Moruya SES stalwarts Trevor Bennett and Jeff Ganderton mark 50 years of service

"When I first heard about it, I thought I'd go along and see what happens," Trevor said, "Being young and a go-getter, I decided to jump in with gusto."

In 1973, the unit recruited two of its most valuable foundation members, Trevor Bennett and Jeff Ganderton, who continue to proudly don their orange uniforms 50 years later.

"I've never looked back," Trevor said.

At 24 years old, Trevor worked at his father's NRMA franchise in Moruya. Their tow truck and rescue equipment meant they were often the first on the scene of fatal or near-fatal car accidents across the Eurobodalla.

Although the experiences were confronting, they propelled Trevor to continue helping people through the St John's Ambulance Service, the Rural Fire Service (known then as the Bushfire Brigade) and the newly-formed SES.

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Jeff Ganderton was proudly "born and bred in Moruya" and shifted (slightly) south to Tuross Head about 20 years ago.

He joined the SES while working with the Bega Valley County Council and used the council's mobile cranes and trucks during rescues.

Jeff said throughout all the training sessions, rescues and natural disasters, he and Trevor always worked together. They were integral to the unit's onboarding of rescue trucks and consistently raised funds for the unit and lobbied for financial assistance.

"It didn't matter where we were or what happened, we usually got together somewhere along the line," Jeff said.

"Back in those days, everybody was involved in everything."

Trevor and Jeff recall the Moruya unit, as small as it was, being run by a group of dedicated volunteers who were determined to see it grow.

The pair have seen the unit progress from a small shed at the Eurobodalla Shire Council building to a state-of-the-art headquarters in Yarragee Road. Today, the unit is more like a family and meets every Tuesday for training and catch-ups.

"Over the years the equipment has changed a lot - everything is much more technical and training is becoming more and more specialised," Trevor said.

Although the pair relish in the positive spirit and collaborative nature of the SES, they also lead the unit through some of the south coast's worst tragedies.

In 1983, they led multiple searches for 5-year-old Renae Aitken who disappeared from her family's home in Narooma - the search eventually stretched across the state. She was never found.

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They assisted in recovering the bodies of two young boys who had drowned at Kiora and rescued a woman, her four children and dogs from her flooded property at Trunketabella.

Trevor and Jeff were crucial to the community's recovery during the 1994, 2001 and 2019 bushfires.

"We were heavily involved with the fires - door knocking, transporting people and officials. Some of us were in Wamban clearing tracks. We just had to lock up [our own houses]. Most of our time was spent at the headquarters," Trevor said.

Jeff was largely responsible for keeping the SES operational in the Eurobodalla while local members were called to assist in the Thredbo landslide disaster and Newcastle earthquake.

Today, Trevor is normally found behind the wheel of the SES truck, leading the team into their next mission, while Jeff can usually be found at the Yarragee headquarters, upholding the unit's communications with the council and local businesses and maintaining crucial equipment.

Their major contributions were recognised in 2010 when they were granted lifetime memberships for their combined 72 years of service.

Now, as they celebrate a combined commitment of 100 years to their unit and the community, they are asked: how many years are left?

"Who knows! They'll probably carry us out of here in a box."