Toni Salmon: Community Liaison Officer


Raelene Braithwaite with one of her joeys

Though you wouldn’t know it to look at her, Toni Salmon, Community Liaison Officer at Pilbara Iron, loves to ambush people. Six times a year she lays in wait for an unsuspecting member of the community.

“She ambushed me,” laughs Raelene Braithwaite, postal manager at the Dampier Post Office. “I was working here when Toni marches in with a bunch of people and presents me with the award.”

The award Raelene so surprisingly received was the Pilbara Iron Community Recognition Award, given to people and groups who volunteer their time and resources to make a significant contribution to the community.

In Raelene’s case the award was for her outstanding work both as a volunteer ambulance driver and a wildlife carer, especially looking after abandoned baby kangaroos. Right now Raelene has three of them hanging in pouches in the middle of her Post Office.

“I must be careful to get the mail in one pouch and the little joeys in another,” she laughs. “But someone has to take care of them and the Post Office doesn’t mind me having them here. In fact, they’re a tourist attraction.”

Another recipient of the award who laughingly complains about being ambushed is Russell Turner. His reward was for his many years of commitment and dedication to the ‘Dampier Sharks’ Football Club.

“Pilbara Iron has been tremendously supportive of the club,” Russell says. “Together with the Shire they contributed $500,000 to our lights, so now we can train three nights a week. The day after the lights were installed, the Dampier Sharks won the local league premiership.” 

Other ambushees have been Harry and Jean Chilvers: Harry for his many years as Chairman of the Dampier Community Association; Jean for her unstinting work with reading groups.

John Lally was ambushed on his way to the Dampier Camp School where he has been manager for almost 20 years. Like other award winners, John, who was a finalist in the national Senior Australian of the Year Awards, received a certificate along with a polished piece of iron on a jarrah base.

John’s award was for being a prime mover in outdoor education through his ‘Sea Trek’ programme, which has taught self-confidence and a positive attitude to countless local youngsters.

“I love my job” enthuses Toni, “and there are so many people making a contribution to the community I’m going to be ambushing folks for years.”