On April 1, Nic Nadyzc retired from the Harden Fire and Rescue Brigade. It was exactly 40 years after he signed up. A role which saw him attend dozens of fires and assist at crash sites and accidents. He has attended accidents where he has known the person who has passed away. That is the nature of being a local emergency service worker. They are brave.
Nic said it was a hard decision. He said, “I was going to retire at 35 years but Jonny Parker said I should keep going a bit longer. 40 years is a round figure, its a young man’s game now.”
In the early days Nic took photos for the police for them to use in their investigative work and his skills in photography have continued throughout his life.
Nic still got a call to help cook the barbecue on the open day last month but he has hung up his boots for good.
At 72 Nic is one of the longest serving Firemen to have contributed to our community.
Nic along with many other young Australian men didn’t get an option to sign up when Australia entered the Vietnam conflict. He spent 13 months in Malaysia but we will get to that later.
Nic’s family home caught fire in 1962 and burnt to the ground. They lost everything. He was the eldest child and was just 15.
Nic was walking up Albury Street when it happened and the Fire Engine went up the Demondrille hill. There was no hydrant, they had to cut a whole in the tank for water. All Nic could find was part of a frame of the piano and a trophy.
Nic said, “Here is mum and dad with all of these kids with nothing on their backs. We moved into the house across the road from where Whichcraft is. It was bare, I can remember all these people coming to the gate and the door. Apex, the Police, the Anglican Church. I didn’t say to myself that I should repay all that debt but I was very grateful. When you’re in a community you should get involved. There is always something you can help with.”
Nic was born in Germany in Augsburg. His family was in a camp in Germany. Most of his cousins and relatives were sent to America.
He said, “Dad told me he got caught selling watches in the camp to make some money to get me an ice cream.”
It was post WWll, it was 1947, Nic said he would never live it down. The watch incident put a so called black mark against his father’s name and they were sent to Australia.
Nic’s Dad was born in Poland and his Mum in Ukraine.
Nic said, “We came to Murrumburrah-Harden, Dad was into agriculture and he was allocated work on a farm before he got a job on the pipe works. Mum always liked it here because she could walk down the street and someone would say hello, that wouldn’t happen in the city.”
Nic joined Apex in 1966 when he was a self described shy kid.
He was in Apex for 18 years and met Malcolm Fraser and Gough Whitlam. Nic helped build a Chalet in the snowy mountains during this time.
In 1968 Nic was conscripted and spent 13 months in Malaysia. He went to Kapooka for initial training.
He wanted to be a physical training instructor but became involved in guns and mortars and ended up in Artillery where he went on exercises.
His life-long love of photography was used in the Army and he even photographed some weddings when in Malaysia.
Nic spent 21 years looking after the War Memorial Pool at Harden. He said, “They were the best years of my life.” From 1983 to 2004.
Nic always understood how to deal with the kids. If you gave respect you got it back. “It was the job I jumped out of bed to do.” He worked for 3 hours in the morning at Murrumburrah High before opening the pool at 11am. He ran everything. The canteen, the cleaning and the lawns and made sure the red frogs were ready to go whilst keeping an eye on all of the swimmers.
A row boat and some canoes have made it into the pool and many will remember the black plastic and detergent which allowed a fast slide down the hill. A fence has since ruined any chance of the plastic coming back. When the pool turned 25 Nic organised a celebration of his own when the Council didn’t want to contribute. He organised a band and an ironman competition and put on a fun day for all the patrons.
Over the years, everyone who went to the pool knew they were in safe hands.
“We had some kids get stung by bees or hit their head on the end of the pool when they were learning to swim.” But everyone felt safe with Nic around.
Nic said, “Picnic Race Day the pool would be full of kids. There was a few problem kids at times, and I was a baby sitter sometimes, but I knew everyone and I knew how well they could swim and where they should swim.”
To Nic, there is no point in doing a job unless you do it properly. He said, “I used to argue in the army in the jungle when we had to dig a hole but that was training and discipline.”
Nic took this dedication into his working life.
Nic has worked in every licensed premises in Harden except the Doncaster which wasn’t open when he was doing bar work. Nowadays he does 15 hours a week at MHS. October is 20 years full-time at MHS but he started in 93 part time.
Nic said he thinks he would find something to do when he retires properly, he has always kept busy.
He said, “The whole town has always been supportive, I have always had a job here. All my sisters left to the city and have all come back. Kathy, Helen, Mary, Christine, Patricia and Olga are all back here now.”
When it comes to helping others Nic was simplistic. “If the phone rings you answer it and if someone wants a hand you help them.”
Nic has put his name down as a volunteer at the new visitor centre in Murrumburrah.
Nic said “I’ve had a great life, I’ve got no regrets.”
Nic Nadycz has contributed to our community in a very special way. He helped some of us when we needed him and his fellow brigade members. He kept us safe at the pool and made sure there was no running on the concrete and only one person at a time on the diving board. Something he ingrained in a generation for their own safety. He served his country at a time when Australia entered the Vietnam War. Nic has given selflessly to Apex and a myriad of community groups. His work ethic is second to none.
They simply don’t make them like they used to. Nic Nadyzc is one of a kind. A compassionate caring and dedicated man. A man our community is immensely proud of. Congratulations Nic.
