If you’ve been on Facebook recently, you’ve likely come across one of Jodie Parker’s posts. A firefighter with the Taradale Fire Brigade, Jodie started the series of educational videos as a way to update the community on the fires.
Her videos began getting shared across Facebook, and locally she’s become somewhat of a household name, with people referencing her information and getting a mention on MainFM’s Retronauts. Suzanne Donisthorpe gave her a shout out saying she is a great communicator, in a human, kind and considered way and Business Mount Alexander Chair Jacqueline Brodie Hanns said, “Every CFA needs a Jodie”.
Jodie describes her newfound fame as “a bit weird” and said she normally does not like being in front of the camera.
“But I didn’t have time to worry about that on Thursday. Our content is not polished, just filming it on a phone, and that’s what people respond to,” she said.
Jodie said she had not encountered a catastrophic day since moving here.
“As the brigade’s community safety officer I was trying to figure out the best way to prepare the Taradale community, which is closely connected with the Mount Alexander Group.”
Born in Lilydale, Jodie spent her early years on the road with her parents. After travelling around Australia and living in Brisbane for a few years, they moved back to Melbourne.
Jodie went on to study a Bachelor of Arts and International Studies at uni. Unsure of her future path, she moved to Gippsland with her mum and got a job working in retail.
She traveled overseas for a year and spent time working the UK as an au pair on an army base in Thorny Island and helping an older couple on a farm.
“They had six border collies, donkeys, goats, ducks and chickens. They were the kindest, most kind, generous people. I finished my travels and came back to the city.”
Returning to Melbourne, she got a temp job at V/Line. One role led to another and then another until she wound up working as the Customer Operations Training Manager, responsible for training all of the conductors and station staff.
“I ended up being there 12 years!”
In 2022, she took long service leave and used the time to think about her next step.
“I knew it was time for me to go I was fatigued and drained from that job; it was all-consuming,” she said.
With a desire to move back to the country, Jodie moved to Woodend and, after awhile started looking for a place to buy.
“I chatted to a real estate agent, who told me about a property in Taradale. I said, ‘Where’s Taradale?’
“I came to the first open for inspection and I said, ‘This is my home,’ and a week later it was! Luckily, there was a long settlement.”
She now owns and runs Five-Acre Farm selling products from things grown on the farm – jams, herbal teas, syrups, and bath soaps.
Her website gives an insight into life as a single woman running a property.
“I have a focus on biodiversity and sustainability, proving that you don’t need a huge property, showing what you can do, and that you can still have a lot of biodiversity in a small space,” she said.
“A lot of people in this area like to keep things local and keep those food kilometres low, as well as knowing where your food comes from, how it’s grown, and who’s grown it.
“I’ve just expanded my growing area to try and move to the next level of the farm, which is market style garden, maybe supplying a few restaurants and hopefully getting to the point of some subscription produce boxes. And I have plans of running different workshops in the space,” she said.
“The challenge is, it’s just me here, and trying to coordinate casual, part-time employment and my other business, while trying to get stuff done on the farm.”
The second installment of Jodie’s interview will be published in the next edition of the Castlemaine Mail on Friday January 30.