Current chief Lloyd Harris said Mr Leask would be formally farewelled on Friday with many of his family present. "The reason we couldn’t do it before now is because we wanted to get his family over for the do," Mr Harris said.
Mr Leask said his three daughters had been involved with the fire brigade "all the way through", adding he would not have been able to serve without the support of his wife.
"I wanted the family here because they have been part of it," he said.
"Climbing out of bed in the middle of the night and staying out all hours and sometimes coming home late from practice - if you didn’t have a partner to support you, you couldn’t do it."
The celebration had been postponed because of Covid interfering with international travel, as some family members lived in Australia, and he especially looked forward to seeing two grandsons for the first time in four years.
Joining the rural fire brigade was a very different process when he started, Mr Leask said.
"I joined by going to the pub and opening my mouth and somebody put me in the draw for the fire brigade. I was voted in by all accounts.
"I didn’t even know I was in the brigade until someone asked when I was coming to practice.
"You have to apply now, you don’t just go to the pub and say, ‘I wouldn’t mind’. "You have to come down and fill out the form and be vetted."
The chief and former chief both see the brigade as a great way to serve the local community, but said it was getting harder to recruit young people as everyone had numerous commitments.
Mr Leask, who is still actively involved in farming, hoped people would step up.
"I wouldn’t be a firefighter by career choice - I’ve done this to help the community."
