Roadside memorial unveiled honouring fallen firefighters
Wingecarribee Shire Council has today honoured the memories of fallen Rural Fire Service volunteers Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer who died during the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires.
The young men were tragically killed while on duty on the evening of Thursday 19 December 2019 battling the Green Wattle Creek bushfire which threatened and impacted Buxton and Balmoral Village over three days.
A private and solemn service was organised allowing family, friends and colleagues to pay their respects to the men.
As part of the service a memorial was unveiled by Wingecarribee Shire Mayor Duncan Gair, in the presence of the families of Mr Keaton and Mr O’Dwyer, Member for Wollondilly Nathaniel Smith, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services the Hon David Elliott, Commissioner of Resilience NSW Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM, Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers AFSM and representatives from the Rural Fire Service.
The roadside memorial is located on Wilson Drive at Buxton where the men and their colleagues helped saved lives and properties in Balmoral and Buxton.