Celebrating AWU Heroes: Winter 2025

Proud AWU member Terry started working for the Victorian Lands Department in 1983 – and though he reckons he’s been through ten name changes from Wild Dog Controller to Vertebrate Species Management Officer, he’s done the same job for over four decades. “Dad was a trapper for 17 years,” he remembers. “He turned 65 on the 2nd of February, and I started on the 3rd. Same vehicle, same area.” Terry’s patch in Gippsland stretched from Tyers to Stockdale covering hundreds of kilometres of dense state forest and never missing a day of work.

Terry protected the local stock, particularly sheep and cattle, and wildlife from wild dog attacks, and is frank about the havoc they can wreak on Australian farms. “They’re killing machines, and have to eat to survive,” he explains. “It’s frightening to see three or four dogs pull down a sheep.” As the last line of defence for many farms, his work was vital. “It’s helping people do something they don’t know how to fix. And the thank you and big smile on their face was a serious reward. if you really enjoy what you do, it’s not work, it’s just a way of filling the day.”

Though the job itself is the same, Terry says he’s seen a lot of changes in what’s now known as the Department of Energy,

Environment & Climate Action. “OHS came into the job a lot more,” he says. “We had regular monthly meetings on dog control, checking in three times a day. We got lots more protections, which was a good thing.”

And when Terry needed protection from management, the AWU was there. “Sam Beechey was a terrific bloke,” he says. “Very helpful on occasions where things were not right and the department tried to get rid of me.” He says being a union member is a key part of the job. “Look after yourself, protect yourself. You never know when it’s needed.”

Although he’s hanging up his gear after 42 years, Terry says there’s no regrets. “I enjoyed my job, love my job, would do it again. When you like being out in the bush and working on your own, it’s heaven on earth.” Thanks, Terry, for your hard work protecting farms and wildlife – enjoy your retirement!