Establishment of a Fire Brigade in Coraki
Established in 1849 before becoming a bustling riverside port in the 1880s, Coraki looked to establish their own fire brigade under the Fire Brigades Act at the start of the twentieth century. The town was then successful in achieving incorporation under the Fire Brigades Act in the year 1912. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication between the Coraki Council and the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) the Council missed out on receiving the necessary resources to establish a brigade in the newly formed Fire District and so the establishment of a brigade was pushed back to 1913. Further troubles arose as an agreement could not be reached between the BoFC and Coraki Council regarding the contributions required to maintain a brigade. The community were called to vote in a referendum to determine if Council should pay the required contributions with the community ultimately voting against establishing a brigade due to the cost being a burden they could not bear. Consequently, Coraki was removed from the provisions of the Fire Brigades Act in 1913.
Less than a decade later in 1920 calls were made for the establishment of a brigade in Coraki. The Council wrote to the BoFC requesting a permanent brigade be established in the town under the provisions of the Act. In October 1920 the town would once again be brought under the Fire Brigades Act, with a brigade coming into effect from the 1 January 1921. With a newly formed brigade the selection of a site for a fire station became paramount with a number of potential sites inspected. A site at the corner of Adam and Martin Streets was effectively determined to be more suitable than the original site reserved in 1911 and was proclaimed as a site for use by the NSWFB in September 1921. Firefighter Percy Bulloch from the North Sydney Fire Brigade was sent to Coraki to provide the newly formed brigade with training and equipment handling procedures. The brigade was originally equipped with a horse-drawn turbine engine. A temporary station was established in a coachbuilding shop until funds became available to build on the site at the corner of Adam and Martin Street. Coraki’s lack of reticulation meant that the brigade was heavily reliant on the local river as a source of water for firefighting purposes.
Pressure was once again placed on the BoFC for the construction of a permanent fire station as the owner of the coachbuilding business, that housed that temporary station, wished to extend his business. Attempts were made to secure alternative temporary housing; however no suitable sites could be found. Construction on the new station began in the middle of 1923 and concluded in January 1924. It was soon after this that the brigade occupied the building. The official opening ceremony for the station took place on 2 April 1924 and was attended by members of Coraki Council and the BoFC.
Today, the brigade continues to serve the community from the original 1924 fire station. Over the years the building has undergone a number of renovations and alterations. Following the reticulation of Coraki in 1956 the station was officially connected to water services and electrically operated fire call sirens were installed in the station in 1963. The Coraki Brigade have developed dramatically over the last century achieving special qualifications such as their accreditation as a Community First Responder (CFR) station on 31 January 2019.
Coraki Captains List
Name | Appointment as Captain | End of Service as Captain |
E. T. Sheridan | 1921 | 1930 |
W. C. Clark | 1930 | 1968 |
B. Olsen | 1968 | 1974 |
K. R. Thomas | 1974 | 1991 |
R. A. Duncan | 1991 | 2010 |
G. P. Guest | 2010 | 2024 |
R. O’Keefe | 2024 | Present |
Coraki Historic Fleet List
Year | Make/Model | Motor Engine Number | Type |
1921 | Conv ex manual | 004 | Hand Drawn Pump |
1927 | Garford 15 | 092 | Pumper |
1929 | - | 133 | Hose Cart |
1940 | Garford 15 | 140 | Pumper |
1946 | Dennis 250 | 170 | Pumper |
1967 | Dennis Light 4 | 012 | Pumper |
1973 | Commer B357 | 296 | Pumper |
1975 | Bedford J1 | 013 | Pumper |
1981 | Ford D200 | 350 | Pumper |
1985 | International 1710B | 591 | Pumper |
2002 | Isuzu FTR-800 | 473 | Pumper |
- Story by Museum of Fire Heritage Team
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