The 72-year-old and his daughters were overseas when the Longwood fire broke out.
On Friday, January 9, his whole world changed.
“We were away with Dad, and we were watching it on the map from afar,” Tim’s daughter, Olivia, said.
“Initially, Dad had hope that maybe his house would be fine, or maybe it was just the property, or maybe it wasn’t quite that far down the hill yet.
“When we did find out, us girls, we were absolutely devastated. We shed a few tears, and it was really hard to hear and hard to see.”
Tim has been an Avenel local for decades, serving 20 years as a volunteer at the Upton Hill CFA brigade — and half of that time as captain.
“He is very much a community-minded man ... He’s involved in the community, in the golf course, in the CFA, all of the above,” Olivia said.
After returning from their trip, Tim was accompanied by his family to assess what was left of the place he called home for over 10 years.
Olivia said it was devastating to see the state of the property.
“We went up on the Friday, just been with Dad ... We all sort of had that hope that maybe there would be something that could be retrieved,” she said.
“There was honestly absolutely nothing there. Every bit of the house, every part of the woolshed, the woodshed, the machinery shed; everything was just dust, really, and anything you picked up that might have been retrievable just shattered in your hands.
“I think from Dad’s perspective, sadly he has seen a lot of places burnt down, so I don’t think it was a shock to him as much as it was to us.”
In the days following the devastating blaze, the family has been overwhelmed by the support shown for Tim.
On Sunday, January 11, Olivia set up a fundraiser for her dad to start the recovery effort.
As of Monday, January 19, it had amassed over $54,000.
“I think the generosity from the community has been incredible. (The GoFundMe page) raised over $54,000, which is incredible. It’s come from people we know from a distance, who are friends of friends, and also people we’ve never even met or heard of,” Olivia said.
“He’s had a lovely lady from town offer him her Airbnb for as long as he needs it. He’s had more clothes offered to him than he owned before the house burnt down. He’s got heaps of mates coming down with trucks and bobcats to help him clear it up. He’s had offering of food, the Seymour hardware store offered him tools.
“It’s been incredible seeing the community come together. I think if there’s one community that you want to be based in when something like this happens, it’s the Avenel area because everyone has honestly come through.
“Dad would (want to say) how appreciative he is for what everyone in the community has done. He’s a bit lost for words and is struggling to find a way to thank every person that’s offered help.”
To support the family, visit the GoFundMe page at tinyurl.com/57pzwwpx
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