HAWKESBURY ’ S FINEST ...
by Greg Martin
Halfway through my interview with the Williams family – parents , Brian and Diane and their twin daughters , Justine
and Kylee , I had to put a hold on the questions .
“ Will you excuse me while I ring Julie Ryan , our publisher , to request another two pages for this story ,” I quipped .
Couch potatoes they ain ’ t ! Diane and Brian Williams with their pride and joy , twin sisters , Justine ( l ) and Kylee . The family have all devoted their lives to improving the lot of their fellow citizens .
“ I don ’ t know how I am going to fit the Williams clan feature onto the two pages we normally allocate !”
My pen was working overtime as my notes spread across pages as I weaned information about this remarkable and admirable family ! Crikey , where to start ? Between them , the Fab Four have served Kurrajong Heights RFS for a combined 170 years .
Brian , who “ lent a hand ” to the brigade as a teenager , has been an official member of the brigade for 54 years , the last 37 as highly respected captain .
He has held a multitude of titles including group leader , incident controller , divisional commander , prescribed burn supervisor and member of the National Fire Experts Group .
In 2011 , the revered – yes , revered – firefighter was the team leader of the Hawkesbury Remote Area Firefighting Team ( RAFT ), the first of the new squads to be introduced into the NSW RFS firefighting armoury .
RAFT personnel are specialist members who are particularly effective for work in rugged , isolated areas that firefighting tankers can ’ t access by road . They can then be transported in 4WDs before hiking to the fireground , or sometimes winched in by helicopter .
Brian ’ s bushcraft and knowledge of the Australian bush terrain has been instrumental in finding lost children – he knows the area like the back of his hand . Such has been his devotion and service to his community , Brian has had
the rare honour of been recognised by Rotary International and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship , the highest honour bestowed on an individual for his contribution to his or her community .
Diane joined the brigade four years after her husband , while Kylee and Justine became members at 16 , and next month will be proud recipients of 30-Year NSW RFS Service Awards .
Diane has been a guiding light for the Girl Guides movement for 43 years since accepting a request to join the First Kurrajong Brownie Guide unit as an assistant leader in May 1978 .
Down the years she has served the movement as a Tawny Owl , Brownie Owl and Girl Guide Leader , served on numerous state , regional , divisional and district committees .
This inspirational woman has an abiding love for guides and there is nothing she won ’ t take on to inspire and aid members of the movement .
“ Guides has brought so much joy into my life ,” Diane said .
“ I have had so many wonderful experiences , met and mentored many amazing girls and their parents , grandparents and siblings and count my blessings that Mrs Barbara Jones , Kylee and Justine ’ s kindergarten teacher , asked me those many years ago to help out and become a guide leader .”
Diane had little trouble roping her family into the world of guides – the twins joining while they were in kindergarten with Justine also rising to Guide Leader and Kylee , a computer wiz , does all
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6 ISSUE 143 // APRIL 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT