EVEN in retirement, well-known Katherine identity Bob White has the community at the forefront of his mind.
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More than 35 friends and Bushfires NT colleagues converged on Katherine Volunteer Bushfire Brigade headquarters to celebrate Mr White packing away his firefighting gear for the last time on July 14, but he quickly turned the focus back on the organisation he has dedicated so much of his life to.
“It’s all about the volunteers,” he told the Katherine Times.
“If me retiring can show one things, it’s that we need more volunteer firefighters in Katherine.
“I’d absolutely love to see some younger people getting involved.”
Mr White is also retiring as Bushfire NT’s regional fire control officer for the Savannah region, and his colleagues paid tribute to his expertise during the colourful farewell.
Bushfires NT assistant director Andrew Turner said Mr White’s knowledge of the region had been invaluable during emergencies.
“Around Katherine, he’s been actively involved with the volunteer brigade and helped them,” he said.
“That knowledge he has makes a big difference with a fire.”
During the farewell, Land Resource Management Minister Willem Westra van Holthe presented Mr White with a Long and Meritorious Service Medal.