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ReConnect Bathurst:
Bev Cooney
Every Friday night without fail, we would as a family sit in the lounge room and listen to that program. And that’s where I learned about the Incas. So I grew up with the Incas in there. And I just knew I had to go there.
At school I failed. Because I didn’t need English, I was going to speak Spanish. That’s true. That’s exactly how I felt. I was going to speak Spanish and I was going to live in Peru.
After the kids all moved out, my middle daughter rang me one day and said to me, “Mum, it’s time for you to go on your holiday.”
I already had everything worked out exactly where I was going to go, which company I was going to travel with. I had all that. But I had never thought of actually going. I have to go to work — you’ve got to go to work.
I always thought that I’ll do that when I retire.
She said, “it’s time for you to go now”.
And I did.
And it was absolutely life-changing.
I was walking around in Lima, the capital with a guy who was one of the guides. He was telling me that on his days off, he goes to the Children’s Hospital in Lima, and works as a volunteer.
“Oh, really?” I said, “I’m a nurse in a children’s hospital in Australia”. Can you organise for me to go and have a look through the hospital? And he said, “Yes”. So I went on the tour and did the Inca Trail and did all those things.
And came back and he met up with me and he took me out to the hospital. I was introduced to the only doctor in the hospital who spoke English and he took me through for the day. I spent my day with him. I said to him, but just before we left, “I’m a nurse in a children’s hospital in Australia. What can I do for you?”
He said, “bring us people to teach us”. And in a heartbeat, I said “I’ll be back next year with a team.”
Listen to Bev speak about her first, life-changing trip to Peru:
When I retired, I resigned from my job.
I was over 55 and I was able to pull out every cent of my super. With my super and the money that a group of Australian builders raised, we were able to fund the school build.
The mayor of the town told us they used to have an airport in the town. But they closed that down. He gave us half of the airport because it was flat.
And then, we built a school and it was beautiful.
The President came out and had a look at it. He gave each of us a merit of honour, which is the highest award they give any foreigner.
And that’s in a frame on my bedroom wall. It’s just amazing. The President promptly went ‘round and built schools all over the country and changed the education system. I feel pretty honoured about that.
I was kidnapped.
Somebody wanted all my money.
And I wouldn’t give it to them.
I was locked away and it was really hard.
I can tell you.
I was locked away for about eight weeks.
And one day I noticed the gate was open.
The kids had gone to school and left the gate open.
And I just picked up my handbag and took off.
And I got on a bus.
It was a 14-hour journey into Lima.
I went and stayed with the guide I had met on the very first tour.
We’d become really good friends.
He does the translating for us.
And he still does that today.
He and I talk regularly.
But yeah, it was pretty damn scary.
Listen to Bev talk about being kidnapped:
I came to Bathurst, and went to Rotary for the first three weeks. And then I got a phone call from the Director of Nursing at the hospital. And he explained that he has a program that they want to get started, called the CHOPS program, which stands for Confused Hospitalised Older Persons. This includes people with dementia and people with delirium.
There’s a team of volunteers and we go in, and we sit with those people and keep them occupied through the day. So that they sleep at night. Because when they try to get out of bed in the middle of the night, they have pretty nasty falls.
We take them for walks, if they can walk, if they can’t walk, you put them in a wheelchair and take them outside in the sunshine.
We all wear yellow T-shirts. People with dementia do not remember our faces. They can’t. But they do remember the yellow T-shirts.
Bev explains more about how volunteers support people with dementia or delirium:
Remember, there are 75 different diseases.
And that’s what I try to get out to people here.
The dementia cafe. That’s a Rotary project in Sydney. They’ve got five or six of them in Sydney. And a friend of mine from Rotary said to me, “Bev I’ve got something that might interest you.” And she explained it.
I said, “yes, please”. I’d like to learn about that.
And so one of the women from down there came up and talked to us.
I thought this is a really great idea. So I went to the Neighborhood Centre the name was what took me to the Neighbourhood Centre because it sounds friendly. So I went down there. And I said, I’ve had this put to me, this is what’s happening in Sydney. Would you be interested?
Oh, yes, absolutely.
And that was two and a half years ago.
I had a guy just the other day a couple of weeks ago. He said “I don’t feel sorry for anyone that’s got dementia. He said that they bring it on themselves. He said they sit down in front of the TV. And that’s all they do. And they just forget about life.”
I said, “Oh, really?”
I said, “you don’t know a lot about dementia, do you?”
