Barbara and Dave Johnston, Harley Dengate and Suzanne Binder were each given a pin and certificate recognising members when they gathered at the Batemans Bay headquarters last week.

“They are a great asset to the unit,” unit controller Wayne Binder said.

Married sixty-somethings Barbara and Dave have enjoyed training and going on operations together.

“We live in Lilli Pilli and we joined up at Moruya, but when the Batemans Bay branch started we joined here,” Barbara said.

“We’ve done many jobs and training courses together.” 

She said moments that stood out included land searches and going to North Queensland in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

“We have seen the unit grow with many new members,” she said.

Harley Dengate, 26, first joined the SES when he moved to Bathurst to go to university seven years ago.

“I had always been in surf clubs, and when I was out there, I saw it as the equivalent,” he said.

However, he stayed in the SES when he moved back to the coast, first at Nowra, and then here. 

He has been part of Batemans Bay SES for over a year, and said that out-of-area deployments and floods were operations that stood out.

“It is good to get recognition,” he said.