Ivan Lee received a 75-year service medal from Acting Commander Matthew Johnson
A 90-year-old CFA veteran who recently received his 75 year service award, joined CFA at the young age of 15.
Ivan Lee received the honour at the District 24 CFA Headquarters Brigade Years of Service Awards Night on 23 July 2024.
Ivan was invited to join Myrtleford Brigade in December 1948.
Ivan said that back then members were alerted to a fire call by a bell situated in front of the Post Office which would be rung by a member of the Post Office staff after a call had come through to the switchboard operator.
Ivan remembers that the busiest time of the year was during tobacco picking season as the leaf was dried and cured in a heated kiln. Most weeks at least two kilns would go up in flames, though one year there were 15 kiln fires in one week.
It was also the responsibility of the brigade to provide two members in full uniform to be on fire duty at the local hall whenever the venue was used as a picture house. The equipment given to the two members was very limited: a plug spanner and axe on your belt and about six buckets of water at the rear of the hall.
In 1959 Ivan and his wife Margaret, moved to Nyah West where he then became a member of the local brigade.
Ivan served as a Regional Council Delegate on the Victorian Urban Fire Brigades Association Executive Council from 1964 to 1969.
In 1983 Ivan and Margaret moved to Ocean Grove and they transferred to Ocean Grove Fire Brigade.
In 2006, Ivan’s wife Margaret received her 50-year Bar to her Long Service Badge with the Auxiliary, an event that made him very proud of her achievement with CFA. At this time, between them, they had served a total of 114 years to CFA.
Ivan has received the following awards over the years:
- Fire Brigades Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
- Victorian Urban Fire Brigades Association Gold Star Award
- National Medal
- Honorary Life Member Ocean Grove Fire Brigade
- Honorary Life Member Country Fire Authority
- 3rd Bar to National Medal
In 2017, Ivan was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, for service to the community, which was presented to him at Government House in Melbourne.
We were very privileged to have Ivan join our brigade in December 2021, when he and Margaret moved to Albury. Ivan is a true gentleman, and it is a delight to have him attend our meetings and monthly training sessions, as he has such a wealth of experience to hand onto other brigade members, as well as some interesting stories.
| Submitted by |
Wendy Slater |