Sport
16 June, 2026
Clifton’s Haphazard Hero: Peter McKenzie
Next week Clifton State High School will be holding an assembly on the 15th of June to honour the service of Peter McKenzie, who, after 47 years of being the heart and soul of the school, is retiring. Pete spoke to The Clifton Courier about his unassuming, yet significant service to his community.
Alongside his time at the school, Peter was Captain of the Clifton Auxiliary Fire Brigade.
He also headed up a cadet SES unit, one he would take to compete in fire competitions.
Pete was also a state champion fireman two years in a row.
Peter started work at Clifton State High School, in 1979.
He’s been a janitor, a cleaner and more recently a school facilities officer.
But to attest to what Pete means to the school, he recently hopped on a mower to give the front lawn a bit of a trim.
Upon seeing him on the mower, doing what he’s known for doing, the students cheered him on.
“That really made my day,” Pete said with a smile.
Many who have gone through that school during the almost half century of his time, would remember Pete.
Softly spoken and enduringly humble, when Peter was asked what he wanted for retirement, he said that he wanted a parade.
While an assembly will have to do, Pete’s extravagance in his request was no doubt a downplaying of his impact on the school community.
Not one to give himself undue praise, the way he explained it was that it was the connections formed which kept him at the school for so long.
“I always thought a lot of the children.... I got on really well with the kids and the kids got on really well with me,” Pete said.
He’d also supervise football games during lunch time and slowly earned the moniker ‘Heart and Soul of the School’.
Born in Emerald, Pete’s family moved to Nobby when he was 4.
He has a plethora of awards, plaques, and memorabilia gifted to him from QPS Sergeants to Lions Clubs, acknowledging the work that he’s done.
Whether it be fire safety or his actual work as an auxiliary, Pete loved what he did.
“I just liked the job,” he said of his time at the school and as Fire Captain.
“If I didn’t have to retire I’d still be there.”
“It was work that I loved doing, whether it was the fire brigade, or the high school or going down and doing fire education at the primary school,” he said.
Pete loves his community.
“Everyone sort of knows everyone, and that’s why everything goes well.
“It’s community.”
Community is a buzz-word, certainly around Clifton, but to Pete it isn’t as such the awards or accolades, the service nor the praise, but the little sinews of connection which are otherwise mundane and everyday.
Because Pete didn’t necessarily set out to impact people’s lives.
Pete really just enjoyed what he was doing.
He loves his community.
“It makes me feel good, little community and you know most people in the town.
“With the fire service you’d go to people’s places you know. I had one woman tell me she remembers me coming down to her place, thank me for looking after her and all that.”
Those moments of connection, of memory and commonality maintain the community.
But if you ask Pete, they maintain us just as much.
