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This week we talk to Daryl Smith who has served his Coalgate community for many decades as a volunteer firefighter and as part of the residents committee that get things done in the township.

Daryl Smith will tell you he is just an ordinary bloke from Coalgate, but his neighbours will tell you otherwise. Anywhere someone needs a helping hand, you are likely to see Daryl’s cheeky grin popping up.

For more than 29 years Smith was part of the Volunteer Coalgate Fire Brigade, as well as a long-time stalwart of the local residents committee.

To show their appreciation, the local community last year nominated the 62-year-old as Volunteer of the Year at the Selwyn Awards, but as a classic unsung hero, Daryl felt more embarrassed than proud about all the attention.

“I’m not into awards, but I am happy to go along to events like that to promote the fire service and get more volunteers,” says Daryl, who still wonders if he can call himself a local yet after 34 years in the Selwyn foothills.

Daryl grew up in Christchurch in Bishopdale and always wanted to be a carpenter, so left school for an apprenticeship and never looked back.

After 45 years, he knows the construction industry inside out, and jokes that he signs off drawings, with Daryl Smith NSQ.

“An engineer once asked what those qualification stood for and I said, ‘You buggers always put the alphabet behind your name, so I just put a few of mine: No School Qualifications’.”

With Christchurch sprawling around him, Daryl wanted more living space and found his piece of heaven in Coalgate.

“It’s a really nice little area. We got the rolling hills and the mountain behind us and we don’t have the strong winds you get in Rolleston or Darfield. And it’s wonderful community to be part of.”

When he moved to Selwyn, he already knew a few local faces from the Territorial Forces, where he served 12 years as a volunteer troop sergeant in the engineers corps.

Daryl missed the camaraderie after leaving the armed forces, so jumped at the chance to join one of his army mates at the Coalgate Volunteer Fire Brigade.

He says training was a bit different in those days.

“Now they have a good traffic light system to keep track on how much training you need in each part of the job, but back when I joined you just went along and learned how to run a hose and got taught as you went.”

Daryl says he cherished his time in the Fire Brigade, “because every time that siren goes off, someone needs your help, and it’s a great feeling to be able to help other people”, says Smith, who signed off last year after nearly three decades serving his community.

“I didn’t want to be that old fart in the corner talking about the good old days. So much has changed over the years, especially in technology so you need to leave it for the younger generation to step up,” says Daryl who still has to get used to not responding to the fire siren.

“I still have a wee twitch when I hear the siren go off, but the brigade is in the good hands.”

Firefighters in a remote rural area are the first responders for fires, accidents, but also medical incidents.

“Some brigades complain that they have become paramedics, but St Johns always struggle for numbers, so I am happy that we can help,” says Smith.

Volunteer firefighters deal with a lot of traumatic scenes, sometimes even involving their own community, but Daryl feels that the strong camaraderie and support within the fire service enables them to process the horrible sights they encounter.

“When we have a fatality, we always go back to the station and have a good yarn, which is the best thing you can do, and the fire service is very good with offering counselling,” says Daryl.

Aside from his 30-year commitment to the fire brigade, Daryl also found time to support many other local projects.

“If they need a park or a new playground in Rolleston or Lincoln, the council will often provide, but in Coalgate we have to fight for everything or do it ourselves,” says Daryl, who was a driving force in reviving the Coalgate Reserve, thanks to the commitment of the Glentunnel and Coalgate Reserve Committee.

“When we started, there was really nothing for the kids to do in the township, so we started with a playground, which was instigated by my mate Bill Frost, who sadly passed away a few years back.”

Daryl is proud of the fact that their committee were the first in the district to create a reserve management plan and planted over 4000 trees in last two years in the reserve after a storm took down 6000 trees.

The group also organise a hugely popular annual Christmas event, built a bus shelter and are now busy raising funds for security cameras around the township.

“In the past our relationship with the council may have been a bit combative, but I am pleased the last four, five years the communication and collaboration has improved significantly,” says Daryl, who worries where the next generation of volunteers will come from, when his age-group needs to hand over the baton.

“The younger generation seems to be a lot busier, and there seems to be a lot more pressure on them for time and money. But I am hopeful some younger folks will step up to carry on the good work.”

Last modified: 24 Jul 2026 11:04am