FAREWELL CAPTAIN MICK CHRISTIE

After nearly 36 years as a member of the Woodend CFA, Captain Mick Christie and his wife Leanne have decided to escape the Woodend winter permanently and move to the warmer climate of Queensland.
It is indeed a sad day for the Woodend CFA and community, who have lost a man who has done so much for so many over such a long period.
Michael John Christie has spent most of his life living and working in and around the Woodend area. Many will know him from his winter wood deliveries and summer slashing work.
He joined the Woodend CFA on November 3, 1982 and the following February underwent a baptism of fire in the Ash Wednesday fires. Since then he has been involved in every major fire in the area, and many around the state and interstate.
He became 5th Lieutenant in 1997, 2nd Lieutenant in 1998 and 1st Lieutenant in 2000, before becoming Captain in 2001. He has therefore spent an amazing 17 years in charge of the Woodend Fire Brigade and, in that time, has worked with an amazing group of volunteers.
In 2004, he was elected Mountain Group 4th DGO, up to 3rd DGO in 2010 and 2nd DGO in 2011, making a total of 14 years as a Deputy Group Officer in the Macedon Ranges area. He also served diligently on numerous committees and working groups over the years.
In 2011, he was awarded the CFA National Medal, which recognises prolonged exposure to hazard in the service of the community. It is available to operational members in approved organisations that protect life and property at some risk to their members.
In 2015, he was awarded the National Emergency Medal, following the Black Saturday fires. The medal was established by Her Majesty the Queen and is an award of the Australian honours system given for sustained service during a nationally significant emergency.
In 2017, he was elected a Life Member of the Woodend CFA, honouring his many years of service, above-and-beyond the call of duty.
Mick is highly regarded as a very competent leader at incidents. He has been a strike team leader and incident controller on many occasions, including Black Saturday. He was always available to Woodend CFA volunteers and even other brigades often seek his advice. At times, it was not rare to find him at a different meeting nearly every night.
He has been a driving force in progressing the brigade to where it is today and always striving to improve the safety of the district and its communities.
We sincerely wish Mick and Leanne all the very best for their new life up north.
He will be replaced as Captain by First Lieutenant Mike Dornau, until new Brigade elections are conducted this coming May.
We wish Mick and Leanne all the best in their future adventures.