By Parker McKenzie
Volunteers from around Ferntree Gully were once again rewarded for their efforts at the Knox Community Victoria Day Awards.
On 1 July every year, Ferntree Gully MP Nick Wakeling and Rowville MP Kim Wells host the awards on the same day as the formation of the state in 1851.
Mr Wakeling said this year marked the 15th anniversary of an important community event.
“41 volunteers were recognised for their fantastic service to the Knox Community infront of their many family and friends,” he said.
“These volunteers were represented by an array of local service, emergency, sport, cultural, religious, environment and community organisations.”
Among the 41 volunteers recognised was Boronia CFA member Bill Ireland and Ray Peace from the Knox Historical Society.
Mr Peace, who has been a member of the Historical Society for 17 years, said he wasn’t expecting to honored with an award.
“It took a while to sink in but I’m feeling very proud,” he said.
“I’m hoping there are more awards like this in the future, not for me personally, but for all the volunteers who do so much.”
Mr Ireland said he been involved in fire fighting for over 55 years after joining the CFA in 1967.
“I was involved in fire fighting for a little bit before that, but I was only known as a casual fire-fighter,” he said.
“I was involved in the 1962 bushfires in the Dandenongs and five years later I joined Boronia CFA.”
Mr Ireland has also been collecting information and historical documents on bushfires in the area dating back to the 1800s. The documents are stored with the Knox Historical Society.
He said the area and firefighting have changed greatly since he joined the CFA.
“When I first joined the brigade, the only equipment we were issued was one helmet which I had to pay half the cost for, that was all we got,” he said.
“We had to supply our own jackets. The metropolitan fire brigade used to drop by occasionally with second-hand jackets for us, we were the poor cousins.”
Mr Ireland has been involved in the Red Cross appeal for the Royal Children’s Hospital for over 50 years.
He said he has seen the way firefighters respond to calls and incidents improve dramatically compared to his early years in the CFA.
“When I first joined I had to keep my eyes peeled for a siren which sounded at Boronia for a fire call, that was our only means of knowing that we had a call,” Mr Ireland said.
“We then had what they called a fire reporting system which meant if we were on a telephone call a special tone would come over the line and I’d have to tell the caller to hang up and then we’d be connected directly to the fire station.”
The event is sponsored by the Bendigo Community Bank Ferntree Gully branch.
