Rosie Skene:

Hello listeners and welcome to episode 48 of Triumph Beyond Trauma. I'm your host, Rosie Skene and
today I'm speaking with Anthony Eddie from the Yarramundi Veteran shed. Before
we dive into Anthony's story, I just wanna take a moment to acknowledge the
incredible guests that we've had on this season and all of the seasons.

Many have shared their books, their volunteer work, or the
organizations that they've founded to support first responders and veterans.
This isn't by chance, the caliber of these guests is intentional. I genuinely
admire those who've turned their trauma into purpose, who've done the inner
work and then stepped up to help others.

That kind of transformation should be celebrated and shared. So
if an episode resonates with you, please pass it on. You never know who might
need to hear it. Sharing really is caring, and sometimes a single podcast can
change your life.

Alright, with that said, let me introduce you to Anthony Eddie.
Anthony Eddie joined the Australian Army in 1993 at just 19 years old, having
grown up in the Riverina and playing a FL over a 30 year military career.

He served as an air dispatcher and paratrooper. Roles that saw
him involved in the airdrop and external lift of cargo and equipment from
aircraft. Much of his service was based at RAAF base Richmond with postings
that also took him to Holsworthy, Wagga Wagga, Brisbane, and Randwick. Anthony
deployed on multiple A DF exercises in New Zealand, Canada, the USA and
Indonesia, as well as operational tours to Afghanistan and the United Arab
Emirates.

In 2015, he was diagnosed with PTSD and depression following
years of physical injuries. After being deemed medically unfit, he discharged
from the Army in February, 2024. Now based in Penrith, Anthony continues to
serve the veteran community. He is the secretary and treasurer of the
Yarramundi veteran shed established last year in 2024.

He's the president of the Air Dispatch Association of Australia
and Vice President of the Penrith RSL sub branch. A passionate advocate for
veterans wellbeing. Anthony Champions improved access to services in Western
Sydney and believes in a collaborative inclusive approach, one that bridges a
gap between ADF and emergency service veterans.

For the benefit of all, like I said, top notch guests. Let's
get into episode 48 of Triumph Beyond Trauma.

Welcome
to Triumph Beyond Trauma, the podcast that explores journeys of resilience and
hope. I'm Rosie Skene a yoga and breathwork teacher and founder of Tactical
Yoga Australia. As a former soldier's wife, mom to three beautiful kids and a
medically retired New South Wales police officer with PTSD. I understand the
challenges of navigating mental health in the first responder and veteran
community.

Join us for incredible stories from individuals who've
confronted the depths of mental illness and discovered their path to happiness
and purpose, as well as solo episodes and expert discussions. Together we'll
uncover the tools to help you navigate your journey toward a brighter, more
fulfilling life.

Whether you're looking for helpful insights, practical tips, or
just a friendly reminder that you're not alone. Triumph Beyond trauma has got
your back. You matter and your journey to a happier, more meaningful life
starts right here.

Anthony, welcome to the podcast. It's so good to have you here.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah,
thanks, Rosie Yeah, I really appreciate the time and I suppose the sharing the
adventure and sharing our, what we're doing out the shed with everyone.

It's it's a good, it's a great opportunity. Thanks.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah, of
course. We usually just kick off with how you came to join your service and for
you, it was the Army. So I'd love to hear a little bit about maybe pre army
childhood, family life, also those things and then coming into the Army and how
that was for you.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah,
sure. I grew up in the Riverina in a broken family on a farm. Ended up being a
bit of a Brady Bunch with, I was one of nine kids number four only the two
boys, so we're a lot of girls in the house. In a traditional little world where
the boys were outside and girls were inside.

I suppose we, we lived through the droughts and fires and
things on a farm, and so we didn't do so well financially. I finished school
in. Went to Melbourne for a couple years and then ended up in a place called
Coburn, which is right on the new south border. Played sport footy, most of the
time, a l Then 19 a lot of friends and I suppose bad people.

I was involved in, some groups a lot of guys smoking marijuana
and stuff. And I knew then that I didn't, I wanted to get away from that. And
military career was an honorable, good thing to do sort of thing. Yeah, joined
at 19 and what year was that? That was nine two nine three, sorry.

I finished year 12 in nine two.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

And
yeah, it was nine months later I went, that's, it's time to be doing something
now. Didn't become the a AFL superstar that I thought I was gonna be. Damn.
Yeah. Yeah, joined and I really, I suppose like many, I didn't really ever
think it was gonna be a long career.

I was, gonna do the four or five years and see what happens. 30
years later I was still there. And yeah pretty cool career doing, traveling all
over the world Australia parachuting doing all that sort of stuff. And I'm a
air logistics sort of guy in the army, so not predominantly a infantry or what
they would call now a war fighter.

Yeah. Even though everyone does some of that. Yeah. So in the
air logistics role served in Afghanistan and the UAE for six months in
Afghanistan, three months in UAE in logistic role. And was diagnosed with PTSD
couple years after Afghanistan. Like many, I was trying to be too tough and
ignored.

Things were going on. And yeah, I, yeah, I was in sufferance.
The family was probably in sufferance the most. And then it got to a point
where, things were just bringing me down and getting me cranky. So yeah. And
along with the mental health, knees, back, ankles, feet, head all put together,

and I was discharged last year, February last year medically.
And I like many like most, didn't know what I was gonna do and how that would
look. Being that I'd done 30, I was 50 years old. It was a. Pinnacle time. So I
knew it was on the cards 'cause I'd already done a couple of jobs on repeat,
couple years here, then moved and then back to the same job.

