When Wallan’s Michael Pratt walked into his surprise birthday party late last month, he had no idea that a few of his former police officer colleagues would be there to celebrate with him.
Friends and family of Mr Pratt, some of whom he had not seen in 35 years, gathered to celebrate with him at Hogans Hotel Motel Wallan, including the first police officer that was on the scene when Mr Pratt was shot in 1976.
Mr Pratt, who turned 70 on November 13, has lived a remarkable life dedicated to public service.
His interest in policing first piqued at a career’s day event at Parade College in Year 7.
As soon as he was old enough to sign up, Mr Pratt applied for three public services—the ambulance, fire brigade, and police force.
The latter was the first to respond, taking him in as a cadet.
Little did he know what was in store for him, for the next 33 years would see Mr Pratt embrace two stints in the force.
“I thought to help people, it’s a good deal,” he said.
Nineteen seventy-six marked a pivotal chapter in Mr Pratt’s life, who, at the age of 21, both became a husband to his wife Dianne and experienced a significant turning point in his professional life.
On June 4, Mr Pratt was on his way for a haircut in Clifton Hill, Melbourne, when he intervened as an off-duty officer in a robbery and was shot in the process.
His remarkable bravery was later recognised, earning him the George Cross medal in 1978.
The medal, created in 1940 by King George VI, sought to recognise bravery of the highest order by civilians and members of the armed forces during peacetime, regardless of rank.
It is the highest award for gallantry bestowed by the British Government, and is equivalent to the military award, the Victorian Cross.
However, it is no longer awarded in Australia, making Mr Pratt the last to receive the award and the last Australian holder alive.
Mr Pratt recalled meeting Governor Sir Henry Winneke, who shared the good news at the time.
However, all Mr Pratt could manage was a ‘blank face’, unsure of what the announcement meant.
“[The Governor] said, ‘Do you know [what] the George Cross is?’,” he said.
“I said ‘No’, so he had to explain to me what it was.”
Mr Pratt’s policing career forever changed after being shot, forced to step away from active duty due to his injury.
However, he returned to the service in 1996 for a second stint, making his final call in 2020.
During that time, Mr Pratt became part of the exclusive group of recipients of the imperial medals—meeting Queen Elizabeth II on several occasions and attending her jubilees.
It was one of Queen Elizabeth II’s wishes to have all recipients of the George Cross and Victoria Cross present at her funeral.
Mr Pratt did not hesitate to attend.
“The English, they’ve got everything worked out,” he said.
