A Limestone Coast stalwart has been remembered in state parliament for a lifetime of community service, particularly to the Country Fire Service.
The late Rex Hall was acknowledged by Member for MacKillop Nick McBride who said his legacy would live on.
At 84, Mr Hall passed away on June 2 this year.
He was remembered at a memorial service where hundreds attended to celebrate the life of not only a father, family man, expert chrysanthemum grower and champion ram breeder but also a dedicated volunteer, author and lifelong member of the South Australian Country Fire Service.
Mr Hall started his CFS career in 1960 at the One Tree Hill EFS brigade where he was the inaugural secretary and substation officer.
He remained at the One Tree Hill brigade for 15 years until 1975, when he and his wife, Dawn, and son, Alan, moved Gadang, their property between Keith and Willalooka.
Here, Mr Hall became a champion ram breeder, with his Poll Dorset and later White Suffolk Studs.
His expertise was recognised, with championships at many Adelaide and Melbourne royal shows.
He later went on to judge at many shows, including Royal Adelaide, Wagga Wagga, Melbourne Royal, Hobart, Perth Royal and many more.
Building a life in the South East, Mr Hall was a foundation player, member and inaugural president of the Willalooka Cricket Club.
He was heavily involved in the Willalooka Progress Association and helped develop the Willalooka Oval.
Mr Hall was also the Willalooka CFS brigade captain and sat on the Tatiara Fire Fighting Association training committee, communications committee, and equipment committee.
This led to roles of regional and state training committee representatives and CFS board liaison positions.
Mr Hall spent countless hours training volunteers across the South East and was a driving force behind the establishment of the CFS South-East Training Centre in Naracoorte.
In 1994, Mr Hall was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal for his distinguished service to the Australian Fire Service.
When it came time to retire in the late ‘90s Mr Hall moved to Naracoorte and joined the Naracoorte CFS as group officer.
He was on the State Incident Management Team for several years, which saw him deployed to all corners of the state, as well as to incidents in Victoria and New South Wales.
He also spent many years as both local and state representative for the CFS Volunteer Association.
It was his involvement with the CFS Volunteers Association and a trip to New Zealand which sparked his passion for preserving CFS history.
Mr Hall had a vision for a South Australian firefighters museum to honour the history of the CFS and preserve and protect memorabilia and vintage fire vehicles.
This vision came to fruition in his town of Naracoorte.
Stage 1 of the museum was opened in February 2020, but he did not live to see stage 2 completed, which involves a visitor and training centre and a conference facility.
Mr Hall and his committee of volunteers were also the driving force behind the state’s first CFS memorial to honour volunteer firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.
This was opened in Naracoorte in 2016 and every year a memorial service is held.
The memorial represents the ultimate sacrifice made by enormously important volunteer CFS firefighters who dedicate their time to protect lives and infrastructure.
As well as this, Mr Hall wrote six books, with his last book, Volunteer Fire Fighting in South Australia, being launched at his memorial service.
In 2022, Mr Hall’s dedication to the CFS was recognised when he received the South Australia CFS 60- year Service Medal, and, again earlier this year when he was awarded the first life membership of the South Australia Volunteer Fire Fighters Museum.
In closing, Mr McBride thanked Mr Hall for his lifetime of service.
“Rex has left an enormous void in the South Australian Country Fire Service, but his legacy will live on in the South Australia Volunteer Fire Fighters Museum and in the CFS memorial,” he said.
“I thank Rex for his service to the community. His passion and drive for the CFS and his Volunteer Fire Fighters Museum and memorial will long be remembered.
“May he rest in peace.”
Deputy Speaker Tony Piccolo also paid tribute to Mr Hall.
“On behalf of the house I would like to extend our condolences to the family,” he said.
“I had the privilege of meeting Rex in Naracoorte and also of visiting his museum. He was a great man—a gentleman, I would say.”
Mr Hall is survived by son Alan Hall, daughter-in-law Christine, three granddaughters, four great grandchildren and their extended families.