And as you go up the tree, it gets tricky to have worthwhile
jobs that mean stuff in the field. So I on a different path than many. I told
the doctor, there's that many injuries, now it's time for you to kick me out.
So I took the, took that, took the reins of that, and had myself, my brain
ready for what that meant.

So I was pretty well prepared and the family was prepared and
was knowing what was happening So different to other many others where they're
still fighting to be in the service or in their role employed. I knew it was
time, and now I'm, yeah. Now I'm more in volunteer roles.

Wife and I are financially okay. We, she does like money. We
both like money, but we're okay, yeah. And we're doing okay. And that's the
really big important part that really I think, scares most people or gives them
that upon discharge, the worries. It's the financial, how do I, how are we
gonna survive?

How what does it mean? Do I have to go back to work again when
I've got all these injuries and things? Can I work full time? And if you work
full time, does that affect your pensions or whatever your insurance that
you've got? Yeah. So it's really tricky. But yeah I'm, we're pretty lucky.

I'm okay and financially and yeah, I'm really enjoying my
volunteer roles. 'cause it's I think, I highly encourage it, 'cause it's
actually helping me, helping others helps me as you're talking about things.
Sometimes it might not, you might not want to or you wouldn't to a psych or,
any of the counseling type people, but because you're relating to others who
are being through similar things, it's easy to get off your chest.

But it's also uncovering and it's getting out there. So yeah,
that's been really good.

Rosie Skene:

I think
there's so many things in there that I wanna come back to, but that part about
volunteering and what you get out of it, it almost can't put it into words. Can
you, like how much you actually get from giving to others?

Yeah. Other communities

Anthony Eddie:

My
wife and I think the family and everyone has this expectation. What work are
you gonna do now? And yeah. I'm like first my priority is to get me right.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

Get
the brain right. And my first 12 months just surpassed was just that look, I'm
focusing on me and just doing as little or as much as I can do, which keeps me
busy. Which is good. Yeah. In my roles, because you can't, I can't just stop. I
was too busy too. My world's around doing many problems at once or many things,
many projects as a project manager at the same time.

So just thinking I was going to stop wasn't a really it's not a
viable success plan because I suppose I've learned from many from experiences
that. It just really, you can't it's very difficult to do and find happiness.
Yeah. So for me for me in particular, it being busy is good, but it's about not
having the the overarching bosses or the directions that we, the workplace
issues.

And being able to choose my adventure on what things I want to
focus on. 'Cause there are many there's so many roles in Veteran or any of the
volunteer roles where you can, you have people find themselves stuck in a job.
Volunteer roles, you can pick and choose what you wanna do.

And often it's self-imposed effort you're putting in. And to
the point where the wife goes, why are you spending so much time in the sub
branch? And I said I'm actually enjoying it. Yeah. The sub branch I shed and my
other association, she's running havoc. So yeah so it's been really good for me
and the busy's good, but it, it's make sure I can get home on time.

Time enough time to do the dishes, put the dishes away, put the
folding away when the daughter doesn't do balancing family life as well. It's a
balance. Yeah. Which is really tricky. My family, the first 12 months 'cause I
had postings to LY Brisbane for a couple years, Randwick a couple years and I
was just always away with service life.

So the first 12 months has been, was a bit of a shock 'cause I
was home the whole time. I'm pretty sure my wife was, would've been happy for
me to go away. Yeah.

Rosie Skene:

I've had
enough for a minute.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah.
I'm not well, but the kids also, the kids are older, they're 18 and then 23,
but. I was home the whole time, so it was unusual.

So there's a whole adjustment for the whole family. Yeah. Yeah.
And just weekends are mine. Yeah. Our hours. We can do it, with work life, you,
whether it was weekends or birthdays or Christmases, there was always
something. And you miss a lot in service life. So that whole thing, that whole
life in at home has been an adjustment itself.

So being able to pick and choose my volunteer hours, let's call
it the roles I play, the roles, I feel it's been really important. I've
probably taken it on more than I need to, but I like it. I like the challenge
and I like the I like to challenge the status quo and don't take things.

It's, call it for granted, not for granted, for take, take
things, just because someone says no. There's usually a way forward if we are
willing to put the effort in. So I'm that guy I suppose. And military probably
made me that way. You, and, help me through that, through a lot of project
management tasks.

You just, you can't just take No, sometimes you gotta go to the
next level. How do I achieve?

Rosie Skene:

Yeah. I
think that's, I what's so important, I think in any recovery journey, but
especially trauma and then coming from any military or paramilitary
organization is that a lot of choice gets taken away from you, especially in
the military.

Yeah. There's not a lot of choice that you have in what you do
when you do it.

And who tells you to do it and any of that sort of stuff. So
for you to be able to, it's come up twice now for me, listening to you talk,
the agency that you had in leaving is incredible because like you said, a lot
of people don't get to choose when they leave.

Yeah, especially in A-P-T-S-D situation where it's I think
you're done. So for you to be able to have that agency would be incredible for
your healing journey and coming out of that, but then also then saying, you
know what, I actually wanna do this now and I'll do it in my own on my time,
like when I wanna do it.

