Vale Mark Mudie: WA communities and leaders pay tribute to West River farmer who died protecting his home

Tributes from the WA agricultural community and surrounding shires have poured in after the death of West River farmer Mark Mudie who died protecting his farm from a bushfire. It was a devastating week for the WA agriculture community with the death of Mr Mudie in a bushfire in West River, and the disappearance of Woogenllup farmer Mark Adams off Albany’s coast. Tributes poured in from the local and agriculture communities in tribute to Mr Mudie and the contributions and impacts he made during his lifetime. Mr Mudie lost his life last Monday afternoon while fighting to save his farming property from an out-of-control bushfire in West River, near Ravensthorpe. He was operating a front-end loader, attempting to establish a firebreak, when the machinery was engulfed by flames — efforts were made to attempt to extinguish the blaze but were unsuccessful. Mr Mudie could not be saved, and died at the scene. He was elected as shire councillor in 2019 and was elected to deputy president in October 2023 with his term set to end in 2027. In 2019 Mr Mudie told Countryman that it was a dream come true to work with his son on the farm. “It is just great to have him here, he does the spraying, checks the paddocks, does sheep work and maintenance,” he said at the time. In a statement provided to Countryman, Mr Mudie’s son Nathan said his father was a respected member of the Ravensthorpe community who would be dearly missed. “Dad was a huge community man, loved the agricultural sector and a massive family man who will be well missed by everyone,” he said. Shire of Ravensthorpe president Rachel Gibson said Mr Mudie was a “well-grounded” councillor whose expertise and quick-witted humour would be sorely missed. “His expertise, knowledge and common sense will certainly be missed. When he spoke, we listened,” she said. “We will all miss the farming chats at council with Mark and I offer my heartfelt condolences to Elaine, Nathan, Jessica and families.” In a statement published by the shire, Mr Mudie was remembered for providing invaluable local knowledge in discussions and decision-making, with the concern of the community at the forefront of his concerns. “He was incredibly proud of the agricultural sector in our region and was a great advocate for them,” the statement said. “We will miss Mark’s respectful and considered approach to new ideas and the professional and courteous way he engaged with stakeholders and members of the community when representing the Shire of Ravensthorpe at events. “We will also miss his smile and his laugh. “Mark was fond of a cheeky quip to lighten the mood and bolster spirits during some of our long meetings.” Investigations by WA Police into the events around Mr Mudie’s death are ongoing with shire support — a report will be prepared for the Coroner. The shire said the past week had been “incredibly challenging” and Mr Mudie’s death had left it “reeling”. “We also express our heartfelt thanks for everything our volunteer firefighters have done this week in such extremely challenging circumstances,” it said. “They provide a critical and essential service to our community, often in the most dangerous and confronting of situations and we are deeply grateful for their courage and commitment.” A statement from grain exporter and handler Co-operative Bulk Handling Group said Mr Mudie was a “highly respected grower” and valued member of the CBH Growers’ Advisory Council. “Mark was someone who cared deeply about the future of our industry and the communities that sustain it,” it said. “He generously contributed his time, insights, and experience to help strengthen West Australia’s grain sector for the benefit of all growers. CBH Group expressed condolences to Mr Mudie’s family and friends and said his loss would be felt across the grain growing community. “Mark’s commitment and contribution to the industry and our co-operative will not be forgotten,” the statement said. Shire of Plantagenet president Len Handasyde offered sincere condolences on behalf of the Plantagenet community, council and shire staff. “We realise the impact of this event on Cr Mudie’s family the Shire of Ravensthorpe,” he said. “One can only imagine the impact of this event concerning the death of a husband, father and valued community member and the impact of the fire itself. “We all have volunteer fire people in our shires and the loss of any of these is confronting and extremely difficult to deal with. “We wish Cr Mudie’s family and the community of the Shire of Ravensthorpe all well as they grieve the loss of this stalwart in the community who advocated for so many things.” Premier Roger Cook and and Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas paused hostilities during Question Time in Parliament on December 2 to offer their condolences. “These fires, wherever they occur . . .they devastate communities but when that’s combined with a loss of life, they become fundamentally traumatic, and all our hearts go out to the community and to their family,” Mr Cook said. Roe MP Peter Rundle said his and the thoughts of the Nationals WA went to Mr Mudie’s friends and families, describing the incident as a “very tragic occurrence”. Firefighters got the blaze contained and controlled and it is now stationary but it has burnt more than 4000ha. The blaze was downgraded to advice last Tuesday night and crews remained on the ground last week mopping up.