TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH DAVID EISENHAUER, SOUNDS OF THE MOUNTAINS 20 MARCH, 2025
E&OE
STARTS: 8.38am
ENDS: 8.50am
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
And good morning to you too, David, and certainly, well, they’re not cowboys, but Pat Leary and his Light Horse Troopers are riding throughout the district at the moment on the Cheval Anniversary Light Horse Memorial Ride, and it’s certainly a great thing. They arrived at Junee just the other day, and the school kids who came out to see them had the day of their lives. It was the best excursion they’ll probably go on throughout their primary school years, and this tour is going 842 kilometres from Shepparton, then right up through the Riverina and back down to Tallangatta to commemorate Harry Chauvel, who was, of course, a Boer War, First World War, and even was around in the Second World War and still playing a part as a general, as somebody who gave mightily to Australia’s military efforts. He was at Gallipoli. He was at the Battle of Beersheba. He did so much, and, of course, his efforts are being commemorated with this ride, and it’s a fantastic thing to see. And today, they’re at Wallendbeen, Cootamundra to Wallendbeen, and, indeed, they’re going to go to Harden and Murrumburrah. They’re having a bit of a break then, and they resume on the 31st of March, Young to Wallendbeen, then Wallendbeen to Muttama, and they end up at Tumut on the 4th of April, and on the 4th of April, they’ll go from Tumut to Adelong. So, if you get a chance, and I know your radio station will be playing a few more details and giving a bit more information about the particulars of that ride, but it’s really quiet a spectacle.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
And I’ll tell you, Michael, when we look at the wonderful Snowy Valley Heroes group, they’ve been in, we talked to them this week, Dorothy Mulvihill and her team are very much looking forward to that. But truly, they’re doing a wonderful job. I’ve noticed too, Michael, on socials, keeping people up to date with a real commitment, and it’s a great story to tell there. There’s so much history in our war years that have taken us to where we are today, and to commemorate things like our Light Horse is wonderful. And this region’s got its own Light Horse as well, and Kapooka, just down the road. that fantastic Art of the Valley of Base, we’re in a very interesting region, of course. And we’ve got the submarine and all, it’s just an amazing district we live in, Michael McCormack.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
It is, and so many men and women too have given so much to ensure that our country is safe and free today, and we should always honour and respect that. Of course, Paul Vercoe and his RSL sub-branch at Gundagai are leading the charge to make sure we have a proper commemoration of Richard Norden, VC. And I proposed a statue as soon as he was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, and Pauls committee is now working very hard with that. You know, I came to the council to have a statue in the main street in Sheridan Street, Gundagai, to honour that great effort in 1968 in the Vietnam War, where he led not once, not twice, but three times into enemy territory to rescue one of his section commanders, and then to retrieve a body while under heavy fire. An amazing, amazing effort. He was wounded himself, yet despite that, he kept going back.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Amazing. Amazing heroism. And we’ve got the Jack Ryan statue here, but obviously in Gundagai, that’s been quite the talk of the town as well. Something to keep the tabs on there too, Michael, as we go through all these wonderful communities we live in. And, of course, our show circuit wraps up this Saturday. Let’s talk shows and that’s the history. I mean, they’re a lot longer than the war years. I mean, the other day we had a show that was, I think it was the Yass Show, 160-plus years.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
That’s incredible, isn’t it?
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Isn’t it? Just remarkable history.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
They’re all over 100 years old. Well, they’re all dating back to the 19th Century. And we’ve got Batlow, as you say, this Saturday. Tumbarumba last Saturday as well as Yass, but that Tumbarumba Show committee. Wonderful ladies, Emma Ernst, the President and Secretary-Treasurer, Amanda Lewis, Josie Arnold, Joe Brown – I mean, there are others too, but they are the core of that little group that run that show. And they had a car show as well in conjunction with it. They had the Dachshund races of all things!
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Dachshund races!
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Every show’s got its unique and quintessentially Australian flavour to it and the Dachshund race, that was something to behold.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
That’s very unique. We’ve got a couple of Dachshund on over around the district here. Little legs that do 1,000 miles an hour at a race, though. They’re racing when they’re just having a casual walk. But, Michael, when you look at our show societies, like Batlow Show, 101 years this year, that’s on Saturday. I mean, what a terrific celebration and a recognition of what the community, communities can contribute. And, I mean, shows, pastoral and agricultural and horticultural societies, some of them are still, Batlow is an extreme example of that, when you’ve got that beautiful growing district with its apples and its fruit and its stone fruits and all sorts of things. But the volunteers, Michael, that’s what I love about our shows. Like you mentioned there with the Tumba Show, all those volunteers going, where would our communities be without that?
