Ron Lane
There comes a time for every contributing columnist when he gets the privilege to bring to the attention of the people of the community, a person who has quietly made, ( in the minds of the general public) an outstanding contribution to what in his words is, “A great town full of great people and I love ‘em all.” The author of these words and contributor to our community is Noosa Heads Auxiliary Firefighter Lieutenant Harry Leigh.
On this occasion Friday 19 August at 6pm at the Noosa Heads Fire and Rescue Station, 30 plus of his fellow fire fighters had gathered to acknowledge his retirement: 36 years of service that this dedicated and jovial gentleman had contributed to the welfare of our shire. But perhaps for Harry the highlight of the evening was the surprise arrival from Melbourne of son Jack and fiancé Lauren. With firefighters from adjacent areas also in attendance, it highlighted the high regard in which this officer was held.
As the evening progressed and Harry was greeted with handshakes and big hugs, followed by loud laughter, it became obvious that here was a man respected by his colleagues. As those in our emergancies services, such as firies, police, paramedics and lifeguards can tell you, respect is something that men earn, it is not just given.
Speaking on behalf of all in attendance Noosa Fire Chief Rob Frey said: “Harry is a man well respected by all, not just in our line of work, but also in the sporting world of AFL, where as a player, he certainly made his mark. He was also something of a fanatic when it came to gardening and landscaping. Our lawns and yard were always in top order. I am sure that he will continue working in landscaping now that his career as an Auxiliary Fire Fighter has come to an end.
“As an auxiliary firefighter he was a good team man and someone we could always depend on: and also working for the community is something I feel he will never stop doing.”
Another to speak highly of Harry was Kent Mayne Fire Brigade Inspector for the Gympie Noosa Area. “I have known Harry for many years and he was a real character and very dependable.” He spent some time in New Zealand in the late 80s, and on return in 91, immediately re-joined the team: and was promoted to Lieutenant in 97. He was a highly educated man having amongst other things earned his BA.”
“This,’’ said Kent, with a laugh, “put him in a bit of a spot. At one time the boys reckoned that having Bachelor of Arts, he was just the man for the job of repainting the Noosa station. This he did with no hesitation and a lot of laughter.”
His career on the Noosa AFL field was also a great contribution to the sporting community, for he had made a name for himself while as a youngster playing in Melbourne. Anton Mogg, Manager of the Noosa Surf club also had the happy pleasure of playing with him in Noosa. “We were playing our annual grudge match against Maroochydore when an almighty brawl broke out in centre field. Without a moments hesitation he sprinted into the brawl, jumpted up onto the back of a Maroochy player and riding him like a jockey, yelling out for all to hear; Go you good thing go.”
But perhaps one of the highest complements paid to this loveable larrikin was when a team mate Kerin Kearney, a firefighter of many years’ experiences remarked: “This is a man who would be welcome in any team.” The role of the auxiliary member is of the utmost importance, for they are the support back up team, and can be called upon at any-time, to take their place in any crew in need of support. In his chosen profession there could be no higher complement. On behalf of our community, we are proud to say that Harry Leigh is one of our people.
