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LOCAL LIFE
Bruce Earle
rebuilt the Freemans Reach brigade to be a thriving, highly trained and cohesive group of firefighters who play a pivotal role in protecting the community during bushfire season.
This was on display during the horrendous 2019 Gosper’ s Mountain Fire which burned for three months, consumed over 1 million hectares of land, and destroyed more than 100 homes.
Bruce led the Freemans Reach Brigade, while also stepping up into Divisional Commander roles and coordinating the wider district’ s response to the devastating fire.
But during my interview with this remarkable man, I learned there was much more to him than being a highly respected firefighter.
On the job front, he has been employed by Hawkesbury City Council for nigh on 40 years, initially as a member of the finance team but since 1990, as the council’ s stores supervisor.
“ I did my schooling at Freemans Reach Public and then Colo High, leaving with my HSC in 1985 and finding my first job as a chainman for a Windsor surveying business,” Bruce said.
“ I jumped at the opportunity to be employed by Hawkesbury City Council where I have been fortunate to work with a terrific bunch of people.”
Again, with the“ but” – there’ s more to Bruce Owen than work and fire-fighting – and that’ s tennis and cricket and family.
Bruce is a doting and proud father of 28-year-old Alex and Tori, four years her
brother’ s junior, and his sister, Merilyn Fowler, is a real cricket legend.
“ Merilyn was the Hawkesbury’ s Hawks first grade scorer for 25 years and went on to also officiate in 31 One Day Internationals and 10 Tests,” said a proud brother.
“ Both my children have done well with their lives – Alex is rated as a supreme greenkeeper having learned and honed his craft at the King’ s School and Wimbledon tennis club before taking up his current role at an international sports centre in Stuttgart, Germany.
“ Tori works in office administration, and her chosen sport was netball at which she graduated to play A Grade in the powerful Hawksbury City Netball Association competition.”
Back to Bruce, tennis and cricket – tennis in winter and the flannelled fools game each summer.
“ When I was growing up, I reckon most people in the Hawkesbury played tennis – there were courts all over the district, but sadly that is certainly not the case nowadays” Bruce said.
“ Mum and Dad operated the Freemans Reach Tennis Club and of course I was into the game as soon as I could handle a racquet.”
Over the years since being knee-high to a tennis net, Bruce has continued to play the game – having success down the years in what were then powerful Hawkesbury District Tennis Association Championships.
His career in cricket commenced at 10
Cut and dried! A classy batsman throughout his junior and top-grade career, Bruce is shown cutting( yet another) ball to the boundary.
years with Freemans Reach club but the following year when the club couldn’ t field junior sides, he spent the following five seasons with Wilberforce.
“ I returned to Freemans Reach when I was 16 to play in the seniors and I suppose you could say I had a bit of success, playing in the batting top order,” Bruce said.
Over the years since, Bruce played the in the top grade for Hawkesbury Hawks in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition,
lined up against Test and State players for Hawkesbury in matches against the always powerful Jack Chegwyn touring team, and had a successful season playing in English County Cricket.
On the home cricket front, Bruce linked with North Richmond club for the 1995- 96 season and over the ensuing decade picked up six first grade premierships.
Yep, life’ s been a ball... and racquet.. and bat for Bruce Owen.
And of course, a hose!
KURMOND
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