A young Ulladulla man who helped fight the Mount Kingiman fires has received the council’s coveted Young Citizen Award
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Lachlan Page, 19, was presented the prestigious award at the Shoalhaven City Council's Australia Day awards ceremony on Thursday, January 24.
The 2018 Ulladulla High School vice-captain was described as a “shining beacon” for the community by a council spokesperson. The natural born leader has been involved in NSW Scouts since he was six years old and he also became Milton Rural Fire Service’s youngest volunteer member in June 2017.
“I really just enjoy giving back to the community. I think that’s why I still go on with Scouts,” he said.
“For the RFS, it’s about helping out someone in their worst moment.”
Mr Page recalled the “scary” Kingiman fires, where he and Milton RFS members were on call from 4.30am on August 15.
“It was very unpredictable for a lot of the day. It was a very trying time for a lot of the crews really,” he said.
“We just never went home. It was a very long day.”
In 2015, Mr Page received the highest award in Scouting, the Australian Scouts Medallion. He said he was the first person in the Burrill-Ulladulla Sea Scouts to achieve the honour.
“It was a whole group effort, because everyone wanted to see it happen, we wanted someone to have it,” he said.
Mr Page said he was “hooked” on Scouts since he started.
“I just really enjoy all the aspects of it. I enjoy the outdoorsy stuff as well and all the friends you make,” he said.
Having progressed through the ranks he is now seen as a mentor as he has also become an assistant Cub leader.
“They keep me on my toes, the eight to 10-year-olds,” he said.
“They’re a lot of fun.”
Mr Page was nominated for Young Citizen Award by the senior deputy captain of Milton RFS and a committee member from scouts.
He said he was surprised to take out the award ahead of fellow nominees, including Ulladulla’s Takesa Frank and Rachael Derkowski.
“I was pretty amazed, pretty stoked that I got it,” he said.
“A bit of surprise because obviously there's lots of young people that got nominated for the awards.”
Mr Page will move to Sutherland soon to begin studying civil engineering at the University of Wollongong. He hopes to join the Loftus RFS and continue Scout activities with another branch.
