1885 - Hook and Ladder Brigade formed

Legend

The ancient verbal history passed on from beer glass to beer glass is that the date 1885 is when our Brigade started as a Hook & Ladder Brigade to run through the town at night wielding axes and buckets (ex sailors wore hooks) – we don’t appear to have owned a ladder so probably borrowed that from next door to the Fire.   Until the bells were bought firefighters were aroused from slumber by passionate screams.

The Brigade became a Volunteer Fire Brigade as we would understand it today in 1895 (probably) as there were Motions recorded at a Public Meeting.    Organisation & some equipment was also put in place.  

The whole Brigade soon after (or more likely just before)  “Resigned” and didn’t reform until a substantial Sum had been expended on a Hand Drawn Hose Reel with attachments (this is a fascinating legend that might still lurk in the Council minute books).   Of passing interest is that the reel would have been no use without water mains so presumably the mains were already there.

It was immediately after this equipment was handed over for use (Old Photo #1) that the Brigade responded to the first call and couldn’t get into the old Navy shed at Windsor Reserve as nobody had brought  a key.   This was remedied by the time the second call came in as everyone by then had a key and in the excitement the troops ran over the Officer with the Hose Reel – this caused some delay but the property didn’t burn to the ground this time.

I think we should go with late 1885.

Allen Bestwick - Officer In Charge 1990 - 2007

1885 was a busy year for fires in Devonport, and it seems at this time an effort was made to get a brigade together.  The Hook and Ladder Brigade was in the course of formation and the a constable was employed.   The population was increasing and fire was an every present risk.  

At the council meeting on 13th of July 1885 a letter was read from Messrs. Merryweather and Sons offering for sale steam operated Fire Engines, nothing was done about this but a public meeting was called in September probably as a direct result of the following fire reported in all of these provincial papers: -

Papers Past - Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5299, 21 September 1885, Page 2

also in Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 70, 19th September 1885, Page 2

and in the Timaru Herald, Violume XLII, Issue 3426, 21 September 1885, Page 3

FIRE

A fire occurred at Devonport at 4.30 this morning, and destroyed two cottages, one belonging to Mr Patterson and the other to Mr Melville. A family named Donovan, who occupied the latter house narrowly escaped with their lives, being sound asleep while the fire was raging. The other buildings adjoining were saved with difficulty. The insurances on the buildings destroyed were £350 in the New Zealand office There is also £500 on Patterson’s furniture in the same office. The cause of the fire is unknown. There is no fire brigade in this populous town.

It is recorded in the Council minutes that on the 21st of September 1885 "the Chairman stated that he had received a requisition asking him to convene a public meeting to consider the advisability of forming a fire brigade. Resolved."

We can see the residents of Devonport, then as now, being extremely vocal in their demands, the innocuous comment in the councils minutes probably covers a multitude of emotions.

A resident constable was sought on the 9th October of 1885 and on the 16th of November 1885 "Messrs Lilewael, TJ Duder and J White wrote to the board to ask the board to erect three fire bells in the district as a "Hook and Ladder Fire Brigade" was in the course of formation and some means of alarm in case of fire was necessary. Moved and seconded and to report at the next meeting as to the cost of Fire Bells and frames for same."

The following fire though must have been the one that bought instant action from the Council, the loss of a timber yard would be devastating to the emerging community.

Papers Past, Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1205, 12 December 1885, Page 3

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Dunedin, December 11th.

An Auckland telegram states that the New Zealand Timber Company's branch mill at Devonport was discovered to be on fire at nine o'clock last night. There was no water supply in the district, and the whole establishment and the stock it contained were destroyed. The loss exceeds £2,000. The place was insured for £7OO in the Norwich Union office.

Rod Cornelius, Flagstaff, Rods Rambles 20th Feb 2001

Many years back when I was interviewing Carl and Toots Prime at their home on King Edward Parade, Carl told me a story about the day the timber yard caught on fire just over from their place on the foreshore. That was in 1887. He said it was a very hot day and the building was well alight when the brigade got there. They were fighting a losing battle with the fire and the heat. The publican from the Masonic Hotel came over to the volunteers and offered them a drink to cool down. Carl told me “ they put all the gear down and went over to the pub for a drink and let the building burn down.” Toots was horrified that he had told me this and said “ Carl you shouldn’t tell stories like that” So who knows whether it was true or not. There is possibly a grain of truth there as with such primitive equipment it would have been very hard to have controlled a fire in a timber yard such as this.

On the 14th of December 1885 the bells were "Resolved to be purchased for £30 as soon as the Hook and Ladder Brigade was formed."

Mr Geo Strude, formerly of a London brigade was appointed Captain of the brigade.

In April of 1886 a circular re fire engines and escapes was received from Messrs Shand Mason & Co of London. Nothing seems to been done about this, its purely on the record has having been received.