The Toolangi Fire Brigade lost its eldest member when Robert (Bob) Pockett passed away on 12 August aged 99.
Bob first joined the CFA as a volunteer with the Healesville brigade on 25 March 1942 and then went on to become one of the founding members of the Toolangi Fire Brigade on November 27 1953.
In 1976, he was elected as secretary for the brigade, a position he held until 1987, as well as stints as 3rd lieutenant and communications officer. He was made an honorary life member in 1997, received the national medal in 2003 and was recognised for 65 years of service in 2017.
Toolangi CFA captain Dawn Hartog said, “Though not as visible around the brigade in recent years, Bob always kept an ear out to what we were up to, maintained contact with the members, enjoyed the successes the brigade has experienced, and maintained his passion for the Toolangi Fire Brigade.”
Unanimously, Bob’s fellow brigade members remember him as someone who was always there for the right reasons, always there to help; if there were any added things to be done, he took them on. Bob was a stickler for doing things the correct way; in particular meetings had to be run the right way.
His clerical rules and book work were impeccable. One of the most memorable moments brigade members recall was when when he was trying to balance the books a few weeks before a brigade meeting, Bob was beside himself, as he couldn’t find one cent.
No matter what he did, he couldn’t find this one missing cent. One of the member’s offered to just give Bob the one cent, but he wouldn’t have it. That wasn’t the point. This missing cent had to be found. This went on for a few weeks, and sure enough, through both the eagle eye of Bob and his following of processes, he found where this missing cent had gone. The books were in balance and all was well.
The brigade was always an interest and passion for Bob and the membership could see the great pride he took in his responsibilities and in ensuring the local communities had a brigade to support them in their time of need.
If the brigade ever had a function, Bob’s wife Jean, along with a few of the local ladies would always ensure that tummies were full, and that beautiful craftsmanship was in place. Jean was also a non-operational member of the brigade, often answering the FRS calls in the early days. Bob was the prime organiser behind the large Fire Brigade Balls held in the local hall back in the day, which raised much needed money to pay for advances in the brigade.
In fact, he used to take at least a week of his own annual leave off work each year to attend to this specific task, with his family members dispatched by train to places as far as Richmond to get decorations and so on.
The way the Toolangi brigade emerged from being a very small and at times derided bush outfit, to a well-equipped and professional brigade during the latter 1970’s, can all be attributed to the involvement that Bob has had over the years. Always an integral part of the base support for the brigade, Toolangi members said they will forever be thankful.
“His legacy will live on through those that knew him, the strawberry runner scheme, through the incredible contribution to the fire brigade and the many books he wrote on the history of the local areas, organisations and features,” Ms Hartog said.
“Our sincere condolences go out to Bob’s family and friends, and those that knew him through his distinguished career. Losing a member of the brigade is like losing a family member; and losing a founding member is truly the closing of a chapter of the brigade’s history.”