Which is probably something in that 30 years of your Army
career, you weren't to do a lot.

Anthony Eddie:

Oh,
no, absolutely. And the opportunities, particularly with work defense, any of
the organizations, emergency service, it's always when you don't want it to
happen. Yeah, of course. It's always when you've got something else on bush
fire, bush fires on the day that you go to the test cricket or Yeah.

Christmas storms and floods and car crashes and, it's always
when you don't want it, but the, but the society needs your work. Your body out
there to do some stuff. Yeah. So being able to now choose what I do, I think
for me it's been invaluable. And happy life, happy wife happy life.

I held back on medications through defense for a long time
because of like many you, the stigma behind PSD and then medications through
defense. Anything you do through defense, all medications have to go through
your defense doctor, so there's no hiding it. So then people unfortunately
don't tell the defense doctors don't get medication and don't have medication
when they should be.

Yeah. To get themselves back on track. So I didn't do that
until 12 months before leaving. So when I'd made the decision in my own head
without telling, letting all my secrets out to the world, I was telling the
doctor, it's time now. And I want medication. And it all happened and within
two months of one month there were good signs that my family was noticing that
my, it was probably two parts.

It was two parts was I'd made that decision in my own head.
Yeah. And the family knew about it. But then the medication was the huge part
of it where everyone who knew me was, knew that I was just happier and more
accepting. I think my children took advantage of my easy, relaxed attitude at
some point now because there's things that they wouldn't say to me ever.

Yeah. Just even joking and, within a couple months I was a
different person and I could have those jokes that dad should have with the
kids at times, even though they knew the line. Yeah. So it, it changed me and
all for the better. I've got medical injuries still, my head space is so much
better.

I'm not perfect. I still have my days like, like all humans do.
I think yeah. But my recovery or my, falling into depression isn't so bad. And
when I do, it's not as full long.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah. I

Anthony Eddie:

may,
I'm a bit, it's a bit easier to change the channel or switch, reset. As, cancer
would call it resetting to, to get back on track.

So it's become a lot easier because of the medication. And I
really wish, I, I really wish that had, have been more available through
defense without sacrificing your career. Yeah. Because I think most people,
most, a lot of people could continue on in a healthy career with medications
and they are now, but I suppose.

I probably missed that boat. And I understand that defense is
getting better at it. I don't know about the police or the emergency services
so much, but but in the end it's, from a work side of things, they perceive it
as a risk for someone with PSD or mental illness. They're a risk upon
themselves or to the organization somewhat if they're suffering because, the
tempers are often short or they might react in a way that's not not best
practice.

Rosie Skene:

And of course, in those organizations, like they do have access to
absolutely pretty hefty weaponry. I think there's another fear there, especially like in the cops in
the Army, is that you're not. Able to do your job that you wanna do as well. If
you Yeah. Guidelines and that's a real fit.

And that,

Anthony Eddie:

yeah.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.
That's a hard one though.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah
it is. It is tricky. 'cause as I said, I'm my trade or my specialty is air
logistics. And because I was at the rank, I was, the senior rank in, in the
army, I was able to do my job.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

Because I'm a design and we design things to throw out airplanes and stuff.

So I wasn't it's called on the tools so much I was office
environment working with engineers. So it's more the qualifications, which are
fine. What defense? The usual issues for defense not able to deploy, not a, not
allowed to handle weapons. And if you can't handle weapons, you're not current
annually.

And so defense is tricky, especially with it, it's
generational.

So as I said, my, because I was a bit senior, I was in the
office environment, which most seniors hate anyway because they like to be down
and doing the real stuff. So I wasn't affected by that, but it would be effect
to promotions and possible deployments or postings elsewhere. S and, but it's a
stigma.

You always wanna be deployed. Yeah. You always wanna be
deployable, you always wanna be promotable. I had no ranks to go up and I
wasn't becoming a commissioned officer, so I didn't really have that. But it's
the, you can't be deployed or you can't do your job elsewhere. So a lot of
people carry that, and as I said, probably unnecessarily sometimes because they
don't want the whole chain of command or the whole workplace to know that
you've got mental health issues.

Yeah. Even though it's all kept in staff in confidence
strangely enough, everyone knows about it pretty quick. Yeah so that's a trick.
So the younger guys would, for Army in particular, it's all about our weaponry,
our rifles and having access to them as soon as you have a mental health issue,
and rightly yeah. They remove access. They won't ask how you are, they'll just
remove your access and say you can't touch it anymore. So you could ask me how
I am first. Yeah. But it's, that's the unfortunate part of it. They've gotta
protect everyone, including the member. So it is tricky and I'm sure emergency
services is the same.

Yeah. They're interacting with the public more and police have
the weapons as well and things can go wrong. And interactions are really
important. It's part of everything we do. It is tricky, I think that's getting
better, but everyone's experience is different,

Rosie Skene:

yeah,
for sure. And it's real. I've thought about it a lot actually. Like how do they
get around that? But I don't think there's any getting around it. Especially
with, the weaponry that we are talking about. It's so dangerous for everyone.
So they absolutely, yeah. Protect

Anthony Eddie:

everyone.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah,

Anthony Eddie:

there's no getting around it, there isn't no, nor it's just normalizing. Yeah,
the care a bit better, that it's okay.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah,
that's it.

