Buxton Fire Brigade celebrates 80 years

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Member News image Brigade Life Member Wayne Fiske cutting the cake with Mayor Damien Gallagher

Buxton Fire Brigade members and the local community have gathered to celebrate the brigade's 80th anniversary.

Celebrations were split across two events over the weekend; an Open Day and an Anniversary Dinner where several members were honoured with Life Memberships.

Buxton Captain Paul Denham said his members are proud to protect their community and they also step up to help out their emergency service colleagues if ever they’re in need.

“In the 2019-20 bushfire season we had members who deployed to Queensland and others that assisted in the fires in the far North-East of Victoria and during that time we were still able to support Buxton,” said Paul.

"Our station may not have all the mod cons but we take pride in what we've got and we're lucky to be supported by community good will.

"Sunday's events were about celebrating that."

The small but mighty brigade has fought hard over the years to secure VESEP grants for station improvements like the recent addition of a workshop but Paul said the upgrades provide more than just better functionality to the station.

"You don't attract people to a fire station if you don't have good facilities," he said.

"During covid we weren't allowed to go inside the building and we found we had nowhere to sit outside.

"We’ve since built a great little gazebo that people can sit under, have a barbecue and chat after a fire call.

“It was a simple idea but it’s made a big difference.”

CFA Life Memberships were awarded over the weekend to brigade member Wayne Briggs, firefighter Ken Carlton and former Captain Peter Cureton.

The Victoria Police Highway Patrol made the Open Day extra special by regularly driving past sounding its siren in short blasts and flashing its lights while kids got their first taste of Buxton brigade life in Little Pat the Fire Engine.

The day concluded with the traditional cutting of a cake with Brigade Life Member Wayne Fiske doing the honours assisted by Murrindindi Shire Council Mayor Councillor Damien Gallagher.

Buxton brigade was born out of necessity in 1943 but it wasn't until the following year that it was officially registered by the Bush Fire Brigades Committee.