Jack Foster loves technology and his quick reflexes probably saved the life of his father, who was attacked by an intruder.
About 3am one night in May last year in the western Victorian town of Ararat, Jack, then aged seven, was sleeping in his father Christopher Foster's room, when he was woken by a commotion in the lounge room.
Jack, now eight, leaped into action. His response probably saved his father's life.
Jack's actions will be acknowledged with an Australian Bravery Medal next year.
The awards are granted twice a year by the Governor-General.
Jack is one of 12 Victorians, and the youngest among the 62 national recipients, to be acknowledged in this round of awards.
''What he did was extremely brave for someone of his age," Sharon Prendergast, director of the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat, said.
Mr Foster said the intruder was a drug addict and was looking to steal his supply of the prescription narcotic Oxycontin that Mr Foster was taking for the relief of pain associated with crushed discs in his back.
The intruder repeatedly attacked Mr Foster with the tool he had used to break into the house.
''He hit me in the head with the crowbar like 100 times, then he threw the stereo at me, then he threw the TV. He just went wild,'' Mr Foster said.
The attack left Mr Foster a bloody mess on the floor.
''Jack had to hold my head up because I was choking on my blood. I was just trying to keep myself alive, basically, because of my son," he said.
Mr Foster spent 24 hours in intensive care and receive 52 stitches and six staples for his wounds.
As his father was being attacked, Jack ran to the phone. The intruder grabbed it from him and smashed it against the wall. Jack then found his father's mobile phone, called the police and took photos of the assailant with the camera on the phone.
Jack then grabbed his toy sabre and struck the intruder telling him to get out and the police were on their way.
The attacker fled but Jack's quick thinking led to the man's arrest.
Jack's mother, Carlie Simpson, said her son had shown incredible bravery but had developed "little bits of quirkiness" since the attack.
"He's constantly locking the back door. Even when he's half asleep he'll go to the back door and lock it. Little things like that," Ms Simpson said yesterday.
"Other than that, he's coped with it really well."
Jack said he was afraid during the attack but would do it all again if he had to.
He said he was looking forward to receiving his award, and planned to take it to school for show and tell.
Asked what advice he would offer to any of his classmates who found themselves in a similar situation, he said simply: ''Dial triple-0."
Asked what he would say to Governor-General Quentin Bryce,when he receives his Bravery Medal, Jack said: "I'll say it's nice meeting you and also it's really good about me getting the bravery award because if I didn't act fast dad would die."
