A beautiful mutabilis heritage rose purchased with memories of a son lost too soon is one recently tended by Australian Army soldiers in the Queensland border town of Hebel, in a gesture that has a special meaning on Friday, June 12.
It was on this night in 1996 that two Blackhawk helicopters collided in mid-air near Townsville during a training mission, one of Australia's worst peacetime military disasters.
Fifteen SAS soldiers and three aviators died that night, one of them being Sergeant Hugh Ellis.
The home of his mother Tonia Ellis overlooks a COVID-19 movement border control point at Hebel and she struck up a conversation with one of the 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment soldiers supporting the Queensland Police Service there, asking if they'd like some biscuits.
It was during subsequent talks between Mrs Ellis and the soldiers that they realised who she was.
"I'm delighted to have them here, so I took down some Anzac biscuits every now and then," Mrs Ellis said. "It's been very healing. I've been able to talk about things you can't talk to others about."
In return, nine off-duty soldiers took it upon themselves to renovate her yard, saying they were humbled by the opportunity to contribute to a very deserving person.
Mrs Ellis moved up to Hebel from the Riverina, where she lived on a property in the Moulamein district and said she used to have a beautiful garden that was part of the Open Garden Scheme.
The introduction of bore water to her Hebel garden, plus years of drought, meant that much of it died.
She had asked a friend to paint a jacaranda on the side of her house to add some other colour, which was repainted during the garden renovation.
The mutabilis rose is a recent addition, brought home from a recent shopping trip.
"Hughie said to me once, when I was staying with him and just about to pick a rose, 'don't pick them, just sniff them'," Mrs Ellis said. "I still remember that great big man bending over this beautiful flower."
Hugh enlisted in the army on September 8, 1982 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
He underwent SAS selection in 1989 and was posted to SASR on June 21,1989.
He came from 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment with the rank of Corporal but reverted to the rank of Trooper and transferred to the Royal Australian Infantry on posting to SASR.
He was 35 years old when the crash took place at the High Range training area near Townsville, 24 years ago.
"You never get over these things, you just learn to live with it," Mrs Ellis said.
She has been to Townsville a couple of times, and met with other families who lost loved ones, and has been writing letters to them this week.
She also offered a generous country lunch to the soldiers who renovated her garden, saying her son would be very proud of them all.
They left her with their battalion mascot, a Blue Heeler.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
