A CAREER spent battling blazes around Clydebank may seem an unlikely spark for a political challenge down under.

And while former Hardgate firefighter David MacPhail may have lost his bid for local council election in his new Australian home town, it hasn’t extinguished his desire to improve his local community – no matter what continent he’s on.

Clydebank born and bred, David has called Warrnambool home for almost 16 years, but picked up his desire to serve and protect at home, a calling he’s dedicated his life to.

The dad-of-three spent 15 years fighting fires throughout the town, also dabbling in local politics while raising his children, but in the end it was love that made him take the leap down under in 2001 – yet he’s never stopped loving the town

He said: “To be truthful I do love Clydebank and most of the people living there but I do enjoy a challenge and life changes for us all from time to time. My job as a firefighter was and always will be the best ever job I have done.

“I was getting ready to complete my 15th year in the fire service when I met a female from Australia. She had no desire to leave Australia so the choice was made to come over and live a year later.

“I do miss Clydebank very much and mostly all my family that I left behind. Many ex-Bankies who live overseas tell me they miss Clydebank and we keep in touch through Call Yersel’ a Bankie on Facebook and sometimes we meet in Melbourne.”

For David – who spent his early years in Dalmuir and Kilbowie before moving on to Whitecrook and Faifley in his adult life – politics was a natural progression after decades of serving the community.

While still living in the area, the 59-year-old ran as a Labour party candidate for the Faifley ward, after successfully campaigning for former councillor James Doherty twice, and he later went on to work with Hugh McMahon, MEP for the area at the time, and travelled to Maastricht with him twice. Once in Australia, David made a career change but didn’t leave his first responder roots too far behind him, only this time he opted to join the local police force – two decades older than when began his previous career, not that it fazed him.

“I joined the police at 45 years of age because at the date of my application there were no full time fire fighters in Warrnambool,” he said.

“A lot of my police work has seen me involved with mental health issues which is something I campaigned for as well during the election. Family violence is also a very big issue which I address every day in my job. Drugs are on the increase and we try hard to beat it back and have reached out to our public to have them work hand in hand with us in locating the dealers and stomping it out.”

But as always Clydebank stayed at the forefront of his mind and when he decided to turn his hand to politics full time it served as further inspiration as a cause for his electoral mandate.

David spoke out over his fear his Aussie town would lose local business, similar to the closure of many of the Clydebank firms he remembers from his youth.

He said: “During the election here I did compare Clydebank with Warrnambool because back in the day Clydebank’s shops on Kilbowie Road, Alexander Street and Dumbarton Road were bustling.

“I remember living on Kilbowie Road and watching the crowds on the streets out of our first floor tenement flat. Once the shopping centre opened all the business transferred to them and the shops, no longer getting business, soon went out of business.

“I warned them that I was coming from where they are heading if they do not support local businesses and that the only premises left open late at night in the city centre were the pubs.”

In the end, he didn’t make it but already has plans to hit the campaign trail again in four years time, promising he’ll never give up on his dreams.

He added: “I remarried only a few years ago being the eternal optimist and this time so far so good. I am getting up there but still not slowing down any. If there is anything I would say to people back home it’s this: you can do whatever you want to do. This is your world. Do not despair if life doesn’t work out for you straight away just pick yourself up and have another go. Never give up on yourself.”