RAAF Amberley, Ipswich Qld
Postcard by Emma Ward – May 2004
Our posting to South East Queensland was an interesting change from, the Northern Territory, where in my (and my family assistance office debts) opinion, a couple of years was enough! We really truly LOVED our time in the tropics, it is magic. But it is also demanding in lots of crucial ways, which can put stress on the family. For example ours was the sheer magnitude of wear and tear that the tropical climate took on all our material belongings, which is an important component to the quality of your life. Not one of our pictures or pieces of furniture escaped mould damage. And being a photographer the wet season was devastating on my collections and equipment and patchwork fabrics!
Why didn’t we air-condition? I did while Christopher was in East Timor, and it cost a fortune (but did stop the mould) then to add insult to injury the FBT we incurred for using the allowance ( & RLLT) the next year voided out my family payments! I was really upset, this is after already paying almost half your partners wage in tax anyhow! And being a good ADF stay at home volunteer community mum whom is often solo, sorry, sorry! No more political soap boxing! It just breaks my heart that our society now doesn’t value the holistic fundamental role a full time parent plays. Sadly there is no longer the fabulous Defence Furniture Scheme, which sure had its challenges, but provided the member with a chance to maintain their loved things safe in storage.
Brisbane
urban development was environmentally friendly for wildlife
We headed off to RAAF Amberley driving down through the incredible NT. Stopping at all the watering holes on the way, such as Katherine’s oasis, its hot springs, and then Mataranka springs, which was NT magic. Then the landscape just changed from tropical to outback, the green had gone, and the closer we moved to Camowheel the more Mad Max it got. We love driving, and marvelling at this amazing country, there where times though, such as heading off first thing in the morning, the road kill is so plentiful that the birds of prey are thick, your driving along with the horn going to avoid them. I can’t help but get chocked up, it’s where I have seen most of Australia’s wildlife, as road kill L
A stark contrast crossing the border of the utopian NT highways to the suicidal Qld dirt track! We were very happy to find Ipswich at the end of the trip. Not the one room, non air-conditioned, no kitchen, no power on Christmas Eve motel we were put in for two weeks, but Ipswich itself, and Brisbane. They are lovely places, and were a pleasure to live in for us. The climate was a good temperate change too. And another rare bonus was contact with family, as Christopher's eldest brother Tremaine was serving at Ennogarra Barracks, close enough for fun visits.
Trem & Chester
bushwalking in Rosewood
(That motel was so bad I got rather depressed, and everything Defence & DHA related shut down over the chrissy new year period. “Come and invade Australia on Christmas Day!” It is a horrible illogical time to post families and have them isolated in transition – never again!)
RAAF Amberley is also a pretty base, in a nice semi rural area, with a unique school that has a positive ADF influence. The boys had a great time at Amberley State School, and I got to meet some top notch SE Qld ladies too, helping out in the well organised voluntary Canteen. It was lovely to have a link to the ADF community, it was the last real meeting place in the area, now that the housing had been disbanded.
Jasper getting Head Boy badge from SqnLdr Ward
It was very sad to see the RAAF Amberley married quarter patch get demolished over a year. It signed the death warrant on lots of community based groups as the majority of the members accommodation options were a very long way from the base locality.
Hows this for our new front garden view?!
We wanted to be close to the base, as usual, as we can’t afford to run two cars. So we got a TRA place in Karrabin which was wonderful, except for dealing with the bastard real estate agents, who were a nightmare. So after Christopher did his tour with Op Catalyst we utlised the cool Defence Home Loan, and ‘bought’ our first home in Leichhardt. It was dream come true for us, a solid timber five bedroom home, overlooking the golf course, right on the back gate for $130,000!!
Picturesque SE Qld
Our time at RAAF Amberley was fabulous having our own sanctuary. But also because 82 wing was such a positive place to work. GpCpt Osley was a really nice guy, and his happy genuine demeanour rubbed off on the wing. Watching “the Pigs” (and the Caribous) come and go was an extra plane watching buzz. Driving out along the road under the runway, smiling at the kangaroos, smelling the jet fumes, feeling the car shake as the Top Gun theme plays in my head was a big bonus on the school run!!!
The bases cinema had sadly met its demise, but the pool was just hanging on, and it was a lovely part of our routine to enjoy swimming each day. We really appreciate getting to utilise the base facilities, and living right next to the base, means that you can!
Exactly a year after we moved into our home, and just finished renovating the kitchen and bathroom, Christopher got a once in a life time posting order, to the Defence Services Staff College in India!
What an amazing Postcard that is! We were very sad to say good bye to beautiful SE Qld, but very excited about the new chapter awaiting is in New Delhi and Wellington, Tamil Nadu, South India.
PS Never did see one koala in a tree (OK, except for one at the school once!) Hundreds of signs, but no koalas. Then we met a community volunteer legend, called Margaret Dampier (who doesn’t get a cent of funding) She raises the orphans of all the poor parents that get killed on the roads. She has gum trees in her lounge room (which she picks fresh each morning) and brings the baby koalas and kangaroos up until they are big enough to tackle the roads themselves! It was wonderful we got to feel and see these amazing furry Australian miracles right up close – Thanks Margaret! Un conditional gems like you inspire me each day :-)
Chester & adopted Koala
