LOCAL LIFE
MY OTHER LIFE : Kerryn Johnson by Greg Martin
After interviewing North Richmond ’ s Kerryn Johnson for our usual My Other Life feature , we just had to change the title to My Other Lives .
I was also tempted to ask the inspirational woman if she was a cat !
You know the drift – cats are reputed to have nine lives !
These days , Kerryn , a registered nurse since 1992 , works casual shifts at Nepean Hospital .
She works only on a casual basis because , well , there ’ s just so much more she has to do !
Kerryn has been a member of the Animal Welfare League NSW ’ s Hawkesbury Valley branch for three years , and a member of Richmond ’ s St Andrews Uniting Church pastoral leadership team as well as the
church council .
This truly communityminded woman is also member of Colo High School ’ s P & C for which body she does her fair share of shifts in the school ’ s canteen .
Not to mention – no , I will mention that as a volunteer , she is always on call to provide first aid to patients prior to the arrival of St John ’ s Ambulance paramedics .
Crikey , how lucky are those locals
Kerry proudly shows off – and justifiably so – a certificate of appreciation from St John ’ s Ambulance .
with health problems having a vastly experienced Registered Nurse as their first responder !
Oops , just checked my notes and would you believe it , I ’ ve written that Kerryn is also a member of the Evening Branch of Richmond Country Women ’ s Association .
Evening branches were created early this century to enable working women and others occupied with other daytime duties to become much-needed members of the CWA .
As well as that plethora of duties , Kerryn is also doting mother of sons , Ben , who is keen to become a train driver , and Josh , a brave young man who is in remission from cancer .
Kerryn is married to Wing Commander Peter Miller , who is based at RAAF Glenbrook , the headquarters of Air Command .
The couple met in 1994 at RAAF Base Point Cook when both were attending the Officer Training Unit .
Yep , this amazing woman also served her country in the Royal Australian Air Force !
Prior to enlisting in the RAAF , Kerryn , who gained her RN qualification in 1992 at Bendigo College of Advanced Education , spent two years working in Intensive Care at Rockhampton Base Hospital .
“ I grew up on the family dairy farm at Echuca – dad looked after the cows , and mum was a nurse , so of course she inspired me to following her into that profession ,” Kerryn said .
After gaining her HSC at Echuca Technical School in 1988 – she left as Dux of her year – Kerryn headed to Bendigo where she completed her Registered Nursing degree over the ensuing three years .
After completing her basic training at RAAF Point Cook , Flying Officer Johnson was posted to RAAF Williams Laverton Base where she served until being demobbed in 1996 .
Kerryn transferred to Air Force Reserves where , as having a specialist occupation , she could , and was called on in times of need .
During her RAAF career , Kerryn ’ s skills carried her to Bali to bring home the injured after the bombings at Kuta , East Timor during the peace keeping mission , and twice to Bougainville as a member of the Peace Monitoring Group .
“ I ’ ll never forget what we witnessed after the bombings at Kuta ,” Kerryn said .
“ The bombings occurred on October 12 , 2002 , and I was on the second RAAF plane the following day into Denpasar to pick up the injured Aussies and bring them home .
“ We took the injured firstly to Adelaide , then Melbourne and finally to hospitals in Sydney .”
Kerryn and Peter were married in 1997 and his career has taken the couple
The multi-talented and extremely communityminded Kerryn Johnston , on shift as a volunteer for St John ’ s Ambulance .
and later , Ben and Josh , to postings in Richmond , Georgia in the USA , Canberra , and back to Richmond in 2008 for the family to finally settle in the Hawkesbury .
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THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 169 // JUNE 2024 11