Paying tribute to Trevor Paul – the heart of the Broken Hill community
BY LIEUT-COLONEL LAURIE ROBERTSON
On 12 October 2023, Trevor Paul, the leader of the Family Violence Stream at The Salvation Army Catherine Haven centre in Broken Hill (NSW), passed away after a long health battle. His loss is still keenly felt by The Salvation Army teams he was involved in and connected to, as well as by many in the Broken Hill Community.
On this first anniversary of Trevor leaving us, we share our thanks and pay our respects to a man who loved helping people rebuild their lives as he journeyed with them through their deepest difficulties and trauma. He was a wonderful, caring, calming presence within the teams he led and with the people they served.
Trevor worked in the community services sector for almost 30 years after initiating a career change to move out of the mining industry, commencing work for the Youth Accommodation Support Service, where he stayed for more than 20 years.
He became part of The Salvation Army in May 2016 as a homelessness case manager. Around 12 months later, he became the acting manager of the team. This led to him being permanently promoted to the role of Program Manager of the Broken Hill Adults and Families Service (NSW/ACT Homelessness Team).
In August 2022, during a restructuring, Trevor transitioned into the Family Violence Stream and showed openness and dedication to leading the Catherine Haven team in this specialist service.
When I was at Broken Hill High School with Trevor in our teenage years, he was a thoughtful and calm person. These qualities were still strong when I reconnected with him a few decades later in my role as an area officer for The Salvation Army with my wife, Simone.
These attributes, combined with his humility and leadership, proved to be wonderful catalysts, as he strove to have every aspect of The Salvation Army ministry in Broken Hill collaborating effectively so that everyone the Salvos connected with received holistic support.
Not long after Trevor’s passing, a number of those who had worked closely with him wrote a personal tribute. The following are excerpts from these tributes.
Major Brad McIver (TSA Head of Social Mission): “Trevor had this amazing way of inviting me into a depth of relationship and trust that ensured that over the time we worked closely together, we were able to share much. Such an unassuming character, yet deeply and passionately committed to his family, friends and work. A calming presence often for those around him … from my observation, nothing ever seemed to ruffle the feathers too much.”
Nicki Bonell (work colleague and friend): “I met Trev about a week before he started working for The Salvation Army, when he came to Catherine Haven to sign his contract. He came rolling in on his Harley, which shook the front windows. My first impression was OMG, what are we in for? And he didn’t disappoint. We clicked as friends, and our journey began … he was my support network when I didn’t think I had what it took to manage the service when he first took leave.”
Bec Page and Emma Sabey (Case managers at Catherine Haven): “Trev was just such an amazing human being. The one thing we’ll forever be grateful for is that Trev took a chance on us and offered us to be his domestic violence case managers. He was also there with a listening ear and great advice. No question was ever too silly. Trev was more than just a manager; he was a great friend. Work was always such a joyful place to be.”
Majors Kevin Meredith and Wai Wai Mar Sugunama (Broken Hill Corps Officers): “Trevor noticed our Salvo uniforms when walking along Argent St, Broken Hill, shortly after we moved to town in early 2021. He introduced himself. Around us on site, we see hallmarks of Trevor’s practical support. We very much appreciated Trevor’s quiet way, without ego, to work together. We both feel that we have lost a terrific colleague who possessed a great heart for our community.”
Hannah Cameron (NSW Family Violence Practice Lead): “I’m grateful for Trevor’s ability to put myself and others at ease. To have a chuckle and see the lighter side of life. He was so proud of his town, his community, his team, and the women and children he worked with. There’s something about being around Trevor that makes you feel immediately accepted and safe, even when very little is being said.”
Lyndon Gray (Senior Project Officer for the Department of Communities and Justice in Far West NSW): “It has been my pleasure over the past six or seven years to have worked with The Salvation Army, and in particular Trevor to develop and expand the homelessness services in Broken Hill and surrounds. His passion and commitment (and, of course, his staff as well) to those experiencing difficulty is well-known, and as a manager, leader and friend, he will be greatly missed. During the COVID pandemic, we saw Trevor and his staff work through very difficult situations and often travelling great distances to assist people stranded on the border when the borders between NSW and Queensland closed.”
Scott Hammond (former youth services colleague): “Guided me through my first years as a youth worker and always kept me grounded and focused. A great mate at work and an even greater mate out of work. Many young people are better persons today because of his dedication to youth in our community.”
Claudia Cummins (TSA State Manager Family Violence NSW): “On behalf of the TSA NSW and National Family Violence teams, I acknowledge the incredible leadership Trevor provided as Program Manager of Catherine Haven. Trevor was passionate and persevering in addressing homelessness and family violence in Broken Hill, and this commitment has been recognised across Salvos, with partners, funders and, of course, local community members. Throughout my time working with him over the past 12 months, I have been struck by Trevor’s dedication to the local community, the Catherine Haven service and his team, of whom he has always been so proud (and rightly so). I am grateful to have witnessed some of the ways he brought joy to the whole team, as well as, most importantly, being a supportive manager and mentor. We send our thoughts to Trevor’s family and our gratitude to him for his remarkable legacy.”
