Pilbara farewells SES legend Terry Swetman

The Pilbara community has turned out to remember respected emergency services veteran and long-time resident Terry Swetman.

Mr Swetman moved to Dampier as a young boy and was among the first 20 families to settle in the newly established town of Karratha in the late 1960s.

The family’s pioneering contribution to the town was recognised with the naming of Swetman Way.

Mr Swetman’s own legacy will also live long in residents’ memories, having dedicated more than 30 years to the State Emergency Service — most of them in the Pilbara.

He played key roles in the response to cyclones Vance, George and Orson, and assisted during the 2011 tornado that tore through Karratha.

Mr Swetman died at home in Chittering on February 6, aged 64, following a short and aggressive battle with pancreatic cancer.

Despite enduring significant pain, his daughter Ebony Swetman said he fought every day to spend more time with his family before his death.

Although he and wife Kathryn had planned their retirement on their Chittering property, Mr Swetman’s daughter said his heart remained firmly in the Pilbara, a place that would always be home for his family.

More than 200 people gathered in Chittering at the weekend to farewell him, with many travelling from across the State and interstate.

Ms Swetman said their “orange family” from the Karratha SES and Rockingham-Kwinana SES came to help set the memorial up, as well as offering much-needed support throughout the week prior.

Karratha SES manager Robert Graham described Mr Swetman as a tireless legend who had “trained most of the people currently at Karratha SES”.

“He was passionate about volunteering,” he said.

“He was a selfless warrior who inspired that in others.”

Over three decades of volunteering with the SES, Mr Swetman responded to some of the region’s most significant natural disasters and road emergencies.

Highly regarded as a team leader and mentor, he served as a road crash rescue leader and instructor, performed cliff rescues, land and sea searches, storm damage operations during cyclone season, and qualified as a drop master. He was also the deputy manager in charge of rescue for several years.

Mr Swetman was made a life member in 2014, and was nominated for the SES Peter Keillor Award in recognition of his exemplary service.

Also in 2014, he and Kathryn represented their community at the World Rescue Challenge in New Zealand as road rescue instructors.

Beyond emergency services, Mr Swetman volunteered with Scouts and Army Cadets and worked at St Luke’s College as a groundskeeper and occasional outdoor education relief teacher, taking students abseiling and sharing his love of the outdoors.

For 16 years, he also served as an airport reporting officer at Karratha Airport — a role he later continued in Newman while building the family home in Chittering, ready for his retirement.

Mr Swetman left school at 15 and began work as a marine mechanic after narrowly missing out on a police cadetship, ultimately choosing the tools over the badge because he was having too much fun as an apprentice.

In the early 1980s, his wife Kathryn became one of the first nurses at Nickol Bay Hospital, while Mr Swetman went on to work for Hamersley Iron for nearly a decade.

When he was made redundant during one of the region’s first major mining downturns, he established his own lawnmowing and gardening business, which he ran for almost 10 years.

Ebony Swetman said her father would be missed deeply as a dedicated family man, mentor and community stalwart..

“Dad was robbed of decades watching his grandkids grow up, and he never got to enjoy his retirement,” she said.

“He lived a life so full that most people won’t fit all he did into three lifetimes. His legacy is one of adventure, generosity and fun.

“If ever you are faced with a decision, choose the one that brings the most fun, regardless of risk.

“That’s how he raised his kids — that’s how he lived.”

Mr Swetman is survived by Kathryn, children Jeremy, Daniel and Ebony, and grandchildren Katy, Heidi, Hudson, Landen and Ryelan.