Chris Elmore MP - Australia

Chris Elmore MP

MP for Ogmore

My grandmother became the first female bush fire warden in Australian history after she and my grandfather emigrated there in the 1960s.

Her job involved daily shifts of climbing a tower and directing fire wardens on the ground, as well as fire service teams tackling fires.

At the time her job was deemed unsuitable for a woman, but she won over the interview panel, by insisting that ‘if I can bare four children, I can climb a tower’.

My aunt and cousins still live in Australia, so the Commonwealth is part of the heritage and living history for what is now three generations of my family.