The Lions Club of Winchelsea

The Lions Club of Winchelsea joined in the bushfire cleanup efforts by sending a team over to Pomborneit for a bushfire working bee. Many kilometres of rural fencing was lost during the fires, and at Pomborneit the members of Winchelsea Lions assisted in gathering up the remains of the old fences so that new fencing could be installed quickly. Over 1000 acres of farmland was burnt out by a fire that is thought to have been started by powerlines at Weerite, 30km west of Colac.

Northerly winds of up to 113 km/h and 41 degree heat on Saturday 7th January pushed the fire over pasture and farmland and across the Melbourne-Warrnambool railway line - about 4km of track was lost, and all the sleepers had to be replaced. Fortunately, the cool change in the afternoon sent the fire back in a northerly direction and the CFA were able to bring it under control.

Lions Murray Leak, Joe-pop Buhrman, Neville Mawson and Neville Densley are seen winding up wire, removing pieces of fence-post, and taking a break with other Lions, CFA and general volunteers all working together to repair the rural fencing. The cleanup took place all day Saturday 28th February, a joint operation by Lions Clubs around the region.

Pomborneit is situated on the Princes Highway (click here to find it on Google Maps) about halfway between Colac and Camperdown.