WATSON, Albert Edward

My Grandfather, Albert Edward WATSON, was, perhaps, the most genuine, honest, decent human, I have ever met. Apart from that, he was the nicest person I've known. He was my Mum's Dad.

Albert was born in Lorn, Maitland, to Alfred James 'Jim' WATSON and Lydia Elizabeth GARDINER, on the 24th August, 1892. He married Lydia Ada OSBORNE, in 1914.

Albert worked as a grocer, saddler, stonemason, guard and railway porter, and then moved to the Postmaster General's Department, as a postman. It had been when he was 20 years of age, in 1912, that he joined the Volunteer Fire Brigade. In 1962, there were 14 members of the Maitland Volunteer Fire Brigade, and 7 honorary members at the Maitland Ambulance Station. Volunteers were on call 24 hours per day, and only received a small remuneration for fires they attended.

The Volunteer staff are summoned to duty by 3 blasts of the station siren, and by means of a house-bell, installed in their homes. They did 2 'drills' per month, which include practice runs, pump tests, and the use of all fire-fighting equipment. The resident country inspector tests them every three months, so the volunteers have to be fit and ready, at any hour.

Years of Service, are indicated by the chevrons on their tunics. Four of the Maitland Brigade had 20 years of Service medals.

Albert, at 73 years of age, and upon his retirement in 1965, had 53 years of continuous Service. He had been the Captain of the Brigade for over 10 years, and as a mark of respect and gratitude for this tremendous selfless effort, Albert was presented with the brass helmet he had worn during his service.

The representation of members from brigades as far afield as Sydney, Newcastle and the Coalfields, was a small mark of the respect in which Albert was held. The representative of the Board of Fire Commissioners, Mr Mallam, said; "...the length of service Mr Watson had attained, would be impossible by volunteers in the future, with the introduction of a retiring age (65) ...".

Along with the helmet, Albert was given a silver tea service by his replacement captain, Mr. Ron Jarrett, who had served with Albert for over 20 years!

In an interview by the Maitland Mercury, after he retired, Albert remembered that when he first started in the brigade, at Lorn (Maitland) "...all the equipment we had...was a hand cart, with a hose wound around a drum, a stand pipe, and a few other basic items." He went on to say; "Two men grabbed hold of a single shaft to pull it along - sometimes, if we were lucky, we got a lift with a truck!"

When he transferred to the more modern Brigade at West Maitland, "the fire-cart was drawn by two horses, and they had a 'smoking steam engine' to draw the water out of the mains!" Albert attended over 1000 fires. Imagine the changes he saw from 1912 to 1965!


After retirement, Albert and his wife, Ada, enjoyed their garden and grandchildren. Every Saturday after lunch, Grandpa, as I called him, would pick me up in his car and we'd go to his niece's cake shop! Wow! Those were the days!

Albert passed away in 1970. He was survived for a short while, by his wife, Ada, who passed away in 1987. The four sons Albert Kenneth 1976, Charles Leslie James in 1994, Robert Noel in 2012, and Stewart William in 2015. The two daughters, Lydia Josie 1994, and Nellie Enid in 1986. The end of an era.

All sorely missed.


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