BORENORE would have a challenge picking a harder worker than Garry Lindfield as its citizen of the year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Lindfield received the honour for his 64 years’ service to the Borenore Rural Fire Brigade, where he is still deputy captain.
Australia Day ambassador Gordon Bray presented the certificate at a ceremony at Borenore Railway Station.
“I’m very proud, it’s a very big honour,” Mr Lindfield said.
Involved with the Borenore RFS brigade since 1950, the 78-year-old has served as captain and deputy captain and remains widely regarded as the “go-to person”.
He has been in charge of equipment maintenance since 2001.
Mr Lindfield was just 14 when he was inspired to become part of the brigade - his family had just moved from Orange to Borenore when one of the sheds caught fire.
“I was amazed by the way the whole community came together to put it out,” he said.
“Men and women were grabbing the square hay bales and throwing them out of the shed, it was amazing how much they worked.”
When he first joined, firefighting equipment consisted of a humble farm truck with a 44-gallon drum attached, 200 litres in today’s measurement.
“We’ve still got the 1950 Austin, which I got when I could drive and it’s still being used - it’s part of the history of Borenore,” he said.
“But we’ve finally got the beautiful new fire shed and we’ve got very modern trucks now - you can get five or six men in them, before it was two if you were lucky.”
Mr Lindfield said he remained involved because the brigade was always in need of manpower and it continued to interest him.
“It’s just about getting in and helping people and it’s a desperate time,” he said.
The Borenore Community Progress Association received the Community Group of the Year award for its efforts to resurrect the railway station and tennis courts for community use.
danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au
