In a small town, small changes make a big difference.
In Canungra there are a number of people who are very active in the community. This changes according to what is happening in people’s lives but one relentless community volunteer over decades has been Bren Dalby.
Bren’s broad Scottish accent, seemingly never ending energy and her dedication to helping everyone around her – humans and animals alike – have made her a very special part of the Canungra community.
She has recently headed overseas again and while I’m sure she will be back from time to time, her presence will be greatly missed.
Bren has been a wildlife carer, President of Moriarty Park and Canungra Owls Soccer Club as well as a volunteer with most of the community organisations in town.
Canungra came into the spotlight after the 2019 bushfires because of the community spirit the town showed at that time.
A lot of people have moved here since, but I can assure you it was something I will never forget.
Everyone banded together to help each other out. The local hardware collected food for animals, people brought in water for residents, donations came in for people who had lost their homes or been displaced.
While the fires were frightening, the sense of community was what kept a lot of people going.
Bren herself was impacted by these fires but afterwards continued to help the wildlife, doing ‘black walks’ to look for injured wildlife and continuing to assist others as she has always done.
She’s an amazing person and will certainly be missed, but I wish her well in everything she does.
