After countless thousands of kilometres on the roads of western Queensland and over to Mornington Island, Rural Fire Service area director Gavin Fryar is calling it a day.
As both a volunteer and a staff member in his 39-year career, it's the people he worked with that have given him lasting memories.
"You work with people who volunteer for the right reasons, to protect their communities," he explained, after a lunch in Charters Towers to farewell him.
He's been looking after 110 RFS brigades across a huge area from Charters Towers to Mount Isa, north to Mornington Island, and south to Birdsville.
Despite the travel away from home, Mr Fryar said he'd had the pleasure of working with hundreds of staff and volunteers whose hard work and commitment speaks to the resilience of western Queensland.
"I've always liked wide-open spaces and this job has given me the opportunity to form life-long friendships with some wonderful people who make up the heart of western Queensland," he said.
"I can travel over 10,000 kilometres over a six-week period while I'm conducting fire management group meetings but it's never a chore because you're dealing with a very good, honest community.
"I was there to support and assist the community but they don't ask for more than they need, they just get on with business."
Originally a dairy farmer, Mr Fryar started with the Rural Fire Service in 1981 as the inaugural first officer at Glastonbury, a small town west of Gympie.
"I joined for the reason most people join the Rural Fire Service - to support the community in times of fire," he said.
"I left dairy farming and Queensland in 2001 to live in Victoria, where I joined Country Fire Authority for 6 years.
"In 2007 I returned to Queensland as an Area Training and Support Officer for the Rural Fire Service in Rockhampton, before moving to Charters Towers as an area director in 2010.
"I've stayed with the Rural Fire Service because of the community spirit. It's about the community helping the community and the value of volunteering to help your neighbours."
Mr Fryar says recent years have been among the toughest for western Queensland, with drought and flooding affecting hundreds of his staff, volunteers and friends.
"I experienced drought as a farmer myself, so it is heart-breaking to see the community and the people you work closely with going through times of hardship," he said.
"You have to make sure you're there to support them and sometimes just to talk to them - have a yarn."
Mr Fryar isn't sure what the future holds post-retirement, but he is going to "sit back for a little while and take everything in".
"When I'm ready I might look at going back to volunteering in some capacity, but I'd like to have a relax and maybe travel," he said.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