Anthony Eddie:

So
people don't, so get it early rather than go deeper into the hole. I think's
the key and I think overall we're doing better, but it's still a long way off
and still bit of work.

We're never gonna, it's never gonna be a solution. No. It's
just how do we deal with it best? I think yeah.

Rosie Skene:

I'm interested to know, especially because you were so aware of how you were going
to leave. But just to go back a little bit, how your PTSD came about for you
and how, if you noticed.

Changes within yourself and how you decided to seek help? Was
it from your wife or your family or is that something that was just inside you?

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah
it's a tricky question. I was a I think I told you last week, but I was a
recruit instructor for three years. And irrevocably, there's a level of being
able to be the angry guy if you need to be yeah.

Or watch war movies. And there's a whole realm of what I would
say now is acting because you're not really, I'm not really angry. He's boot
laces aren't done up properly.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah. Or

Anthony Eddie:

he
hasn't, he's missed a little bit shaving or, but our role is to highlight the
deficiencies, be angry, put 'em under pressure to bring them down.

I've probably always had a bit of a short fuse to not always,
but since that time. It takes a long time to get that. That recruit trainer out
of you. Saying that I'm a six foot three guy. I've probably had too many punch
up when I was young living in the country, playing sport and all the rest.

Not saying that's a good thing. It's the way we probably grew
up a bit then. I certainly, so I probably through my military career, I've
probably been a strong person opinionated. My children might say I'm always
right, thankfully. But after Afghanistan, did I notice straight away?

No. I knew that I was affected to some degree by, 'cause there
was a lot of deaths when I got back. There was a heap of deaths that happened
within the month or so after I got back, which was quite tricky. From a PSD
side of thing, I didn't really realize until a few years later. And then it was
affecting the family and at work.

Yeah. Just with the short temper with what I thought at the
time was stupid people. But it was more the, my, my understanding now it's more
about people who are not incompetent. People who are, don't have the ability or
don't have the will to do what is required. Yeah. Even if it's a bit tougher.

So complacency in the hierarchy when they know things are
wrong, why aren't you fixing it? So I'm okay with people who don't know. Yeah.
As long as they tell me they don't know. Yeah. We can work with it. But it but
like many, I think it was but being dealt with by. The chain of command when
that could have helped things or did things differently for the benefit of
everyone.

Yeah, and then I, and I unfortunately I got in, bit of a blue
bit, a function which highlighted there was some stresses going on. And it that
was the catalyst to be honest. Unfortunately that's probably too common these
days. There's the clincher that sort of sets us off and go, wow, okay,
something's really happened.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

And
yeah then I started seeking help outside of defense initially through DVA to
get it recognized and all the rest. And I was doing some counseling for a
couple years on and off. Probably wasn't, it was helpful, but it wasn't what I
really needed, which was the medication.

So it wasn't until I got on the medication, but. Life changed
really.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah,
that's I suppose that's a little bit confronting to talk about, to be honest
because it's the whole journey. But that, that being open and honest, that's
how it evolved. But such a better place now, and the, that doesn't mean I'm
immune to the normal stresses of life.

My wife, my children still set me off at times, but if that
wasn't happening, there'd be something wrong.

I think, you're still gotta have Yeah. And I'm, I suppose I'm
luckier than some where the medication actually takes them too far with that
calming effect and then they become couch potatoes, they can't.

Yeah. And that's tricky. But so I think we are found a really
good balance. And I. I am reasonably comfortable to say that the, particularly
now out, 14 months later, that balance with the volunteer work is really good.
Really valuable to mine. And I think 'cause defense has 12 months you paid the
same on discharge.

That was really valuable. 'cause it meant I had 12 months where
I knew that everything was gonna be the same financially.

And allowed me to ease in without too much of those stresses
and go and do some of those volunteer works or jobs and seek medical support
when I could without stress. So that was really good.

And I think really valuable to be honest. 'Cause without it
it's stressful enough. It's stressful enough, and then not, and some people do,
they have to go back to work straight away. There's no recovery. How does Yeah.
Unfortunately they're gonna go downhill because they haven't been, haven't had
the help they need to get through.

Or the recovery time or the adjustment time, just adjustment to
getting back to in their family or the community. Which is also another real
big part of it is now that you're missing your life team or the team that you
share everything with apart from your family. Yeah. You've now haven't got that
team anymore.

Whilst you might have a few mates here and there, it's just not
the same. And I think that's, I think that's reason quite common across,
particularly those who are medically discharged or medically ceased work, if

Rosie Skene:

I think
too, with psychological injuries as well. It just adds that other layer on top.

Like when you have a physical injury and people can see like
you've got a bad back, you've gotta crook back or something, people can see
that. Physically you're a little bit different.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah.

Rosie Skene:

When you
have a psychological injury, and I know this from my personal perspective, is
that people pull back a lot more.

Whereas you might get a get well card or something, if you have
a back surgery or a hip surgery or something like that, when you go out with a
mental illness, it's very different. Yeah. And I think people are really
concerned and it's probably more so that they don't wanna say or do the wrong
thing Yep.

To exacerbate it, which is very kind. But also that loss then
of, your work family or your colleagues that you work a lot with that loss is
even greater. Yeah. A lot of people struggle with that. Yeah. Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

It's
the stigma of hidden secrets that creates. Some of the anxiety because now you
do they know?

