Queen’s Birthday AFSMs 2016 - Joseph Brown

Summary

Joseph Brown from the Canobolas Zone has been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal, announced on the Queen’s Birthday 2016.

oseph Brown

Joseph Brown was born in 1930 In the Blayney district. In 1936 the Hobby's Yards Bush Fire Brigade (now Barry Hobbys Rural Fire Brigade) was established with 15 members and its first equipment allocation consisted of six beaters and six knapsacks. During the war years all meetings were held in conjunction with other local events to save on travel for its members. In 1947 when the President was away Joe was asked if he would like to chair the meeting. He had just finished school and had some experience on how to run a meeting so reluctantly agreed. Soon after Joe was voted in as President and to this day remains the President of the Barry Hobbys Rural Fire Brigade. At the Brigade's next annual general meeting it will be 70 years that Joe has been President which is quite an achievement. Joe had held several other positions within the Brigade including being voted in as Brigade Captain in 1972, a position which he held for 22 years. Whilst in the Captain's position, Joe designed and built a fire truck out of a 1950's seven ton Commer, complete with: two 1,500 litre water tanks; pressure, transfer and fast fill pumps; fire extinguishers; safety rails and front cabin jets for grass fires. This truck was ahead of its time and served the community for many years until privately owned trucks were phased out. 

Joe has attended numerous incidents over his 70 years but the one that really stands out is the fire which started on his property in 1965 due to a lightning strike. Due to the bad conditions on the day, the fire spread quickly heading north east towards Bathurst. Many locals came to assist but as there was limited fire fighting equipment it was a matter of getting stock out of the path of the fire and a neighbour took his orchard sprayer over to assist which saved sheds and other property. Joe thought the sprayer was just fantastic and was the catalyst for him designing and building the brigades first fire truck not long after. The fire burnt out 2,000 acres before being controlled and extinguished when it reached already burnt ground from a fire that had occurred a week earlier. 

Due to Joe's extensive fire related skills and experience, he was appointed as a Deputy Fire Control Officer for the Blayney Shire Council in the late 1980's and remained in that position for over 10 years. Joe remained an active fire fighter until he turned 80 when he decided it was time to take a step back and found another role within the brigade looking after equipment and also completed the RFS aircraft radio controller course. Even though Joe is approaching 90 he still very fit and active and has been a mentor and inspiration for the many members of the Barry Hobbys and neighbouring Brigades. 

Joe is a well respected and trusted member of the Barry Hobbys Brigade and all members would agree that he is a very worthy recipient of the Australian Fire Service Medal.