Aussies owe their lives to his inflatable rescue boat
Ken Brown, who was instrumental in the development of the Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB), known as the ‘rubber duckie’, died on 22 October, aged 92, from prostate cancer.
More than 200,000 lives have been saved on Australia’s beaches and around the world due to the rubber ducky, used by surf lifesavers in up to 50 countries.
Ken lived with his daughter Kathryn Bruesch in Killarney Heights before spending his final two weeks as a HammondCare palliative care patient at Mona Vale Hospital, and his story was recorded in a biography written by volunteer Bruce Stevenson.
Ken was born in 1932 and his parents separated when he was 18 months old. His mother later married Samuel Albert Brown of SA Browns Milliners in Sydney’s CBD. When Samuel retired, Ken inherited the millinery business. It was here that Ken met his wife Diane, now 84.
“Mum was born in Mudgee and met dad when nursing at St Vincent’s in Sydney,” explains Kathryn. “Her mother would come to Sydney to buy hats from SA Browns for the family haberdashery shop in Mudgee. On one of these visits, mum went with her too. Dad, at 29, was a ‘confirmed bachelor.’ But after meeting mum he said, ‘I’ve just met the girl I’m going to marry.’” And he did – in 1963 they were married at Waverley College where he boarded for high school. They sold the hat business to Dianne’s sister and husband when Ken began working with IRBs.
Avalon lifesaver Warren Mitchell had trialled early versions of an IRB in Australia in 1969 and rescued eight people at Avalon Beach. Different versions were tested – including Ken Brown’s French-made ‘zodiac.’
Ken’s zodiac was developed with Harry Brown of North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club. Central to the design was upgrading the original French zodiac fabric. French rubber couldn’t cope with the Australian ultraviolet light, so they found a more durable fabric in Japan.
Pressure release valves to protect the IRBs from damage (as internal air expands under the blazing Australian summer sun) were part of the design, as were petrol tanks able to hold 19 litres.
IRB in action
The first IRB was officially approved for use by Australian surf clubs in 1970, and Ken’s IRB won an Australian Design Award in 1987 for the fibreglass rigid hull design. For over 30 years, Ken had a team making about one IRB a week, later manufacturing them under the brand KBM (Ken Brown Marine). KBM later developed bigger variants for the Australian Navy which could seat 12 soldiers. He also developed a silent stealth boat.
“In a trial, they secretly boarded an Australia navy ship off the coast of Perth, surprising the crew and captain while sleeping”, says Kathryn.
In February 2024, Surf Life Saving NSW presented Ken with a certificate of recognition for outstanding dedication and commitment to Surf Life Saving.
Ken was a lover of jazz music. Fats Waller and Harry Connick Jr were played at his funeral service in Willoughby at his request. He was a rugby fan and wore his Wallabies jersey with pride. In the last few years, he was known to enjoy a five o’clock scotch on the rocks – just one!
“As the patriarch of four generations, he loved his family deeply and was so proud of us all – but his greatest love was mum, he adored her,” Kathryn says. “They were one of those couples who always held hands – even while sitting on the lounge watching tele.”
Kathryn remembers her Dad as a great storyteller with a wonderful sense of humour. He took great pride in serving the community through his work, and being surrounded by family and lifelong friends brought him immense joy.