Andrew Mills remembered with memorial at Rockleigh CFS
A doctor who was instrumental to the establishment of Rockleigh’s Country Fire Service support group has been honoured at the local fire station.
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The late Andrew Mills gave much to his community: during his career as a GP and, in his later years, as a volunteer.
In particular, he was central to the establishment of the Rockleigh CFS Support Group, which has purchased about $60,000 worth of equipment for the local Country Fire Service brigade over the past eight years.
So, on Sunday, the community gave something back.
Several dozen people gathered at Rockleigh’s CFS station for the unveiling of a memorial to Dr Mills.
“A generous, caring and hard-working man,” it said, “he worked tirelessly for the community … his legacy will long be remembered and he will be missed by all.”
Dr Mills joined the CFS in about 2011, inspired by the volunteers in a firefighting Landcruiser who had been able to save a house up on Whalley Hill.
His fundraising efforts on the side enabled the new brigade to buy fire curtains, torches, water tanks and other equipment which could keep its volunteers safe and effective.
CFS captain Marc Truman remembered him as a quiet achiever.
“The last time Andrew and I were together out on a fire ground was the Cudlee Creek fire (in 2019),” Mr Truman recalled.
“Andrew and I spent six days on the fire.
“The last bit we had, we were down in this gully, it was steep as steep, I struggled to get down there.
“He looked down at me and said, ‘I’m getting too old for this’.”
President Dave Dennison said the CFS Support Group was grateful for Dr Mills’ service, especially in organising events.
Group members hadn’t bothered to create a new event plan for last year’s Rockleigh carols, he said – they had reused a plan Dr Mills wrote out before his death in 2022.
“We absolutely miss him and really appreciate all the things he did and the money that got raised,” Mr Dennison said.
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Dr Mills was even a “co-conspirator” during the creation of the Rockleigh 105/Gravel Fest, Murray Bridge’s reigning event of the year, in 2013.
“We really miss Andrew on the course,” event organiser Morgan Coull said.
“His legacy lives on.”
But perhaps the morning’s most stirring tribute was given by Dr Mills’ son, William.
He laid at the foot of the memorial a gleaming badge from the Metropolitan Fire Service.
William Mills joined the service only last year, to continue the work his father started.
