Boronia Fire Brigade History
The Early Years - 1942-1960
On the 4th of July, 1942, a public meeting was called in Boronia with the intention of forming a Fire Brigade. Although a Bush Fire Brigade had been in operation since early 1939, the increasing threat of a Japanese attack during World War 2 resulted in the need for an Urban Fire Brigade under the Administration of the Country Fire Brigades’ Board. On the 29th July Boronia Fire Brigade was formally registered by the Country Fire Brigades’ Board (CFBB).
From this time, the first Boronia Fire Truck was stored wherever a garage close to town could be found until the first fire station was opened in Dorset road, late in 1943. An outer station was also formed in Station Street Bayswater which didn’t have a vehicle, just a hose reel. It was just two months after being formally registered that Boronia Fire Brigade had its first major fire which was a laundry fire in Bayswater.
Below: Boronia Fire Station in Dorset Road, 1943 with its first appliance a Chevrolet Utility.
In 1944, the CFBB was replaced by the Country Fire Authority (CFA). Additionally in this year the Brigades Chevrolet was replaced by a similar Ford utility.
In 1949 all equipment that was based at the Bayswater outer station was transferred to the main station in Dorset Road Boronia. Soon after in 1950, the Brigade Competition team made its first interstate competition trip to Davenport, Tasmania just two years after making its competition debut in Ballarat 1948.
In 1954 the brigade members constructed the Blitz tanker. With the chassis of a 1942 ex-Army vehicle, the brigade members fitted an old underground petrol tank as water storage as well as a 650 gallon per minute pump. The vehicle also included a ‘live’ hose reel. All of this was constructed in the Captains garage.
In 1955 the Brigade was included in the
CFA building program. The new Fire Stati
on
was built and formally opened at 133 Boronia Road on the 1st November 1957. The
new station coincided with the 15 year anniversary of the Boronia Fire Brigade.
At this time, the brigade had been called out to 202 calls with the frequency
of calls rising. The twelve month period prior to the new station opening saw
Boronia respond to 49 fire calls.
Right: Station opening 133 Boronia Road 1957
The 1960's and 70's - New Station and Staff
In 1962 Boronia was committed in major bushfires around the area including The Basin, Kinglake, Hurstbridge and Warrandyte. In 4 days during this period 454 houses and 8 lives were lost at bushfires in the area.
Boronia also received its first pumper in the early sixties. After an initial dispute regarding the pumper allocation, the brigade “withdrew its services” Soon after the dispute was settled and the brigade took delivery of the new International K6 pumper.
Below: The International Pumper and Blitz tanker at Boronia’s new Fire Station in the early 1960’s.
The latter part of the 60’s saw Boronia attend major bush fires in Gippsland (1965), Upwey and the Basin (1968) and then again state wide in 1969. 224 houses, 22 lives and 26 schools were lost through out the state of Victoria in this 5 year period.
In 1968 the Brigade were again at work constructing Boronia’s first “Brigade Owned appliance;” a Ford tanker. The CFA initially did not accept the tanker into its fleet as it was driven by a diesel engine, however today all fire fighting vehicles have diesel engines.
Below: 1968 Ford Tanker
1972 saw another change for the Boronia fire Brigade. The Brigade went from a full volunteer brigade to an integrated brigade with full time staff, initially being housed in a caravan adjacent to the station. At this time the brigade activity was further increasing which lead to plans to extend the station to include room for four vehicles. The remodeled station was re-opened in 1976.
Below: Boronia Fire Station Reopening 1976
The 1980's - Big New trucks, Big Bush Fires and Big Structure fires
In the early 1980’s Boronia received 2 new appliances; The Type 1 Pumper in 1980 and the Combination Pumper in 1981.
In 1983 Boronia was involved in the horrific Ash Wednesday Bushfires that claimed 47 lives and destroyed 2000 homes state wide. Boronia members braved these fires at Belgrave South, Beaconsfield, and Warburton.
There were also large Structure fires in the Boronia are in the mid to late eighties. These included a fire causing $750,000 damage to the Knox Technical School library. In 1987, $2 million damage to the Clark Maples building in Ferntree Gully and in 1989 another multi million dollar fire destroyed Hansa Toys in Ferntree Gully.
The large fires continued into the 90’s when Boronia attended Bush fires in the Warburton district in 1991 and also a blaze at the Boronia Church of Christ causing $1 million damage. Also in this year a fire caused $5 million damage to the Swagman restaurant in Ferntree Gully.
The 1990's - More New Appliances and another new station for Boronia
In 1992 Boronia received its new 2.2D Tanker. Also in this year work was started on Boronia’s new Hazmat & Salvage vehicle. The new Hazmat was officially commissioned by the CFA Executive Chairman in 1993.
Below: Boronia Hazmat
1994 was a busy year for the Brigade. The largest fire in the Brigades primary area occurred at the Knox Council offices. The Combination pumper was replaced with the Type 4 Heavy pumper that is currently in service today. Also, new plans were announced to relocate the Boronia Fire Brigade.
Over the summer of 1997 crews were kept busy with large bushfires across the Eastern metropolitan areas of Melbourne. Boronia was involved in the fire fight of the bushfires at Arthur's Seat, Mount Martha and closer to home, Mt Dandenong.
In May 1998 work began on the new
station at 300 Boronia Road. On the 3rd of December 1998, the new
station became operational. The official opening followed on the 13th
March 1999.
Right: The Boronia Fire Brigades Bell, at home in the new station
Bush fires once again broke out in 2002, this time it was in our neighboring state of New South Wales. Members were flown to battle the Bushfires across the outer suburbs of Sydney.
2000's - New Millennium, More large Bushfires and More New Appliances!
Below: A photo taken by members at the NSW bushfires 2002.
2003 saw another large bushfire crisis evolve in the North East Alpine areas of Victoria. Not long after the Brigades new Pumper Tanker was delivered, Boronia crews were involved for some time in this fire mostly around the Mt Hotham area.
It was decided in 2004 that the Boronia fire brigade would build and trial a new prototype light pumper. It was decided that this would be built around a Ford F350.
The light pumper, Boronia Pumper 2, was made operational late in 2005. For more images of the construction of Boronia Pumper 2, please see the News page.
Below: Boronia Pumper 2, prototype light pumper. Below: Boronia fire Station, late 2005
Today, Boronia Fire Brigade has 4 operational vehicles, 31 active volunteers, 22 career staff members and 39 non operational and Auxiliary members and 10 Juniors. Boronia is the busiest Fire Brigade in Region 13, and one of the busiest CFA brigades throughout Victoria, last year responding to a total of 1002 calls.