Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After an extraordinary 59 years of service to Rhodes Fire Station, including more than 40 years as captain, Greg McIlwaine has hung up his helmet and retired. Greg's name is synonymous with fire safety in our community. His leadership, commitment and deep local knowledge have protected generations of families across Rhodes and the City of Canada Bay, from hazardous industrial sites to high-rise developments and from Concord Hospital to Rivendell School. Greg's dedication to fire prevention and rescue as well as pre-incident planning has been second to none.

Over his distinguished career, Greg has accrued a long list of honours. He's been awarded the Australian Fire Service medal, the National Medal with four clasps, the long service and good conduct medal, the New South Wales Premier's Bushfire Emergency Citation and the National Emergency Medal. But Greg's legacy runs deeper than that. The McIlwaine family name has been part of Rhodes Fire Station since it began 104 years ago. The fire station was founded by Greg's grandfather, Captain Charles McIlwaine. Greg is also a proud member of our local Labor family. His Labor values have never wavered, and he's handed out for the party on more occasions than can be counted. Greg, thank you for your service and leadership in our community.