He’s been awarded 14 life memberships to organisations ranging from cattle graziers' associations through to sporting bodies and the Vic Roads Safety Council and, of course, CFA.
He also finds time to coach junior cricket and pulls his weight on the farm he runs with a couple of his sons. The day CFA Connect spoke to him he was sorting out the firewood and he still gets on the tractor regularly. Stan confesses to having bandy legs after spending so much time on horseback.
“I went to fires until the 1970s,” says Stan, “then I went straight into comms. Since then there have been some fires that needed attention all through the night. I’d get the next crew together and keep families informed about when a shift would end. We’re pretty well organised and I’ve got some very loyal firefighters who drop everything and go.”
There are a few things that Stan believes put him on the right path in life. “I grew up in a family that talked cricket,” he says, “and I represented Victoria Country against the English national team in 1937. I got out the English captain Gubby Allen."
All CFA cricket tragics can view the complete match statistics.
“Cricket is a great character builder," continues Stan. "You’re out there and 12 fellows don’t want you out there!
“When I was 16, I met Don Bradman. He told us to get as much as possible out of our natural abilities. He said, ‘You must forget about the little white things’ meaning cigarettes, and ‘You mustn’t go in the brick buildings on the corners’ meaning pubs. And I never did. When Bradman tells you something, it makes a big impression.”
Stan was married to Vera for more than 60 years – she passed away two years ago. "Anything that needed to be done, she was behind it," says Stan. "We shared a love of farm life. It’s a very healthy life because you’re living with nature. Your area becomes part of you and you want to keep it alive.
“A lady who lives nearby said to me, ‘We’re awful lucky. We don’t get flooded out or burnt out. We don’t have car fumes. We’re our own boss.’
“If you forget the dollars and cents, farm life is the best life there is.”
Many thanks to The Weekly Times for the photos.
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