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Trevor ‘Blue’ Wyatt lives with wife Glenda in the township of Murrayville, close to the South Australian border on the edge of Region 18.
Blue was born in Murrayville Hospital 61 years ago and has lived there all his life, apart from short stints working in Western Australia.
He’s not sure precisely when he joined CFA, but knows it was “before I had a licence” – 43 or 44 years ago.
He wasn’t from a CFA family, but joined because: “the community needed a hand. Someone needs to do it. A few young bucks joined together.”
Apart from serving the community, Blue said he kept up his CFA involvement because he enjoyed meeting people and travelling around the state.
He also likes to “do a bit for the brigades” and “look out for the volunteers.”
Blue’s held the position of Group Officer for the Murrayville and Border Group for about 12 years now. He’s never been Captain of Murrayville brigade because he thinks it’s not possible to effectively serve in both roles at once.
“I don’t believe you can be Captain and Group Officer at the same time.”
It’s a unique Group, consisting of two Victorian brigades and three from South Australia’s Country Fire Service – a sign of co-operation between the states and a pointer to the vast distances involved in life near the Victorian/SA border.
And despite its isolation, the Group punches above its weight – CFA’s Private Equipment Guidelines were based on how Blue and the Group run things, and the local brigades recently pulled up a 1000 acre (405 hectare) stubble fire with two firetrucks and three private utes.
“We rounded it up in less than an hour and a half, mainly because it wasn’t windy.”
The long-serving member can’t see himself leaving CFA anytime soon – “As long as it all works OK, I’ll stay in as long as I can.”
Blue is also a fixture in the community. He belongs to Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV) as an Ambulance Community Officer and is president of the local RAV auxiliary, is a Justice of the Peace, was a Scout leader, is president of the liaison committee between the council and residents, is vice-president of the silo committee and belongs to the Murrayville Foundation (for people in need).
In CFA, Blue’s the Region Association president, the Region 18 Association representative, on the Regional Planning Committee, the Municipal Fire Prevention Committee, and is a member of the Joint Equipment Review Committee (JERC).
Being involved in so many organisations, it’s bit of a standard joke that it can be unclear which role he’s in: “People ask which hat I’m wearing. Sometimes I feel like I’ve got my ambulance pants and CFA helmet on.”
And that’s understandable, given that the brigade’s response area is huge – 55 kilometres from west to east and 45 kilometres north-south.
When not busy with his farm, CFA and other community duties, Blue enjoys off-road racing and organising family reunions, held at Lake Hindmarsh. He’s also a very proud family man who adores his wife – although she’s just as busy as Blue – and two daughters. One is a solicitor in Adelaide and the other works in Ohio, in the United States.
There’s no mucking around with Blue. If he doesn’t want to talk with you, he’ll tell you. And he “never, ever” wears a tie – not even when being presented with his AFSM (Australian Fire Services Medal) at Government House a few years ago. The Governor sent word it was OK for Blue to wear an open-necked shirt.
“I’m not in this job for the medals. I’m in it for the benefit of the community and I’ve taken on other jobs to sort out bits of the community.”
And he’s lasted in CFA despite a solid and lasting hatred of acronyms. “You can write that. I hate them.”
“It’s an incredible organisation. I can go just about anywhere in the state and know that someone will put me up for the night. The fire brigade is a big family to the end. And it’s good if you can help someone.”
(An abridged version of this article was first published in the Autumn 2008 edition of Brigade magazine)
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