January 2009 - Page 5
 
 

Volunteers
 

2009 Australia Day Honours List
  Congratulations to our volunteers who have received special recognition in this year's Australia Day medals and awards.
 

Wayne Thorley - Australia Fire Service Medal
 
Wayne Thorley formal portrait, small

Wayne joined the Jervios Brigade in 1983 and has since devoted a huge amount of time and energy to improving the welfare of the volunteer firefighters within the South Australian Country Fire Service.

On joining the Brigade he assumed the operational leadership role of Lieutenant 2 and also took on the role of Brigade Administration Officer.  His positive attitude and leadership in these positions has improved the Brigade's morale and its involvement in social and fundraising activities, enabling the Brigade to expand the size of its station and to house a Bulk Water Carrier and the Region's new Hook truck (pod system).


The Jervois Brigade and its many active members now provide much needed support in times of need to other brigades and Groups across the Region.

He was actively involved in the (then) Volunteer Fire Brigade Association, serving as Branch President of the Murraylands Branch for four years and as a Delegate to the Association's State Management Committee.

Since 2004 he has served as Vice-President of the South Australian Country Fire Service Volunteers Association, and his efforts have assisted with the establishment of positions of Volunteer Support Officers and Regional Business Support Officers.  He now serves the Emergency Services Sector and its volunteers and staff as a member of the SAFECOM Board and was Chair of the Regional Volunteer Management Committee Region 3 in 2007.

He has also served on the Minister's Bushfire Prevention Advisory Board.

Despite this heavy involvement he still continues to serve the Swanport Group as an operational member as Deputy Group Officer and runs a dairy farm.

 
 



Robert Buttery, deceased - Australian Fire Service Medal
 

Mr Buttery was born in the United Kingdom and for some years was a volunteer with the British Fire Service in Essex before emigrating to Australia in the early 1970s.

He joined the Tea Tree Gully Emergency Fire Service; serving at various times with distinction as a Senior Firefighter, Fire Control Officer, Lieutenant and Brigade Captain.  He also served as the Brigade Training Officer, Brigade Administrative Officer and Brigade Representative to the Mount Lofty Volunteer Fire Fighters Association.

Robert was very interested in training and established the first cadets in Tea Tree Gully. He became an instructor and spent many weekends training throughout the region, forming the first competition team in Tea Tree Gully and captaining the Tea Tree Gully team to become the best brigade in the South Australian County Fire Service.

He was the first Region 2 representative on the State Training Committee, and was a member of the Committee that organised the State Competitions and was also a Judge.

In the early 1990s Robert became a Deputy Group Officer within the Para Group, and served as Group Equipment Officer, Region Fire Investigator, and Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Sadly Robert passed away on 18 February 2008 and his award was received posthumously by his wife Patricia.
 


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