A 50-year veteran of the NSW State Emergency Service has been awarded the 2019 Maritime Medal.
The NSW Maritime Medal is awarded for outstanding and sustained contributions by individuals or organisations to the boating and maritime community in NSW.
“It’s an amazing honour,” says Colin. “I never knew of the Maritime Medal, I never expected it, so to actually achieve it is a massive honour.”
Initially joining the NSW Civil Defence (now the NSW SES) in 1969 at the City of Sydney Unit, Colin has been training members to be on-water flood rescue boat operators and assessing them to be masters of the eight different types of boats the NSW SES have in their fleet, so they can safely operate flood rescue boats and rescue people and animals in often turbulent and dangerous flood waters.
“I love what I do,” says Colin. “I love the SES. I love the rescue component of it.”
Later moving to the Waverley-Woollahra Unit where he remains an active member of the NSW SES leading mentoring programs and is also training NSW SES staff to be trainers so they can teach the next generation of staff and volunteers to operate the NSW SES fleet.
“You love the people that just turn around and say thank you,” says Colin. “That’s all the thanks you need, is just someone to say thank you, at the end of the day.”
Colin has also been awarded the National Medal in 1988, the National Medal 1st Clasp in 1994 and NSW SES Life Membership.
Colin’s wife, son, daughter-in-law and nephews have all joined the NSW SES with the McQueen family now surpassing 150 years combined service to the NSW community.