Do they, why are they looking at me weird. Yeah. Are they
looking at me weird? Some people probably don't even know, but you think that
everyone's looking at you because you're the guy who just come back from from a
month's leave who's had stress leave. Yeah. It's just, it's, it can be
overwhelming and then it's compounding because then those people that you've
talked so much crap to in the past about everything and anything all of a
sudden aren't having those deep conversations with and or they won't ask you
anything about your mental health because like you said, they just don't wanna
overstep the line or upset the Apple car.

Set you off or make you feel Yeah. So they make you feel
awkward. But it in itself exactly creates the awkwardness and the anxiety and
the isolation, which is, it's really tricky to de, to deal with. Which is I
suppose segue to some degree into why I'm why I was part of setting up the
Yarramundi veteran shed.

Yeah,

Rosie Skene:

let's
talk about it. 'cause I'm so excited about it.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah.
It's a place where literally we're all the same and not all the same. There's a
couple who haven't, didn't have medical issues or anything where they can, but
they come because they still feel the need and want for a team.

And that's pretty much what we're focused on is mental health,
social inclusion being yourself being part of the team. Again, whether that's
cooking scones or helping build a barbecue or fishing, cleaning the shed
repairing a Land Rover, which we've got all those things.

It's part of that. So it's been, it's been a journey. It
started over a coffee in May last year with Megan, who's, who owns Sanctuary
Care and Rick, who's RAR, printing of printing business shirts, t-shirts, hats
and all that stuff. Who live on the property? Rick is an guy.

Megan owns an NIS business, so on a 25 acre farm with six big
truck sheds which weren't being used so much because her late husband had them
for trucks and they weren't being used to a great effect.

Now the farm's got being an NIS business NDS based business
they set up a recreation room pool table, all those sort of things you'd have.

And we saw the opportunity to develop the gardens, the new big
kitchen. All of those things was, the facilities are fantastic, just needed a
little bit of work. And we, yeah we knew that Western Sydney in particular had
very little in the way of actual veteran support outside of mental health or
the medical system.

Yeah. Somewhere where you can just go and talk to other people
without insurance or rehab or DVA or your doctor or someone running a note over
you and writing a report on you. Where people can just go and talk crap if they
need to talk, talk to someone else about things regurgitate stories of their
horrors if need be, or how they've got access to services.

Really important. And I've, we've, the most part it's been
that. People talking about their experience, which has helped others, from
military, which I can talk most about is all services that you just don't know
are available until you're at that stage. Yeah, like when you're in service you
get all these annual induction lectures and things and you're thinking to
yourself, why am I hearing about these things that are designed for 60 year
olds are all busted when I'm 25 and I'm fit and healthy?

Most people, it just goes straight over the top. 'cause it
doesn't, it's not it's not important or it's not relevant. It is important, but
it's not relevant to the human at the time, right? So then you go through all
this stress of discharging or finishing service and then, holy, how the hell do
I do that?

How do I get this? How is that even done? And a lot of guys.
Which is helpful when you're getting older. I love repeating themselves, but no
they share those stories of how they got access to a thing, even to the point
where, a specialist doctor writes reports really well. Yeah.

For DDVA or veterans or police or whoever that might be because
they were an ex or ex service person themselves, or they just know it 'cause
they've been doing it for a long time.

That's one of the big things that does get shared the most is
how people have dealt with it. Who they've seen where the good places are to
go.

And we have, whilst we are not a support, a direct service
provider, we have references for everything. So we welcome pamphlets and flyers
and information for about everything because it might be that one thing that
someone's looking for one day or one thing that someone talks about.

And I go, actually there's a pamphlet over there. Yeah, but
sometimes they just don't know and those things come up. And it's been really
important to have that available. 'cause the, they're all conversation fillers
when you don't quite know. We are mindful, obviously, too, the committee, as a
committee not to give any professional advice 'cause that's not our job.

And it can get a little bit hairy when people start giving
advice to someone, and it's, everyone's so different. You just can't say what's
what. So yeah, it's been really good. We are building slowly which is was
amazing. We have to pull the reins a little bit on the ideas and the ambitions.

'cause we don't have a bag of gold. Yeah. But yeah, it is doing
what it, yeah. I think everyone who goes there is really enjoying it and
valuing it. It's becoming their. Their routine, their weekly routine, which is
great.

Rosie Skene:

I was
just gonna ask you do you have certain days and times that you regularly catch
up?

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah,
so every Thursday we're open from 10 o'clock to, to say nine o'clock at night.
'cause we do normally it's 10 to five for the normal day, but the moment and
their plan is to have night classes on a Thursday. And I say classes being
mentor groups, so other veterans running. We've got a, currently got a, a great
guy called Steve, who's a great knife maker.

He makes knives from nothing and all sorts of, you can imagine
it. Which is probably not great with people with PS D, but happily and healthy
we're all safe. So he guides people through making process. He, it's not a
qualification course or as such, he just guides people, shows him how to do it.

And gets them to a point where they finished off with laser
edging the, their name on it or whoever they wanna do it, so they've got their
own keepsake. We're finding that and that's currently underway now. I think
we're week four of six for that, and growing, going really well because the
guys there's a lady and a man doing it that is loving it because it's a whole
new skill.