He looked at me. I said, “well, there are 75 different diseases that fall under this. And Parkinson’s is just one of them”. His mum’s got Parkinson’s.
And I said, “you know, it’s very, very sad. But dementia is an illness that people cannot cure. And it’s got nothing to do with the TV”. I said, “in fact, a lot of the people with dementia are highly intelligent people”.
And I told him where to get the free courses from the Tasmanian University.
I woke up one day and my hearing had changed overnight. Thanks to shingles.
I went and saw Eric Bogle a few weeks ago. He was here in Bathurst and I couldn’t hear him. I thought he’s on his own, I’ll go and see how it goes.
I went and saw Human Nature here a couple of weeks before that. I will never go and see a band again because I just couldn’t hear. I couldn’t even understand what they were saying.
I’m not going there anymore.
It actually hurts.
It really hurts to listen to screaming noises.
Basically, you’re as old as you feel.
You know, some days are diamonds, some days are stones.
Yes, my body isn’t as fit as it used to be.
But so far, touch wood, my brain is, and I can still do things.
But I don’t let the fact that I’ve lost my hearing stop me from doing things.
I can’t let that happen.
Hell, I’m 74.
People tell me I’m old.
You know, I don’t feel old.
And truly what I say to people is that old saying you’re only as old as you feel.
But I honestly believe that if God said to me “today, this is it. Your days are over.”
I would say “thank you for an amazing life.”
Because I’ve had an amazing life.
I have fulfilled every single dream I had.
This project is proudly funded through the State Government’s Local Government Social Cohesion Grant Program. ReConnect Bathurst is an And Then project delivered in partnership with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.
Current: Bev Cooney
Next: Cheryl O’Brien
Uncle Bill Allen
Bev Cooney
Cheryl O’Brien
June Paton
Gus Gorton
Lonnie Edwards
Yvonne Morgan
Enn Muller
Jan Sheppard
Edgar Coello
Aunty Shirley Scott and Aunty Sandra Peckham
Mike Hardie
Frank Smith
Clive Brabham
Eddy Suttor
RECONNECT BATHURST PARTICIPANTS’ INDIVIDUAL STORYBANKS
PROJECT INFORMATION
WHEN
April – November 2022
WHERE
Bathurst, NSW
WHY
We believe that stories matter and that stories like those shared here hold power and significance.
The vision of the project is to use photo-storytelling and cultural preservation practices to develop social and creative connections and experiences with older people from the Bathurst area. This project celebrates the participants' lived experiences while encouraging dialogue around ageing, isolation and ageism.
Social-arts projects like this are important as they transform public spaces and help to build a sense of community. It’s been wonderful to reimagine Pedrottas Lane in Bathurst and to create an online representation of the physical exhibition with a project made with the community, for the community.
WHO
We were honoured to be invited by Bathurst Regional Art Gallery to create and facilitate ReConnect Bathurst.
16 older people from the Bathurst area. Many of the participants were nominated by local community organisations while others serendipitously came to be a part of the project. We’d like to thank The Bathurst Aboriginal Land Council, The Wiradjuri and Community Aboriginal Elders, The Neighbourhood Center, Bathurst Business Chamber, The Woodies, Bathurst RSL Sub Branch and the Country Women’s Association.
With special thanks to Dinawan Dyirribang (Uncle Bill Allen), Bev Cooney, Cheryl O’Brien, June Paton, Gus Gorton, Lonnie Edwards, Yvonne Morgan, Enn Muller, Frank Smith, Jan Shepard, Edgar Coello, Aunty Shirley Scott, Aunty Sandra Peckham, Mike Hardie, Clive Brabham and Eddy Suttor.
HOW
Our stories are a wonderful connection point. It’s through sharing them with each other that we make space for conversations that can inspire, that can expand our understanding and in some cases, leave us changed.
During this project, we spent time with each person, we talked, reflected on old photographs, made images together and worked through various ways of co-authoring. Socially-engaged practice empowers participants to participate in the creation of their stories, allowing them to represent themselves in the way that they choose.
We often leave a camera with participants and invite them to engage in their own image-making. There’s something raw and revealing about the images made this way, about seeing the world through the participants' eyes.
AND THEN
Through their stories, we see facets of vast lives lived. We witness the snapshots and threads that when woven together create a rich tapestry. Our hope is that as stories wash over us we’re able to make space to contemplate connection and the beauty of community.
This project is proudly funded through the State Government’s Local Government Social Cohesion Grant Program. ReConnect Bathurst is an And Then project delivered in partnership with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.