This cap badge is a little gem, and is unknown to most. It came to me from a long-retired fireman who advised that it was the first cap badge worn by firemen of the Darwin Fire Brigade. This particular image came from a scan of an old colour photograph. It is a little hard to make out in the picture, but the 'X' is dark blue, and the laurel leaves are dark green.

My information is that during the time that Mr A H (Arch) Chaffey was Chief Fire Officer, the issued uniform consisted of navy trousers and shirt with a heavy navy-blue or black woollen turnout tunic, a brass fire helmet, and a black peaked cap with a cap badge. The firemen were also issued with a white or grey pith helmet with the same cap badge. Therefore the badge on the left is without doubt the very first issued within the Fire Brigades of the Northern Territory.

I have also been advised that following his demise a popular Darwin Fire Officer was interred in full uniform, complete with green Fire Brigade badge on his cap. The badge was said to be one of the original Fire Brigade cap badges, and I can only assume that as there were never any other green badges issued, it must have been the Darwin Fire Brigade badge pictured.

I am missing this badge from my collection, and would truly value being able to obtain one.

The second cap badge issued by the Northern Territory Fire Brigade (NTFB) was the badge depicted on the left. It had a rounded face with silver crossed axes over a blue enamel background, and was topped with a red bejewelled Tudor crown. This badge was introduced by Chief Fire Officer George Robbins during the late 1950s, and was still worn in service by some fire officers as late as 1978. The badge is quite unlike any other cap badge in Australia, and although not yet substantiated, it was probably a copy of a badge from a fire brigade in the United Kingdom. The badge measures 68mm high by 45mm wide.

A large model of this badge adorned the front of the Daly Street Fire Station in Darwin until its closure in 1984, and is now hanging proudly in the engine room of the present Darwin Fire Station in Iliffe Street, Stuart Park.

These leather badges were fixed initially to the cork/leather helmets, and later to the MSA helmets. Apparently there were four battalions, being "A", "B", "C", and "D".

I am missing this badge from my collection, and would truly value being able to obtain one.

Peter Holtham became Chief Fire Officer in 1967, and during his reign a new cap badge was introduced. The badge had a similarity in size and design to the earlier badge, except that it had a flat profile. The words "NT Fire Brigade" were contained within three banner scrolls across the face. The badge was still topped with a red crown, and retained the background of dark blue enamel.

The white shape between the scrolls in the centre of the badge was probably a "flaming grenade" of military origin. Due to the shape of the centre, the badge was known by the firefighters as the "squid". It was not well liked by the brigade personnel, and many officers continued to wear the original cap badge with the crossed axes.

The New South Wales Museum of Fire in Penrith has in their collection of cap badges a Northern Territory Fire Brigade cap badge similar to the one above, but which is coloured red on the three banner scrolls and the central flame. The base of the flame, or squid, is still of white enamel. The badge on the left has been digitally altered to depict the Penrith badge, as this badge is missing from my collection.

No local information however has been found relative to this badge. Perhaps it was a one-off hand-painted item, or perhaps the red badges were made for specific or select issue, or issued only to Fire Brigade officers? Or perhaps it was issued on 1 January 1977 when the Northern Territory Fire Brigade was placed under the control of the Commonwealth of Australia's Ministry for Transport and Industry?

I am missing this badge from my collection, and would truly value being able to obtain one.

It has been said that every change in the management of the Fire Brigade resulted in the issue of a new cap badge, and there were many changes around this time, still with Peter Holtham as CFO. On achieving self government on 1 July 1978 and placed under the control of the Ministry of Transport, the Northern Territory Fire Brigade issued a completely redesigned all-silver cap badge. The badges were supposed to be coloured, but due to finances at the time were supplied plain.

The badge was of an eight-pointed star representing the Maltese Cross, and showed a soaring eagle spread across the centre. The eagle was similar in design to the one depicted on the shoulder patch. The 50mm x 50mm badge, being very plain, met with the disapproval of many of the firemen of that era, some going as far as refusing to wear it.

To change the appearance of the plain silver cap badge, one of the firefighters of the time started hand-painting them in red, white and blue enamel. With the addition of the colour, they became more popular, and so still more of the plain badges were hand-painted. One of them is shown on the left, and there is no argument that it certainly made the badges more attractive.

The Fire Brigade recognised that the badges presented much better with the three colours, so made arrangements for the mold to be altered slightly to allow for the addition of the flames previously painted on the badge. The lettering was also altered slightly.and the enamelling was factory-painted in red, white and blue.

Compared to the plain silver badge, this was much more attractive.

CFO Peter Holtham, being ex British Army Fire Service, brought with him cloth badges from his early days in the British Army, the badges representing ancient fire bombs. Although he tried hard to get the men to accept and wear the badges, the men would have nothing to do with it, so Holtham wore it himself as the CFO’s cap badge.

In 1978/79 when the NT Fire Brigade Cadets were introduced Holtham ordered that they wear the badge on their black berets. He also ordered that his two Divisional Officers wear the badge on their caps. As a result, the caps were rarely worn by his officers.

I am missing this badge from my collection, and would truly value being able to obtain one.

After a review of the Northern Territory Fire Brigade in 1979-1980 by Tom Williamson of Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade, a change in management structure was made, and the NT Fire Brigade became the NT Fire Service. A Director of Fire Services (Bill Henderson) was appointed in 1981, and a new cap badge was issued. This was based on Sturt's Desert Rose, the floral emblem of the Northern Territory. A re-shaped eagle can be seen arising from a background of flames at the centrepiece of the Desert Rose ... but perhaps this was now a phoenix rising from the ashes, signifying a re-birth of the Fire Service! This badge remained current until 1991.

The badge size is 50mm high by 51mm wide.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the NT Fire Service in 1991, a new shoulder patch and curved cap badge was issued. This both patch and badge included a flaming torch between two crossed axes and also incorporated the tri-service (Police, Fire and Emergency Services) logo "To Serve and Protect". The Desert Rose with the phoenix of the previous badge was retained as the centrepiece. This badge was current until 1994.

The torch and axes are very similar to the cap badge of the Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade, which is quite fitting as the MFB was instrumental in helping to shape the NT Fire Service. The badge size is 75mm high by 58mm wide.

The Northern Territory Fire Service became the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service in 1994, and a new cap badge was issued. The badge was flat instead of curved, and the name "Northern Territory Fire Service" around the inner circle was replaced with the new title of "Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service". This is the current cap badge.

In 1990 the Northern Territory Fire Service assumed responsibility for the provision of fire services in Nhulunbuy, on the Gove Peninsula. Prior to this time, Nabalco had provided their own fire protection to the mine and township with the establishment of the Nhulunbuy District Fire Service.

This image of the Nhulunbuy District Fire Service cap badge comes from a photograph passed on to me. I would love to be able to obtain a Nhulunbuy cap badge to add to my collection, if possible.