David Pellowe

Author: David Pellowe

The Assault On Our Children

Posted by David Pellowe | 7 Apr, 2010 | Life, Thinking Out Loud |

In 1996, Hetty Johnston was busy, but blissfully ignorant. Hetty had left a career in corporate administration to spend time with her newborn daughter, but getting restless had again become active in her home town community of Logan, and among other things, helped lead a campaign that successfully prevented a massive toll road being built through the middle of the Daisy Hill State Forrest. Later, as then State Leader of The Australian Democrats and also running for the Federal seat of Fadden, she suggested her husband, Ian, take their youngest daughter and have a holiday in New Zealand with his family. On their first night in New Zealand, their family was changed forever when Ian and Hetty’s daughter bravely confided in Ian that she was scared of her Poppy, his father. When gently pressed for a reason for this fear, she revealed Poppy was touching her inappropriately (although she hadn’t used those words). Confronted with an unimaginably difficult choice, the beautiful father decided to defend his young daughter’s innocence and not his strong friendship with his own dad. After they returned home, Hetty later discovered that her daughter’s grandfather had not only been assaulting her, but had conducted a forty year reign of terror on practically every female in and near the family. Daughters, nieces, grand-daughters and even neighbours had suffered at his evil hands. When Hetty’s daughter bravely...

Angels in Orange in Logan

Posted by David Pellowe | 7 Jan, 2010 | Life, Thinking Out Loud |

Few people know that there are less than 100 active Men and Women State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers across the whole of Logan City charged with the care of over 250,000 people across over 900 square kilometres in times of emergency? And due to every one of those needing other employment to look after their families, only 1 in 4 at best may actually be available to help when you call. More are needed. When I met with three of these volunteers recently to learn more about the SES, I had many misconceptions cleared up for me, some of which I know will surprise you. For one, I assumed everybody knew they are actually volunteers, and not “workers”. But work very hard they do, of course, just for the love of it and their community, as there is no pay for them. The call may come late at night to attend a tragic motor vehicle accident to supply lighting for the other emergency services on the scene, and they may not be able to crawl back into bed until an hour before their kids come and wake them up again. They do this unpaid, with no overtime or penalties, and not enough thanks. Another thing I assumed was that the State supplied most of their operational funding – not true. Logan City Council supplies the vast majority of funding...