For 50 years, Tehree and Hamish Gordon have been rescuing and caring for Australian wildlife, first in Barwon Heads and for the past 20 years in Chewton.
The pair established Jirrahlinga (to seek a home for kangaroos) in 1975 at Barwon Heads, where they rescued and rehabilitated native animals for decades.
Following the death of long-time Chewton dingo farm owner Bruce Jacobs in 2004, the Gordons stepped in to help negotiate humane euthanasia for the dingoes.
According to Tehree, the authorities said the retention notice would be removed from the dingoes on the condition that she and Hamish took them on.
“We never had any intention of living here,” Tehree told the Express.
“But the gauntlet was thrown down, and you cannot fight for something you believe in and then back down when it becomes too hard.”
“We were told there were 75 to 100 dingoes here, but after Bruce died, there was out-of-control breeding, there were pups everywhere, there were dingoes wandering in the bush.”
Tehree and Hamish took over the farm in 2005 and worked tirelessly to build it into what it is today, a thriving wildlife sanctuary.
The couple had a lot of hurdles to overcome, with Hamish battling a terminal illness and out of commission with a broken back, plus a lot of backlash from the local community.
“It was a very unpleasant couple of months, we were crucified for coming and interfering with the dingo farm, but I couldn’t waste my energy on negativity, and so, I tried to build good relationships. I wanted to show the community what we could do,” she said.
Tehree has always been equally passionate about working with people who are differently-abled and has a wealth of heartwarming stories of working with people with special needs and the positivity and connection they get from being around animals.
“We have a young lass who, when she first came here with her carer, wouldn’t communicate. Through working quietly with her, she now interacts with school groups, and comes in every week from Melbourne,” Tehree said.
“It’s finding the right button. There is one particular species here that she loves, the bettongs. They sit on her knee, and I showed her how to do their food, and she now travels up once a week to feed them and now when we have a school group, she helps with that.
“The joy, when you see the transformation of someone walking around and not engaging, and when you put an animal in front of them, you watch that transformation, that’s what I get out of it.”
EVENTS TO CELEBRATE
To celebrate 50 years of wildlife rescue and care, Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre will be hosting two events.
On Saturday, October 11, there will be a fundraising dinner, with a silent auction of goods and services donated by local businesses and trivia night, will be held at the Castlemaine Town Hall.
The following day, on Sunday October 12, there will be a spectacular wildlife fair at Jirrahlinga from 10am until 4pm at the Centre. With children’s activities by Dragonflies and Mudpies NatureKids, icecream and two stages set up for performances by: Kavisha Mazzella, Trudy Fatnowna Edgeleyit, Peter and The Wolves, it will be a fantastic day for the whole family to enjoy.
Tickets are available at jirrahlinga.com.au or at the gate.
