October 5, 2026
History was made last week with the graduation of the first trainees to join Cherbourg’s new State Emergency Service unit.
Recruiting for the unit, which will work in partnership with the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, began during NAIDOC Week celebrations earlier this year.
The Cherbourg recruits then joined other South Burnett residents in an intensive five-day training course to graduate as SES members.
A formal graduation ceremony was held on Friday morning at the Nurunderi TAFE complex in Cherbourg, with guest speakers from the SES and Queensland Police Service (the QPS officially took over the SES from the Queensland Fire Department in 2024).
Cherbourg Deputy Mayor Gordon Wragge said the SES unit had been a “long time coming” to Cherbourg, but it was definitely needed.
He said that during the past few years, the Cherbourg community had experienced bushfires as well as floods.
“Disasters don’t discriminate,” he said.
He said Cherbourg Council would fully support the new unit and there were now plans to build a dedicated SES shed on land near the Council Depot.
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Awards Presentations
Cherbourg Deputy Mayor Gordon Wragge and SES North Coast Regional Director Chris Childs presented each graduate with their certificate, before SES South Burnett Controller Scott Barry and SES trainer Brian Westlake fitted the official epaulettes to each volunteer’s uniform:
