By Jamie Salter
Dedicated volunteer Graeme Legge is receiving an AM as part of the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his service to the Emerald community over seven decades.
At the young age of 15, Graeme was exposed to the joys of volunteering and there was no turning back.
“On a hot summers night I was walking home and the fire siren went, so I jogged to the fire station and sort of hung around before the crew came and called out ‘well are you coming or aren’t you?’ so I jumped onto the back of the fire truck,” he said.
A life member of the Emerald Fire Brigade since 2013, Graeme spent 10 years as secretary, 12 years as captain and is now vice-president.
“I ended up joining the Geelong City Fire Brigade which proved admirable help in my education about fire. We had formal training sessions and I remember sitting there taking notes on how a breathing apparatus and fire extinguishers work,” Graeme said.
“We had marching competitions for formal occasions like a funeral, life memberships and champion fireman competitions which I brought over to Emerald.”
A compassionate and caring man, giving back to the community was a principle instilled into Graeme from a young age.
“On Sundays I went to church and learnt the story of the good Samaritan helping other people, at school the next day I saluted the flag and said ‘I serve the Queen and cheerfully obey’ and at Scouts I made the promise to help other people at all times – that message was reinforced.”
Graeme joined the Queens Scout Association and remains a member to this day.
“Scouts encourages people to look outside of themselves to be loyal to the country we will in and to help other people,” he said.
He was selected to represent his school by the Sun newspaper for a travel program and journeyed to England in 1951 where he met the Duke And Duchess Of Gloucester at St. James’ Palace.
“As we were walking around the Duke said ‘You Victorian school boys would be interested in this painting’ and it was the original painting of the opening of Federal Parliament in the Royal Exhibition Building in 1901 and I was viewing it 50 years later. Another 50 years on, there was a centenary event in the Exhibition Building and I was invited as mayor at the time.”
In 1983, Graeme got involved in the Emerald and District Ambulance Auxiliary as the community became concerned with lengthy wait times for ambulances which travelled to Emerald from Ferntree Gully.
Graeme worked to start an ambulance branch in Emerald which was co-housed in the fire brigade for about three years and nine months.
“There was community put in effort to create an ambulance branch here – we were so keen that we ended up paying 50 per cent of the cost for a new premises instead of the 30 per cent required,” he said.
He said the two organisations co-existed but there were little mishaps now and then.
“I failed to tell the Ladies Auxiliary of the fire brigade there was an ambulance officer sleeping under the billiards table at the fire station because he had a night call out and he was surprised to see a bunch of ladies about to step into the room to hold their meeting,” Graeme said.
“He sat up abruptly and banged his head on the table.”
The Emerald community recognised Graeme’s selfless dedication and suggested he stand for council in Cardinia Shire.
Graeme was a councillor from 1997 to 2012 and had multiple stints as mayor before he was bestowed the Mayor Emeritus Award from the Municipal Association of Victoria.
“I enjoyed people getting together and agreeing on what was needed – leading to projects coming about in the community,” he said.
He was awarded Emerald Citizen of the Year in 2020 and Senior Citizen of the Year in 2015.
In 1989, Graeme became Justice of the Peace and was recognised as a fellow of the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices in 2016.
He gained a Master of Divinity and continues to lead a church service once a month at Gembrook Uniting Church.
Graeme worked as a teacher for 40 years across Emerald State School, Monbulk Primary and then Upway Primary before coming back to Emerald.
With a fascination for local history and a love of putting pen to paper, Graeme wrote books about the history of Emerald’s ambulance service and the centenary of Emerald schools, and is set to publish a book about his experience with Scouts Victoria.
“The local group member contacted people who had been scouts to record their experiences and that encouraged me to go through trunks of memorabilia and folders of newspaper clippings and photos and I put it all together and realised the progression of things, so that led to my formal writing,” Graeme said.
Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2003, Graeme was delighted to be acknowledge with an AM about 20 years later.
“It’s a real thrill and an encouragement,” he said.
“It’s recognition for ongoing involvement in the community across my span of life.”
At 86 years old, Graeme doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
“I cherish the community,” Graeme said.
“We’re richer when the community has a certain outlook – which is helping one another when the need is there – whether it’s at the local football team or something like Rotary.
“If we didn’t have that, our lives would be diminished considerably.”
