A life of giving to others

JAMIE Moresco is a notable figure in the Wonthaggi community.

From his tireless CFA efforts to his dedication refereeing local basketball, championing Wonthaggi Power football, and giving back to St Joseph’s, the kid from Wonthaggi is all grown up.

“It came around 30 years ago,” Jamie said of the start to his CFA volunteering days.

“One of my mates, Kim O’Connor, picked me up one Sunday morning from home, and said, ‘come on we’re going for a drive’.

“We pulled up out the front of the old fire station on Watt Street and from there I haven’t looked back!”

The passion likely coming from his first job an hour after arriving.

“While I was there, a fire call came through and I was pretty much on the truck going to a fire, I’d been there for probably an hour at the most.

“I felt welcomed the very moment I walked in the place, and here I am today.”

Giving back to the community, Jamie loves the friendship around the brigade.

“You meet other walks of life when you go out on campaign fires, strike teams…

“You’re put in situations where you’re safe and you can help other communities as well.

“The Dandenong fires, Black Saturday, the fires prior to Black Saturday… we were dotted from one end of the state to the other at one stage.”

Campaign and local fires are only a small part of the brigade community.

“It’s quite funny, I remember the fires we go to, but I don’t find them as a memorable moment, my memorable moment would be team exercises and challenges, working as a team and just having fun.

“The other night when we played tenpin bowling… or when we were broken into teams and had to break cryptic questions down to get to our next destination, small equipment exercises, and the cookoff in the old Whistlestop bakery – we had judges, it was pretty much like Masterchef; it was good.”

Participating in CFA as a father is great in Jamie’s eyes.

“It’s my hobby; it’s been a long hobby of mine. I’ve got a great family behind me, Nicole, our two boys Reeve and Zac.

“If my pager goes off and we’re in the middle of tea or something, they’ll be saying what is it? Where is it? Where are you going? And I’m running to that door putting shoes on…

“I always used to hear the boys say, ‘Come on, Mum, let’s follow where dad’s going’; it was quite funny, you’d be on a few scenes and the next minute you’d see Nicole and the boys drive past, having a look.

“Reeve has never shown any interest (in joining) and I would never push them into something they’re not interested in.

“Same as Nicole, she says, ‘no, that’s your hobby, I’ll stay in my lane, you stay in your lane.”

On Saturday, Jamie headed to Morwell to show support for the Power even though his boys had already finished for the season.

“Our boys have played footy from the junior ages, from five years old and still going today. 

“Reeve’s 18 and Zac’s 13, at the moment, we’ve got footy Saturday and Sunday. 

“We give all the time to the kids on the weekends, we drive as far as Bairnsdale on a Saturday for football, and for Zac the furthest we might drive is Leongatha on a Sunday; but we always ensure we are there to watch the kids play football, enjoying their sports.”

His youngest, Zac however, is still holding the flame which saw Jamie earn his referee stripes.

“When Zac started (under 8’s) there was no real under 8’s competition going, and they were looking for people to help out. 

“I put my hand up, ended up on the basketball committee, did my green shirt as a referee; refereeing all ages, females and males; four days a week.”

A team closest to Jamie’s heart is the all-abilities basketball team at Wonthaggi.

“It’s the best feeling being able to referee – everything else dissipates.”

Basketball was a relatively new addition to Jamie’s life growing up by the ocean. 

“I played football for one year, I hated it. All my mates were surfing.

“I had a huge friendship group – one was football, one was surfing – surfing was more fun!

“I mainly surfed all my younger days.”

While school days at St Joseph’s and later Wonthaggi Tech were filled with surfing, clay target shooting, canoeing and campfire cooking.

“I’m on the local Bass Coast College’s school committee, I was on the St Joseph’s school board and Parents and Friends Committee and Chairman of both – I’ve taken a backseat now.

“For the first time in my kids going to school this year I am going on the grade 6 camp to help out!”