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Well, they wouldn’t be anywhere without it, quite frankly. And it’s not just the shows. It’s not just the Rotarians; it’s also the Bush Rural Fire Service. It’s so many aspects of life. Emergency services, SES, they get out there, they contribute so much to our regional communities, and they make up what our regional communities are all about. They protect lives, they save lives, they make life fun as well. And these shows are really quite something. I know at the Adelong Show they had free rides for the kids for four hours and, of course, there were children everywhere at the Adelong Show. But more than that, the number of entries by schoolchildren in, not just the colouring and competitions, et cetera, that shows always run, but the fruit growing and the vegetable growing. And some of those vegetables are a sight to behold. I mean, they’re eye-watering the size of the damn things. It is wonderful to walk through the exhibition halls and also see the poultry and the animals and, of course, there’s sheep shearing. I mean, there’s something for everybody to do at a local show.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Michael, of course, they’re volunteers, but let’s also talk about our businesses like we have here. And, of course, there’s a lot of volunteers that help out during fires and floods. But True North Helicopters have got 25 years of history in the region. They started at Rosewood. They’re now based out at the development Tumut Airport. There’s massive works happening out there. They’ve got a big open day this coming Sunday. But we can see another group in our region, that’s Jim and Bridget Ryan out there with their choppers. I mean, we’ve got the Tumut Aero Club there, all volunteers. Yeah, they’re good folk.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Aren’t they! So, it’s 1-377 Wee Jasper Road, Tumut. Now, it’s the hangar entry, not the airport entry. Gates are open from 10 o’clock. Free entry. Free entry. And there’s going to be lots of things to see and do. There’s going to be water buckets. There’s going to be winch and flood rescue gear on show, aerial incendiary, machine and aerial drip torch. There’s going to be lots of things. And it’s really interesting, too, because it’s companies like that that do so much good for the area in times of emergency. But also, of course, for scenic tours, et cetera. That’s the place to be for the 25th anniversary open day.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
My word. A lot of potential pilots. There’s careers talk out there.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
This Sunday. We should mention it’s Sunday the 23rd.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Yeah, Sunday. This Sunday from 10 till 2. Just the four hours. But in amongst that, there’ll be some live bucketing and a whole stack of things. So, something to look forward to. There’s every weekend ...
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
And behind the scenes, just look at the world of aviation.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Yep. My word. And I know that there’s this wonderful cadet program that the Tumut Aero Club volunteers put on for potential kids at the moment to take their pilot sites. And so, I notice on the social sites, the Tumut Aero Club social sites, some of our young pilots have been graduating recently as well. That’s something that’s fairly unique. A lot of kids would love to fly chopper. Well, that’s the place to be. Michael, there’s a lot ... Just so many things to talk about in the region. And, of course, we’ve had a bit of rain. We certainly need some rain. It’s pretty dry. We had about between 3 and 11 mills there last night. A bit more coming. But you’ve got a big schedule. You’re on Credlin tonight with Caleb. You’ve got a big day under way, Michael. There’s just so many things we can talk more about. But we don’t know...
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Well, tonight I’m talking about the colorectal and pelvic reconstructive service in Melbourne.
DAVID EISEHOWER:
Yep.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
And sad to say, that service, which I started along with Greg Hunt, the former Health Minister, it has been shelved by this Government. And it’s penny-pinching like that that prevents really world-class health outcomes being achieved in this nation. And Dr Sebastian King had sent a number of nurses over to America to be trained, the best in the world, at reconstructing children’s lower parts when they were born in a very unfortunate way. And I can well remember I had a call from a fellow who was playing Aussie Rules down in Melbourne. And he was in his late 30s, he’d played all his life. And, of course, he had to wear a nappy. And he could never shower with the blokes. He could never, after the game, change or get dressed before the game in front of the other blokes because of the embarrassment that he’d suffered. And he said, that centre, when it was in place, he said, that will prevent other people from suffering the same embarrassment I’ve carried all through my life because of the way I was constructed.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Yep.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
And, you know, it was doing a power of good, internationally acclaimed, and, unfortunately, it’s been closed. And so, the funding has dried up. And I really want to make sure that the funding is restored by the next government. And, hopefully, that’ll be us. But it’s things like that and Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision where they’re funding aplastic anaemia and helping people who aren’t in the norm, who aren’t in the main. But they’re things that Australia’s doing to achieve health outcomes for people who are very vulnerable and, you know, it’s a drop in the bucket when it comes to the overall spending of the Commonwealth. And they just shouldn’t have their funding stripped. Just shouldn’t happen.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
So, tonight, tune in, have a look. And, of course, yeah, looking forward to that. Michael, very much appreciate your time. You’ve got a meeting at nine. Thank you. Anything else you’d like to add this morning as Member for Riverina?
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Well, you know what I’m going to say. It’s going to be road safety. And we’ve had some leading experts in town recently, including, that’s Wagga Wagga, but Peter Frazer, who has a wonderful story to tell. His daughter, Sarah, unfortunately lost her life on the way to Charles Sturt University to take up studying back in 2012. He started the Safe for Australian Roads and Highways, SARAH, the acronym, in his daughter’s honour. And we just saw the other day, just in the Riverina, a P plater going through a school zone, 75 kilometres an hour. Of course, school zones would be in vogue as we speak. You know, kids don’t understand always how fast traffic is. Traffic is coming. So, if you’re in a school zone, for God’s sake, drive under 40 kilometres an hour. It’s not difficult. And give those kids the best possible chance but give yourself the best possible chance of just staying safe. And all too often, regional people are overrepresented in our road toll statistics. And it’s unnecessary at every step of the way. So, what we need to do is make sure when we are behind the wheel of a car, we drive for the conditions. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t use those blessed mobile phones. And, of course, we’ve got the point-to-point speed cameras going to be starting soon between Jugiong and Coolac. So, be warned.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Yeah, we talked about that yesterday with Wes Fang and it’s front page of the Gundagai paper today as well. It’s something we might chat about next fortnight, Michael. Thank you.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Look forward to it at fortnight.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
And really appreciate your time, Michael. Thanks for your time.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Good on you, David. All the best.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
There you go. Michael McCormack, Member for Riverina, and joining us today from Sydney, actually. Busy day. But really appreciate Michael’s time. Each and every fortnight here on the local station. And, of course, we continue each and every fortnight this time next week. We talk even more local things every day. We’ve got so much on around our region, as Michael mentioned, with the big True North Open Day, Batlow Show under way, and wonderful pilot training at the team for the students in our region. Wonderful stuff.