But they're also talking to Steve, who's a great bloke sharing
their experiences, learning some new things and they're at the shed so that
they have the facilities, the kitchen, the everything available there. We,
yeah, Thursdays is our main day open till nine o'clock, but we will be opening
very shortly for one Saturday a month to cover, to try and cover, and that was
what Thursday nights are about, those who are working or those who have other
things in their life.

So yeah, once a month on a Saturday. Because as I said, we
share that with the NDIS business 'cause there's veterans and NDIS is a lot of
children. We've gotta keep our distance a little bit. Military and emergency
services, people say some funny things at times. Not so funny for children.

Not for children. Yes. And our dark humor doesn't always go
down so well. So we keep our distance. It doesn't mean we don't work with them.
'Cause there's sometimes we interact but we've gotta be careful and we've gotta
make sure the right people are healthy and safe and allowed to do all that.

So we're not, yeah. So that's a little bit tricky on its own
because, people go through stuff. But we've got to keep everyone safe. Yeah,
it's really that part of it's growing and we're getting more people over the
last 12 months have said, just said, I can't really do a Thursday, but
Saturdays I could.

So we're confident that'll bring a few more in, but yeah.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.
And so is it, 'cause it's called Yarramundi Veteran Shed which is so good. And
and you just said, in your knife making courses, a woman in that one as well.
Yeah. Hopefully for men and women. Yeah. But it's not just for defense
veterans, is it?

You have,

Anthony Eddie:

yeah,
so we it started off that way. I'll be open and honest it started off military
guys coming up with an idea. Yeah. But it very quickly turned into, noting
that, as I said, Western Sydney's got bugger all for military type people or
veterans. We quickly realized that it's the same for emergency services.

If there's anything in Sydney for, in a shed like environment.
And I think some people get a little bit scared by the shed, but it's. Yeah,
there's a shed there, but it's pretty much do what you want. So it's not a
men's shed. It is pretty much a social gathering. It is certainly open for any
first responders, any military emergency service and to the point where we
permit, we allow, we welcome friends, so without being too crazy.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

If
you've got a brother-in-law, dad, cousin mate that you do things with and that
you, they can wanna come along. You know what? It's more than welcome. We've
got a few people who actually, bring their their dad along. Every now and then
we get a a young parent with a child for the day, fantastic. The, in the end,
there's people, they're adults, they're responsible to look after 'em, but
there's no reason why they can't be part of they're relaxed environment. We're
trying to create. Yeah. In the end we're all trying to get on with life and I
suppose help where we can, if we can.

And a lot of the things that we do end up being every,
everything turns into a group activity somehow. Even though some people are
there, they always wanna go fishing for the day or go fishing for an hour, but
they'll see the guys working on something and then we end up having 20 people
stand around and one person doing the work.

So it sounds like government work, but

Rosie Skene:

like
council,

Anthony Eddie:

yeah,

Rosie Skene:

I think
what you're doing is really incredible. Like just for obvious reasons, but the
connection that you would be creating through the groups and it for people
leaving organizations like ours, I think what can happen is it can be very
isolating.

I. Yeah. A lot of people go through marriage or relationship
breakdowns, which is , further isolating and to create a community where people
can just turn up and be as involved or not as they like. I think that's just so
needed. And there's, like you said, there's hardly anything out where you are.

Yeah. And for first responders there's probably bugger all too.
Absolutely. I think that's just so incredible to foster that connection.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah.
And I think like-minded people. Yeah. And I think being a little bit mindful,
whilst we are advertising through social media and the rest and the word is
getting out, we had a quite a successful opening day in October, over 140
people turned up.

Wow. And people from everywhere and all services, fire trucks
and the local, everyone turned up. It was good. It was fantastic. But now the.
The ambition, our immediate goals are to try and get into the brain powers of
those discharge or transfer cells. Yeah. So defense, discharge people, so the
transition authority and the services is no different, but so that people know
that when they are going through particularly medical separation or separation,
not at their choosing, they have a place where they can spend half a day or
whatever they choose.

Whilst that's occurring to create some links in the community
and whether that's, friendship links or just someone you know, because there's
a bit of everything that, there's some really some fabulous guys and some guys,
they come for a coffee and a brewer and a bit of a chat.

And they're pretty okay. They've got their friendship groups
and then there's others who are. Quite lost just looking for some people. And
that we've got, we've experienced that from all the services so far for
different reasons. But everyone just creating those linkages and the far
extending just at the shed.

Becoming where people are, meeting up in as real friends and
going out. 'cause that's what you wanna see, right? Yeah. And some people
that's not for them. They want to keep them away from each other. I can speak
for my experience, my, my wife in particular, she's she's always, being married
and had the army life and the Army's, my thing at work whilst Noelle will come
to a function and things like that, she usually leaves the military stuff
alone.

Probably a bunch of old, weird old guys. The dark humor, she
gets it, but it's. Her things, her work, and her friends. And so that, and
that's absolutely okay. I suppose it gives a place where everyone can choose
how you wanna do it. Yeah. If you wanna bring your wife out and or your kids
out, you can do that.

If you don't, that's cool too. And you work out. Yeah. There's
no hard and fast rules. We're just trying to be relaxed and safe and our
insurance covers all of those things. Yeah. So it's not a big bother. Like most
organizations, we have a sign in sheet to keep our insurances in order.

