Recognising the late Les Cameron on 45-year service to Harden SES and more

Having purchased his own garage, mentored local youths in the area, volunteered as an Ambulance Officer and being part of the Fire Brigade to name a few, the late Les Cameron was truly a leader in his community.

Just last Saturday at the Yass Soldier’s Club, the National Medal and 45 years of long service medal was awarded posthumously to Les.

The former Harden SES Unit Head Controller was recognised of his efforts with the award presented by Harden SES Commander Garry Buckley and accepted by his wife Sue Cameron and daughter Beth Allen.

Upon accepting the award on his behalf, wife Sue said he would have been over the moon by the recognition.

“He would’ve been thrilled to bits,“ Mrs Cameron said.

“I always supported him and I was right there beside and behind him.

“It was his life, he was a very community-minded person in more ways than one and he was always there for others.”

Pictured is Beth with a cup, the mug that would be beside Les in the control room, with “Les” written on it.

The Camerons were quite a team.

When the sirens for an emergency would go off in the area, Sue said she’d dropped everything at home and would jump in her car to arrive at the garage.

Since Les would rush out of the local Caltex garage to put on his cap and assist as an emergency responder, Sue would arrive shortly after to pull the roller doors back up and continue business.

There were many risks that entailed Les’ role as a emergency responder but Sue said she always took comfort that he was in good hands with the team at the Harden station.

It was never a real worry for me,” Sue said.

“When he was out on jobs I had a sense that he would be safe as I knew they [Harden SES members] are all out there supporting each other and looking out for each other.”

Harden SES Commander Garry Buckley added that the 2018 Australia Day Citizen of the Year recipient was always there for his community when they needed him.

“Les played a huge part in his community but he was also a rather quiet achiever,” Commander Buckley noted.

“To be involved in a lot and to give that amount of dedication [45 years] to a volunteer service and to always be there when he was needed, is truly a milestone.”

Daughter Beth Allen is one of Les’ four daughters, and speaking to The Times she recalls the weekly routine of her dad.

“As long as I can remember, dad went from one community organisation to another most nights of a week. This would be cadet training on Monday, then SES on Tuesday and so forth,” she said.

“I can remember the feeling of being proud when he got dressed in his official uniforms when there was something major on. Mum would have his uniform ironed and ready to go, us girls would take turns helping him with his shaving cream and making sure his hair was combed back.”

Besides remembering her dad in a SES uniform, at 16, a few other younger members and herself joined the SES unit.

They were trained and assessed on all aspects of the job, which, Les would take them all out to a farm to camp, and to make use of their rope knowledge to set up camp and chainsaws to cut up firewood.

During her time, Beth attended search and rescue, motor vehicle accidents, traffic control, storm damage, and said she was fortunate to accomplish all these under the wing of her dad.

She was also able to travel to Thredbo with Les after the landslide and assist with the recovery efforts there.

“I was proud of dad through the few days we were up there. He treated me the same as all the other junior members, although I was the only one that couldn’t leave his sight,” she joked.

“As a father he was always there for my sisters and I. He was a great man that showed me by example how he achieved and did so much without expecting much in return.”

“Even when his health was deteriorating he would still head to the men’s shed for a cuppa and tinkle on the wood work machines. He still put on his SES uniform and attended a meeting now and then.”

Les was also remembered for loving his eight grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them growing up.

Since running the garage with Sue seven days a week from 7am to 9pm, the grandkids would go visit pop and get their hands dirty out in the work shop from handing the tool to him under cars and bonnets.

During his time Les was a member of the Lions Club, a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, an Officer for the Cadets, a member of the Historical Society and the Men’s Shed.

He was also a mentor with the community Justice Service and a youth group leader with the local church.

The Times would like to congratulate the Camerons on such a remarkable achievement to the Harden community.

Christopher Tan