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Following the massive outpouring of grief shown after the death of Chinchilla farmer, George Bender, his family has spoken of their grief and pain after losing a husband and father to suicide. Mr Bender passed away in a Brisbane hospital after being airlifted from Chinchilla, over a week ago.
Mr Bender had been a well-known campaigner for the rights of landholders in negotiations with coal seam gas (CSG) companies for the past decade.
He was known for his integrity, especially in the way he farmed. The quality of his produce was never compromised and nothing was sold unless it was of the highest quality.
A highly-regarded pillar in the Western Downs community, Mr Bender had a commitment to sustainability and innovation, and willingly assisted agricultural research by supporting cropping trials for various private and government organisations on his land.
His daughter Helen described her father as loving and jovial, a happy man who loved to sing and whistle. “He was a man who loved his land, and it had to be farmed correctly,” she said.
“In the end, unfortunately he died of a broken heart, as he became a shadow of what he used to be.
"He fought to protect the air, land, and water from inevitable permanent damage the CSG is causing and has caused overseas.
“He didn’t give up, his heart broke, and that was it.
"His struggles were not just for himself and his family, but for the whole country that depends on the agricultural and environmental resources, unique to the Western Downs area.”
In 2005, Mr Bender opposed QGC, Arrow, and most recently Origin as these companies sought to construct a number of wells on one of his properties.
"It was this land that he had grown and harvested a number of award-winning crops on," Helen said.
Mr Bender's public funeral will held at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish Catholic Church, Chinchilla, on Saturday, October 24, at 11am.
He is survived by his wife Pam, four sons, Neil, Tony, Brian and Gary, and his daughter Helen, and extended family.
