Firefighters Guide

Historical Overview

From 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.

List of select record series

Board of Fire Commissioners

Series	Title	Dates
NRS 510 (Fiche 2053-2145)	Personnel record books  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 Item List: Dates Fiche Item 28 Apr 1884-15 Feb 1900 2053-58 [11/16226] 1 Jan 1900-15 Jan 1909 2059-64 [3/12672] 15 Jan 1909-14 Mar 1913 2065-70 [3/12673] 25 Mar 1913-16 Aug 1917 2071-76 [3/12674] 16 Nov 1917-17 Aug 1923 2077-82 [3/12675] 17 Aug 1923-19 Aug 1927 2083-88 [3/12676] 20 Aug 1927-31 Aug 1928 2089-94 [3/12677] 3 Sep 1928-15 Dec 1933 2095-2100 [3/12678] 2 Feb 1934-1 Jul 1938 2101-07 [3/12679] 1 Jul 1938-7 Aug 1942 2108-13 [3/12680] 14 Aug 1942-3 Dec 1945 2114-19 [3/12681] 4 Dec 1945-31 Oct 1947 2120-25 [3/12682] 15 Jun 1951-25 Jun 1954 2126-32 [3/12684] 31 Oct 1947-15 Jun 1951 2133-39 [3/12683] 25 Jun 1954-2 Sep 1955 2140-45 [3/12685]	28 Apr 1884-2 Sep 1955
NRS 511 (Fiche 7001-7002)	NSW Fire Brigades register of signatures 22 Nov 1884-14 Aug 1912 [14/1722.1] Fiche 7001 14 Aug 1912-30 Dec 1955 [14/1722.1] Fiche 7002	1884-1955
[6/18048]	Staff register, City stations	1927-1967
[3/7883.14-.15]	Personnel registers - Country stations	1910-1931
NRS 501 [3/12995-13001, 3/6973B-6973D, 3/13022, 10/30615-30618 part, 6/11876-77]	In Orders  These circulars include appointments and promotions, transfers; leave, and notices of deaths of Brigade members.	1901+
NRS 502 [6/11866-11875]	Volunteer Staff In Orders  These circulars include appointments, transfers, leave and notices of death.	1931-1979
[3/1781.2]	Country volunteer register  Arranged alphabetically by fire station.	1910-1916
[11/3157-3161]	Volunteer staff registers, Country stations Arranged alphabetically by fire station.	1910-1974
NRS 514 [11/16222]	Volunteer Long Service Medal and Bar register This is a register of medals (for 15 years service) and bars (for 30 years service) presented to volunteer firemen.	1910-1967
NRS 515 [3/13002]	Reserve Corps Arranged in alphabetical order by brigade.	c.1939-1955
NRS 517 [3/13020.1]	Seniority list of fire brigade staff	Nov 1944
NRS 519 [14/1722.2-1726, 18/1267-71]	Personal files of senior officers	c.1890-1988
[3/1786]	Register of NSW Fire Brigades Reserve Corps	1939-1957

Access to the records

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

Further reading

Colin Adrian, Fighting fire: a century of service 1884-1984, Sydney, George Allen & Unwin, 1984.

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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