And really that's all we need to do. Obviously our goal is to
build our membership continue to build our membership. We have about 35 to 40
registered members at any one time. I think probably 2020 or turn up on a shed
on a Thursday. So just in relation to membership,

Rosie Skene:

sorry to
cut you off, but is it, does it cost anything to become a member?

No.

Anthony Eddie:

No,
it's free. We're we're ambitious. I don't know about ambitious. I think we're
realistic to keep membership free. So really our only cost is insurance. With
exception to anything that we, projects we want to try and achieve. And we've
had a bit of support luckily through New South Wales Club grants.

And this year we're applying elsewhere in Hawkesbury for a bit
of funding and a couple of Subbranches gave us some money, so it helped us, buy
little things, tools necessary items. We've got a lot of donations from
organizations just for our garden stuff. Bunnings North Penrith donated Holy
Timber and for make garden beds.

A rock place donated big rocks for the gardens and soil and
everything's been. Sponsored to some degree, which has been fantastic. It's
beautiful. Yeah. And yeah, even Boral concrete are now donating a truckload or
more of concrete for us for our barbecue area. And luckily we have a police man
who's currently medically discharging or he's an ex brickie, so Oh no.

So barbecue's under control, Andy. Yeah. And it is, we've got a
real good bunch of guys and girls who are, bring all different skills. I don't
bring much to the party, but I'm good at telling people what to do.

Rosie Skene:

You
gotta organize it. Someone needs to be better to

Anthony Eddie:

organize it. Yeah. I'm not much of a doer, they say, but yeah.

I'm a watcher, but oh, that's so good. So

Rosie Skene:

what
have you got coming up? Is there anything you've got your knife making classes
happening now. Yeah,

Anthony Eddie:

so the
plan is the knife making. Dependent on Steve, who, if he's traveling or not.
And then the group who, what they wanna do.

But he's planning to do as many or as little as we want to do
throughout the year. I'm running a six week program because that gives the
opportunity, it's probably longer than it needs to be, but it, if everyone's
got things in the road and that means they can miss a week or two weeks and
still get what they need to be done.

We are also trying to do a similar sort of thing with welding
in the short term with mig welding. You're not gonna be a qualified blacksmith
or a engineer, but you can fix things around the, the on the shed where you can
fix your own things at home if you have a welder.

So it's just mentoring type groups and we think, I think that's
our target really. 'cause that does a couple of things. It reduces the cost of
having an instructor, a licensed instructor reduces the insurances. But most
people. I just wanna give it a try. Give it a try and see how hard, or, how
difficult it is to get the skills.

And just learn a little bit. I think, I'm not a welder, but I'd
love to be able to just do a little bit to fix a trailer up or do some little
things that, you know, instead of paying someone or getting someone else to do
it. Absolutely. And we've had a lot of interest in that. The difficulty we do
have is and it's about our humans is the the people we do have turn up.

It's in their routine every Thursday. That's fantastic. But
then we have it on Thursday night. It doesn't always match the, when we're
gonna do it. So we're looking at, possibly Thursdays and or Saturdays. And if
we get the right if people tell us what they wanna do and it all works out,
we'll do it when they want to do it.

But we're limited to Thursdays mainly. Because the, our donors
and our sponsors they don't charge us rent for the Thursday and we wanna, we've
gotta honor them as well.

Yeah, absolutely. And make that, and, we've gotta make sure
that their business is still, getting everything they need.

'cause they, on those, on the Thursdays, they still have
clients. They just make sure they're not in our, I suppose in our immediate
area.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

So
yeah, we're gonna, we gotta look after them as well. But yeah, so yeah, we do
have I suppose the knife making the welding small wood class groups same sort
of thing, and just power tools for men and women who, if they're not so
familiar with those sort of tools, they can come and learn the basics and then
practice it a little bit, sometimes just, you've just gotta do it.

Yeah. Get out there and cut some things up. If you haven't used
a circle of saw, get in there and just cut it, say until you're comfortable.
And most of the time that doesn't need a qualified carpenter or a specialist.
It needs someone who knows how to use it to make sure people can do it safely.

So we, I suppose we're to be clear we're bound by rules of the
Australian Men's Shared Association. They're the governing body for sheds all
around Australia.

Rosie Skene:

Okay.

Anthony Eddie:

And
they, you can have membership under them and insurance through them. So our
organization perfectly fits women and men military, all, it's all absolutely
fine.

They have no issues with the constitutional, your membership
base. But we have to have a skills register. We have to have induction training
to some degree to make sure everyone knows what they can use, what they can't
use on the property. 'Cause Rick has some big industrial machines for his
printing.

And laser cutting. Timber and steel and stuff. So we don't want
anyone jumping on those machines. No. Because it'll take arms off and they cost
a lot of money. So it's, so we're doing things right. I think in a new more
modern way than what I have heard some sheds get up to in, in men's shared
environment.

Yeah. And that's no hack to them. It's more some of the older,
some of the sheds with the older people are stuck in the, their era of training
and assessment.

And I'd like to think I have a more modern approach to that.
Instead of telling someone, they're now under a big assessment and you'll
either pass or fail.

Yes. It's

Anthony Eddie:

about
competency based training and if you can show me you can use it. We are good to
go. . A common sense approach. And most of the time so far we've had no issues
with, people just saying I, I've never used one of them. Sure. Yeah. Let this
guy over here show you how to use it and give, make 'em safe and make sure they
can do it before they get ticked off.

