Watch List notes:

Police Bravery Group of Five: (listed as mounted) Star of Courage; National Medal; NSW Police Valour Award; NSW Police Medal, - two clasps - 15 Years, 20 Years; National Police Service Medal. Leah Helene Rudder on reverse of suspension bar of first medal, Leah Helene Rudder on all other medals except the third medal which has Senior Constable Leah Helene Rudder. All medals pantographed. The first two and the second two medals court mounted as pairs, the last medal with pin-back suspender bar. Nearly uncirculated.

Together with booklet for Investiture at Government House and with Entr�e Card to Admit Senior Constable LH Rudder; booklet Attestation Parade, Constable Education Program, at which Senior Constable Rudder was presented with Commissioner's Valour Award; letters of congratulations from important officials; various articles, newspaper clippings, posters and a host of other documents and photos relating to the courage and police service of Senior Constable Leah Rudder.

Star of Courage: Awarded by the Governor-General Michael Jeffery and presented at Government House, Canberra 12 March 2007.

Citation: In the early morning of 10 April 2003, Senior Constable Rudder rescued an unconscious man from a burning house at Tarro, New South Wales.

At around midnight, Senior Constable Rudder was driving into her driveway after work when she heard breaking glass and yelling coming from a neighbouring house. She drove to investigate and found a female using a garden hose through a window of a house that was on fire. The woman informed Senior Constable Rudder that she had called emergency services. The fire had engulfed the front section of the house. Senior Constable Rudder looked through a partially broken window to determine whether the occupant of the house was still inside. Visibility was poor, so she used a steel bucket she found at the rear of the house to break more of the window. She was still unable to see inside and the window was too high for her to gain access, so she returned to the rear of the house and tried the back door. It was locked so she kicked the wooden door repeatedly until she had made a hole to crawl through. She was unable to gain access, however, due to intense heat and smoke. She returned to her vehicle, called for assistance and grabbed a torch. Senior Constable Rudder used the torch to smash a window and look inside for any occupants. She saw a man lying on the floor, wedged between the foot of a bed and the wall. She returned to her car to advise colleagues who had now arrived, that she was going inside to rescue the man. One of her colleagues went with her and they both entered the house through the hole in the rear door. They tried to drag the man from the house but he remained wedged and they were forced to retreat when they were overcome by the intense heat and thick smoke. After getting some fresh air, they re-entered the house and, despite the fire gaining in intensity, returned to the bedroom. As they dragged the man to the door of the bedroom, the walls and ceiling began to collapse and both officers were showered with sparks and debris. The man became jammed in the doorway, and while Senior Constable Rudder tried to free him, her colleague was forced to retreat due to smoke inhalation. Senior Constable Rudder continued to pull the unconscious man by his feet down the hallway. A colleague then assisted her in removing the man from the burning house to safety. By her actions, Senior Constable Rudder displayed conspicuous bravery.

NSW Police Commissioner's Valour Award: Conferred upon Senior Constable Leah Helene Rudder 3 December 2003 by K.E.Moroney, Commissioner of Police.

Citation: In recognition of the extreme bravery and meritorious service displayed when undertaking the successful rescue of a person from a house fire at Tarro on 11 April 2003. Senior Constable Rudder became aware of a residence which was well alight and ascertained that a person was inside. Access was gained by crawling through a hole in a door made whilst gaining entry to the building. The occupant was located unconscious and wedged between the wall and furniture. Unable to release the person, she exited the premises to call for additional support.

On the arrival of assistance a further attempt to release the occupant was undertaken. However, due to smoke inhalation and the intense heat both officers left the premises.

Undeterred and facing intense heat, acrid smoke and falling debris, Senior Constable Rudder re-entered the premises unaccompanied. On that occasion she was able to free the person and began pushing the occupant along the floor.

Although this situation presented a real threat to Senior Constable Rudder's life, she maintained her resolve and was eventually able to complete a successful rescue with the assistance of other personnel.

By her actions Senior Constable Rudder displayed courage, professionalism and responsibility to the community in an extremely dangerous situation. She is highly commended for her valour under extreme duress.

Leah Helene Kennaway, born 15Jul1970 at Deniliquin, NSW and then moved to Goulburn where her father worked as Valuer General and here she attended Goulburn High School; moved to Wagga Wagga when her father was appointed Regional Valuer General and attended Kooringal High School there until completing her Higher School Certificate; joined NSW Police Force on 24Apr1989 as a Student Police Officer, this was the first class conducted under the new PREP (Pole Recruit Education Program), a 6-month training course that included a placement period at Wagga Wagga Police Station; attested to rank of Probationary Constable 24Oct1989 and stationed at Kings Cross Police Station where she performed General Duties Police, both mobile and beat patrol; confirmed as a Constable Oct1990; for next 5 years at Kings Cross Patrol she performed secondments with various roles and duties within Sydney Charge Room and Cell Complex, Prisoner Transport Unit, Riot Squad and Sexual Assault Unit; one of only a few female officers to train with the newly formed Riot Squad and highly sought-after IROC (Initial Response Officer's Course) selected and specifically trained to take sexual assault statements from victims; appointed Constable First Class in 1995; married on 07Jan1995 to police officer David John Rudder; twin boy and girl born prematurely at Paddington, Sydney NSW on 30Aug1995; Senior Constables David and Leah Rudder transferred to Lower Hunter Command in Mar1996, David stationed at Cessnock Police Station and Leah at Maitland Police Station where she performed duties General Duties, Domestic Violence, Warrant and Summons, Sexual Assault and as a Police Negotiator; she had another son born in 1998 and continued to work in a part-time capacity at Maitland Police Station as a Domestic Violence Liaison Officer for the Lower Hunter Command encompassing 17 police stations and also continued working as an IROC Officer, Police Negotiator and later as an Investigator at Newcastle Crash Investigator Unit; Senior Constable Leah Rudder was medically discharged from the NSW Police Force with both physical and psychological injuries on 23December 2010 after a 22-year career.

Senior Constable Leah Rudder was the first female police officer in Australia to be awarded the Star of Courage. She was also given the honour of being the only female of a number of life size fixed banners erected on 'Heroes Walk' at the NSW Police Academy and she appears in The Who's Who of Australia 2008 and the Valour Roll at the NSW Police Academy.