting and spectacular trip along the Gibb River Road. When mentioning it he was told about incautious tourists in the Kimberleys, who had accidents there, fell in to gorges or suffered other emergencies. Be carfull! he was told over and over again. [Translated by Mareile Wilsch, Hamm, Germany] Dr Hans-Ullrich Henschel Page 6 of 6