Yeah. But keeping it really simple is the key to us. Simple
inductions, but also it helps with simple administration. Not getting tied down
by too much paperwork.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.
Red tape's such a killer for organizations trying to do good things sometimes,

Anthony Eddie:

yeah.
I think we've got a pretty good approach to it. I look after most of that side
of the, the governance side of it. Bit of background in WHS with work, so I'm
pretty familiar with too many policies.

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

And
then finding a right balance, but doing it justice, and keeping everyone safe.

Yeah. Without going over the top is, I can find an easier way
to do it. Yeah, I'm always for it. Yeah. Yeah.

Rosie Skene:

Where
can people find out more information about the shed?

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah,
that, that's a good question. The our face, Facebook is our main thing at the
moment. We are currently we received a grant from Microsoft for,
not-for-profits, which is our, our database, our email systems and all that.

Currently the only email up and running is the secretary email.
But Facebook is our best contact because at the moment, that's our our
weeklies. We know weekly posts tells everyone what we're doing, where we are,
and they can contact either of us Rick or myself through that.

However, we do have a website is being built right now, so if
you visit www.yarramundiveeteransshed spel complete.org au yeah, you'll see the
website, but it's, as I said, it's in construction. But I can certainly send
more info about that later on. Our, so our social network Facebook is our main
one, and once the website is up, it will send a live feed a feed from Facebooks
anyway to it.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

And
we're also sharing it around with some of the mental health support workers in
the area. And we've had some success with that where guys and girls didn't know
about it. And yeah, the next day they turn up because they were, that was, that
info was shared. Yeah. That's

Rosie Skene:

so good.

Anthony Eddie:

Word
of mouth.

Yeah. So we're a work in progress and we are, I suppose we like
many, we dunno where we're gonna end up in 12 months time. It's a bit of a
journey and like everything there's teasing and things we need to work out on
the way, but overall that's a committee sort of thing. And everyone who comes
out just enjoys the time, whether it's having a coffee spending the day or
whether they're out there for half an hour.

There's some people do that, they've got medical appointments
and they duck off which is cool. .

Rosie Skene:

Awesome
stuff. Is there anything else that you wanna cover before we wrap up? Oh,

Anthony Eddie:

I
don't know. I could talk all day. Yeah. Look I'm just really excited. I'm in a
few roles in the veteran community.

And I think the, I suppose my personal opinion, I think I've
mentioned it before in emails, I think Western Sydney has been left behind a
little bit in the veteran community. And I, when I say veteran community, all
of emergency services as well. Military particularly that I know of is lacking.

But emergency services, I think the government needs to be
doing more from that for that. And I think personally and I speak for no one by
myself that I think there's opportunities in the military veteran community to
share with the emergency services. More with our available resources, and when
I say resources, it's, it does get tricky because military veterans and DVA and
things are specific about supporting military veterans.

So when seeking funding for projects like ours, it can get a
little bit debatable and heated on whether people can access it.

Rosie Skene:

Yes.

Anthony Eddie:

So
what I'm trying to nurture is those relationships but explain to them that it
can all be done the right way if people wanna support those organizations by
supporting something tangible, sponsor a garden bed sponsor, the barbecue, a
building of the barbecue, because it's not just, even though the military
people will get initial benefit, they're gonna be shared with lots of people,
like any community space.

And I think. To me the way that the military and the emergency
service people have interacted at the shed. And I thought, I honestly thought
it'd be a bit particularly could have been a little trickier.

But actually it's been quite wonderful. Maybe we just got lucky
with the right people who were looking for that sort of thing.

And everyone's got along perfectly. We're all humans and it
doesn't mean everyone's gonna be best friends. But everyone gets along and
plays the right game 'cause they're there for the same purpose or the right
purpose.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

And I
think military's one whole big level of group togetherness and ambos are one
thing, and then the fire is another thing.

And the coppers they're another whole nother one because that
is their life of keeping a line, keeping the circle tight. Yeah. And I imagine,
and I'm no expert on it, but I'm starting to understand how that can be even
more tricky for them. So I think and you'd have to talk to the, our guys who
are of that way just to see how they feel about it.

But I know they're doing great things and you can see that they
just wanna come to the shed, help out, do their bit. And the social part of it
is, has been really good for them. 'cause they can, they realize that we're all
somewhat similar, we've all played in our team, whatever it was for so long,
we'll chewed up and spat out.

And it's okay to, have problems because we've all got 'em.

Rosie Skene:

Yeah.

Anthony Eddie:

Yeah.
So that, to me that's, I think there's I'm seeing, even just this last six
months. More and more I suppose was, I've never been in that space, in the
emergency service support area.

Some it is, it's a growing space, but I think there's so much
opportunity for collaboration between organizations and I'm grateful for you
having me today and talk. And we welcome everyone out. I suppose that's a
shared, yeah.

Rosie Skene:

Awesome.
, I think it's so important to just share resources.

Absolutely. Like I said earlier, , you just dunno what you
don't know. Yeah. And if unless someone tells you, then usually you don't know.
Unless good at finding things on the internet. Yeah. But it's been , it's,
thank you so much for sharing your own personal journey and then also about the
shed, because like I said, I think it's an incredible resource.

And , thank you so much for coming on. No worries.

Anthony Eddie:

Thank
you. And good luck with everything. . I'll see you again.

Rosie Skene:

I hope
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