Trevor Milgate ESM OAM

Inducted 2023

Trevor was born in Kurri Kurri on 17th December 1946 and lived his whole life in Cessnock Local Government area.

Trevor attended Abermain Public School and Kurri Kurri High School. He gained employment at Kurri Kurri Store and worked in the heavy industries at Newcastle, until he was successful in obtaining a position with Cessnock City Council as a Ranger, which he held for 25 years.

Trevor first joined the RFS and the SES units in 1976, he was appointed the positions of Captain. This gave him the opportunity of attending a course in Leadership at Mt Macedon in Victoria. The experience he obtained at that course gave him the skills required in leadership and training to establish the Rescue squad in Cessnock.

Following in 1988, Trevor became a foundation member of the squad for his dedicated Volunteer service to the community of Cessnock.

During his time Trevor was appointed as an SES Deputy Local Controller and then onto SES Local Controller in 1994. With the NSW VRA he was appointed in 1992 as the Hunter Region Co-ordinator for the squads of Cessnock, Central Coast, Merriwa, Taree, Bulahdelah & Murrurundi, and in 1996 he implemented the SES Flood Plan for Cessnock.

With the Cessnock Rescue squad, Trevor has witnessed many incidents and accidents that most of us could never imagine. However, he's also attended hundreds of car crashes and most with great outcomes, thanks to the expertise of the Rescue members.

Trevor got great satisfaction in helping elderly owners in retrieving and rescuing their cat or dog, and even helping put a tarp over the roof of their homes.

Trevor was instrumental in the following incidents:

  • 1985 Hailstorm
  • 1986 Search for missing plane at Barrington Tops
  • 1989 Flooding responses
  • 1989 Newcastle Earthquake
  • 2014 Ellalong Earthquake
  • 2004 Storm incidents
  • 1994 Bushfires
  • 2002 Abernethy Bushfires, and
  • Many other flooding and storm incidents throughout the Cessnock area.

Trevor‘s achievements:

  • 1988 Life Member of Cessnock VRA     
  • 1991 SRB Senior Rescue Instructor
  • 1995 Cessnock Citizen of the Year
  • 1997 Thredbo Disaster 
  • 1998 NSW Premier Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in the Community
  • 1999 Rotary Club International Service Award
  • 2004 OAM
  • 2012  ESM
  • 2014  NSW VRA Life Member 
  • 2017 SES Unit Citation
  • 2022 National Medal for Emergency Services during the Bushfires.

Trevor still remains as a Volunteer member giving a helping hand anywhere and anytime.

Plaque location
Garden adjacent to 93-95 Vincent Street, Cessnock

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