After more than 70 years in CFA, Kangaroo Flat’s William “Bill” Bowery has certainly gained the respect of his peers. He joined the Kangaroo Flat Fire Brigade in 1945 and since that day has never looked back.
“I’ve got a picture book full of amazing memories and I think they speak for themselves,” he said.
During his many years with CFA Bill has served in a variety of roles including Captain of the Kangaroo Flat Fire Brigade between 1961 and 1979 and as an Executive Member of the then Victorian Urban Fire Brigades Association (VUFBA) between 1972 and 1980.
He was awarded life membership of the Kangaroo Flat Fire Brigade in 1982 but this was certainly not the end of his success in CFA. Bill is widely known and respected for his outstanding leadership and his dedication to CFA and its objectives and has a long involvement and commitment to Prevention and Preparedness as key activities in improving the safety of the community.
Mr Bowery continues to work with the award-winning CFA North West Region Community Education Group, something he considers one of his professional achievements and as a member one of the roles he performs is delivering fire safety education to children in schools.
He is a trained presenter in the Fire Safe Kids program meaning he is one of the members who attends local primary schools and delivers educational lessons to children from childcare and kindergarten right through to Grade 6.
He was also one of the drivers behind the “Mobile Smoke House” which saw the group undertake a project to have a smoke house built on a caravan chassis enabling members to take education directly to schools and the wider community.
He has also earned the respect and appreciation of members for his commitment to representing them at the Victorian Urban Fire Brigades Association Regional Council for a number of years including a period as President and as an Executive member.
Kangaroo Flat Captain Adam Melis said Bill is a local legend and continues to provide exceptional service to his local community. “He is very deserving of this honour and his brigade is incredibly proud of his lifetime of achievements.” As well as today’s AFSM Bill has also received the Australia Day Citizen of the Year for Kangaroo Flat in 2012.
Bill said the AFSM is a prestigious honour and I’m shocked to receive it but it feels great and it’s great to be Australian. Bill says that throughout his time in CFA he has done the best he could do and loves it all.