Archives In Brief 113 - Firefighters
Background | Select list of sources | Further reading | Access
Background
Fro
m the mid 19th century Sydney's fire protection was provided by volunteer and insurance company brigades. The Fire Brigades Act of 1884 formally constituted a government organised fire service, the Fire Brigades Board. Initially one central fire station was supported by 22 volunteer fire companies. The Fire Brigades Board was replaced by the Board of Fire Commissioners on 1 January 1910 under the Fire Brigades Act of 1909. The new Board was responsible for fire service provision in Sydney and all other urban areas of NSW.[1]
The first metropolitan fire station in Sydney was located on a site on the west side of Castlereagh Street between Liverpool and Bathurst Streets. By 1909, the number of permanent Brigade employees had risen to 220, comprising the Superintendent, Deputy-Superintendent, Senior District Officer, six District Officers, nine Station Officers, eleven Sub-station Officers, 134 firemen, 33 Coachmen, four Special Service and 20 auxiliaries at 19 stations.[2]
The fire brigade service continued to increase with the construction of fire stations in country and metropolitan districts. On 4 April 1958 the NSW Board became responsible for fire protection in the ACT.[3] In 1985, the first women fire fighters entered the brigade.[4] The New South Wales Fire Brigades was established under the Fire Brigades Act 1989.
Select list of sources
Board of Fire Commissioners
NRS 510, Personnel record books, 28 Apr 1884-2 Sep 1955 [11/16226, 3/12672-85]
Fiche 2053-2145
The following information about staff is given: name; where and when born; height; previous occupation; marital status and number of children; promotions; examinations; and details of appointment, offences and awards.
Staff register, City stations, 1927-67 [6/18048]
Personnel registers - Country stations, 1910-31 [3/7883.14-.15]
NRS 501, In Orders 1901- [3/12995-13001, 3/6973B-6973D, 3/13022, 10/30615-30618 part, 6/11876-77] These circulars include appointments and promotions, transfers; leave, and notices of deaths of Brigade members.
NRS 502, Volunteer Staff In Orders 1931-1979 [6/11866-75]
These circulars include appointments, transfers, leave and notices of death.
Country volunteer register, 1910-16 [3/1781.2]
Arranged alphabetically by fire station.
Volunteer staff registers, Country stations 1910-74 [11/3157-3161]
Arranged alphabetically by fire station.
NRS 514, Volunteer Long Service Medal and Bar register, 1910-67 [11/16222]
This is a register of medals (for 15 years service) and bars (for 30 years service) presented to volunteer firemen.
NRS 515, Reserve Corps, c.1939-55 [3/13002]
Arranged in alphabetical order by brigade.
Register of NSW Fire Brigades Reserve Corps, 1939-57 [3/1786]
Further reading
Colin Adrian, Fighting fire: a century of service 1884-1984, Sydney, George Allen & Unwin, 1984.
Access
Staff and personnel records of the NSW Fire Brigades and its predecessors are open after 50 years. To obtain permission to view and copy records that are less than 50 years old contact:
NSW Fire Brigades
PO Box A249
Sydney South NSW 2001
Footnotes
[1] Colin Adrian, Fighting Fire: a century of service 1884-1984, George Allen & Unwin, 1984, p.8
[2] Adrian, op.cit p.95
[3] NRS 484, Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales Annual Report, 1958, [14/1594] p.4
[4] NRS 484, Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales Annual Report, 1985, [14/1594] p.42
© State of New South Wales through the State Records Authority, 2003.
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