Committed to community

Organised. That’s the word that immediately springs to mind when describing one of the Barossa’s busiest volunteers.

For Tanunda’s Debbie Miles, being organised is not only a necessity, it’s a way of life and one that has led to life-long friendships.

“You have to be organised, that comes with being a Virgo doesn’t it, being a perfectionist?” she laughs.

But Debbie is the last one to claim she is a perfectionist. She sees herself as “a quiet achiever” who simply likes things done “in an orderly manner”, joyfully volunteering  “in the engine room” of community run groups.

“I’m happy to be in the background, I’m not one that wants to be up the front – I’m happy to organise things and let other people take on the rest.”

Debbie’s community involvement could fill a novel like those lining her living room shelves. She has what she calls “a little cheat book” squirrelled away in meticulously kept filing cabinets detailing all the years and dates spent on countless committees, be it secretary, treasurer or “chief bottle washer”.

There are not many community groups this quietly spoken mother and grandmother has not given her time to at some stage, from being on the Swimming Pool committee for 20 years to a stint as secretary of the Tanunda Town Band, the organisations are as many as they are varied.

Currently, Debbie is the secretary of the Tanunda Show, a position she has held for 28 events and also sits on the Central Districts Show’s Association committee. Recently, she became secretary/treasurer of Meals on Wheels following her retirement from the Tanunda Netball Club committee where she spent 23 years, 21 of those as secretary. She remains secretary of the BL&G Netball Association and helps with all sorts of Barossa events when the need arises.

Debbie’s unwavering commitment to  community is as obvious as the love she has for her family who are at the heart of “absolutely everything” she does.

Eldest daughter of Lin and the late Shirley Kowald of Tanunda, Debbie’s talent in administration was discovered and nurtured from an early age by a prominent Tanunda businessman.

“Malcolm Hage took me out of school before I was actually able to leave,” she says.

“I started work in 1974, I wasn’t technically 14 when I started, I was only 13 and turned 14 a couple of weeks later.”

She concedes that her father, who was also working at Hage Holden at the time, put in a good word for her saying, “It’s not what you know”.

During her ten years working at the car dealership she met the love of life, Brian.

“We met roller skating at the Rec Centre…I was a hopeless skater!”

Married in 1979, Debbie and Brian lived in Nuriootpa and Angaston before settling in Tanunda.

Young family now in tow, they began raising the next Miles generation including son Jeremy and daughters, Talia and Makarla.

When an opportunity to buy a business arose, Debbie and Brian took it.

“We had a furniture and floor covering business in Tanunda because Brian is a carpet layer by trade. Miles’ Furnishers in the old Schrapel’s building next to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

“I was lucky because mum helped with the kids, she loved that.”

Hard economic times were beginning to loom on the horizon and after nine years in business it was “time to get out”.

Brian started working in the wine industry and for Debbie, the old adage of “It’s not what you know but who you know” kicked in once again.

So when she asked the Tanunda Hotel publican if there was any work available, the response was a resounding “Sure, can you start tomorrow?”

“I did waitressing, I’d never done that before but it was lovely. I loved the people contact.”

But life took a cruel turn in 1998 after youngest daughter Makarla, who was now 18 years of age, contracted a fatal illness.

“She was pregnant and she started having problems,” Debbie explains openly.

“The doctor said to put her in hospital to keep her happy basically…they found out she had contracted e-coli. Within 32 hours we had lost her.

“The baby tried to abort itself to escape the disease and they flew her down to the Royal Adelaide and gave her an emergency caesarian section but the baby had already passed and was stillborn… the e-coli had spread so quickly.”

The sudden and unimaginable tragedy had a profound effect on the Miles family with grief rippling into the wider community.

“It brought us a lot closer…we were always close, but it just brought us closer – Jeremy and Talia, they are very close.

“We had such a good network of people, family and friends.”

Describing that period in her life as “just horrible”, Debbie reflects on the harsh reality she had to come to terms with.

“You get a different appreciation of life in general, you just don’t take things for granted.” she says.

“That’s a tough lesson to learn…Parents aren’t expected to lose a child.”

Debbie dragged herself forward, deciding to change jobs to something with more family friendly hours.

“Because waitressing was mainly nights and weekends and Jeremy and Talia were quite young and I was struggling a little bit, I decided I needed to get a daytime job.

“It was just weeks after Makarla had passed and I saw a job advertised at Barossa Toyota…It was meant to be, I just kept going, I didn’t have a break.”

A strong work ethic along with her dedication to her children meant she wanted to support them in every pursuit they showed interest in.

When Talia started to play netball, Debbie returned to the court herself and ended up playing 100 games before retiring.

“Mature players love coming back and paying a social match! I enjoyed it,” she laughs.

Helping out at the Tanunda Football Club was how she supported Jeremy’s sporting interests while delivering Meals on Wheels was something she loved sharing with her parents, especially her mother who passed away just last year after suffering a stroke.

But Debbie has learned that life goes on and now that she has retired from the workforce, she is focused on helping her father and enjoying her grandchildren, Rubi, Imogen and Ariana who bring  laughter and fun to each and every day.

She is aware of the example she sets for them as she strives to continue her important roles within the community.

“I hate to think when the term volunteer is lost in the community and you’ve got people who put their hands up wanting to get paid for doing things,” she says.

“It’s important to volunteer, I’ve tried to instil that into my kids.”

There is a need to get involved in your community because you look at how many things happen in the Barossa, how many community events and organisations? They are all run by volunteers, otherwise they just wouldn’t be there.

“I find it really interesting and rewarding.”

Ultimately, volunteering is about making the Barossa a better place for her family and she has always had 100 per cent support from Brian in everything she puts her hand up for.

Whilst she can’t say for sure what she’ll volunteer for next, it won’t be anything that takes her out of her comfort zone.

“I’m not too adventurous,” she giggles.

“I don’t even like flying! I won’t go on the Ferris Wheel or anything like that at the Show, even if Rubi wanted to go on it, she’d be going on it by herself!”

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