WHEN the Phillip Island Bulldogs run out on to the ground on Easter Saturday, for the first time in 2023, they’ll wear a black armband for the former 1951 premiership team member and 40-year first-aid trainer, the late Artie Murdoch.
But, as any Phillip Islander can tell you, the contribution to the community made by this amazing man over the course of much of his 93-year life goes way beyond his love for the local football-netball club, where he was awarded life membership in 1974.
The first-ever recipient of the Phillip Island and San Remo Rotary Club’s ‘Citizen of the Year’ award in 1983, and in August 2017, honoured during a visit to the Island by Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove with the Governor General’s award, in recognition of his service to the CFA and to the local community, Mr Murdoch was laid to rest on Tuesday, March 28 with full emergency service honours.
But much of the time during the ‘celebration of his life’ at the old fire station in Settlement Road was spent reading out his long list of contributions to the community including his 40-year commitment to the local ambulance service, as one of the original 17 volunteer drivers when there were no ambulances on the Island and also as a long-time fundraiser for the ambulance auxiliary, earning him life membership of Ambulance Victoria in 2018.
Artie was made a Life Governor of the Royal Children's Hospital in 1997 for his ongoing support of the Good Friday Appeal, collecting outside the IGA Supermarket, in uniform, in front of the fire truck for decades until COVID forced a halt in 2020.
He was for 25 years a member of the Phillip Island Band, a member of the Phillip Island Cricket Club, was a long-serving Masonic Lodge member, helped run local youth clubs for 40 years, in support of his wife of nearly 65 years, June, who was also a life member of the Phillip Island Fire Brigade.
Artie was also an employee of the Phillip Island Shire for 44 years, including as its superintendent of works, contributing many hours of unpaid work over the years, to get the job done.
But it was in the 75 years of service to the Phillip Island and district community as a firefighter and captain of the Phillip Island Fire Brigade for 21 of those years, until 1987, that he really stands out.
As detailed by CFA Assistant Chief Officer Trevor Owen, one of several CFA, SES and Ambulance Victoria leaders at the funeral, Arthur Murdoch joined the CFA at the age 11, on December 20, 1948, and was in his 75th year as a volunteer firefighter.
Mr Owen said it was always the intention of the service to award Mr Murdoch his 75-year service medal, but he took the opportunity of doing it posthumously at the service, handing it on to Mrs Murdoch, whom he said had also served many years on fire call communications and in support of her husband.
Phillip Island CFA Fourth Lieutenant Rhyce Davis continued on with a summary of Artie Murdoch’s CFA service noting that he joined the brigade just 11 years after it was established in 1937, when equipment was scarce but the commitment to protecting life and property was no less passionate.
He said Artie never missed a callout until he was well over 70 years of age, in the initial stages turning out in thongs and shorts, as the need arose, but playing a key role in the provisioning of volunteers in the years to follow, culminating in the Phillip Island brigade’s latest tanker being named for Artie Murdoch.
“He never missed a Sunday training or working bee, and even up until recent years he might be seen sweeping out the shed or helping with one or two other jobs.
“He loved the fire brigade, he was a true gentleman and his work ethic and values were an inspiration to all that followed him.”
His unique local experience with the shire, fire and ambulance helped develop inter-organisational protocols which were the forerunner of emergency management planning of today.
Son David, a career firefighter, also spoke at the funeral, saying there would never be anyone to repeat what Artie has done.
“Dad never stopped. He was married to June for nearly 65 years, and she backed him to the hilt. He was also a great father to all of us. How, you might say. Surely, he was never home… because he used to drag us all along with him.”
The Australian of the Year award has been greatly politicised in recent years as authorities have focussed attention on family violence, indigenous affairs, disability, sexual assault, gender equity, body image and the like, or awarded people for doing jobs they’ve been well paid to do.
But surely, if there was ever someone who deserved to be named Australian of the Year, it had to be Artie Murdoch.
In the end, though, he received what was probably more important to him, due recognition from his own community in life, and in death, a wonderful celebration of his life, by his family and his peers, including a funeral with full emergency service honours and an impressive guard of honour of firefighters, SES personnel, police and ambulance officers, with a procession of the brigade’s fire trucks, piped out by Highland and Celtic Piper Ian Arrell OAM.
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