Big contribution: Citizen of the Year Graeme Teasdale has been a firefighter for 50 years. Photos: Aidan Briggs
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
When Graeme Teasdale found out that he was Murray River Council’s Citizen of the Year it was a delightful surprise for him.
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“I'm sort of a bit overwhelmed. I sort of haven't come to any sort of grips with it at all,” he said.
“A couple of the guys wrote in a letter and I didn't even know anything about it.”
Team effort: It was Graeme Teasdale’s colleagues that nominated him for Citizen of the Year.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
As one of seven awards being handed out on January 26, Mr Teasdale is being recognised for his outstanding contribution to the local area, most notably through his service to the Moama Fire Brigade over the last 50 years.
Mr Teasdale has seen a lot of change over the years after joining the brigade in 1973 and became captain in early 1990.
“The biggest difference is just keeping up with all the modern facilities, all the modern gear that we've got now. It’s different to when we just had a little truck, we used to sit on the back and run out of hose,” he said.
Home, sweet home: Graeme Teasdale said that Moama is a beautiful place and that he loves being part of the community.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
Although Mr Teasdale has loved the job, he said that not all of it is easy.
“We get a turnout on our pager or phone and we don’t always know what’s going to happen next. It could be an alert at the nursing home or it can be something really bad or a house fire or something,” he said.
“So it’s pretty complex at times but that’s part of the job. We do a lot of training here.”
The council said that it was partly Mr Teasdale’s selfless spirit that it was recognising.
“His tireless efforts, sacrifices, and countless acts of service have left an indelible mark on the fire and rescue services, both locally and across the state,” it said.
“His strong leadership and operational expertise have also been heavily drawn on throughout many emergencies during his time of service. In fact, there is unlikely to be a significant emergency event in the last 40-plus years that Graeme wouldn’t have responded to.”
All about community: The Murray River Council noted Graeme Teasdale’s spirit of sacrifice when announcing Citizen of the Year award.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
He has enjoyed all of the years being an integral member of the Moama community.
“Moama is a great community filled with lovely people, and I’ve seen it grow so much in the years that I’ve worked here.”
Mr Teasdale said it is his team that often keeps him going making it even more meaningful to be nominated by them.
“There are 12 of them and they’re all great bunch. That’s the only reason I stick it out because they're really good,” he said.
“I’m pretty proud to get this on behalf of the fire brigade guys because they put me in there to be their representative.”
Big surprise: Graeme Teasdale said he was overwhelmed when he found out he was Citizen of the Year
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
The council said Mr Teasdale has consistently demonstrated unmatched dedication, resilience, and a genuine concern for the welfare of others.
“His leadership has inspired generations of firefighters, fostering a sense of camaraderie and a commitment to service that will endure for years to come,” council said.
“It is with immense gratitude and admiration that we recognise the unwavering commitment Graeme has shown to the safety and wellbeing of our community for such an impressive period of time.”
Mr Teasdale is looking forward to becoming Citizen of the Year on January 26.
“You always think, how come they picked my name out special but when it comes down to nitty gritty, you go, oh, well I must’ve done something right,” he said.
“I’m overwhelmed and pleased to be a representative of the Murray Shire this year, so I’m looking forward to the day.”
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