NRS-15454 | Photographs of fire brigade staff, Board members and Sydney fire scenes

Full description

This series consists of photographs of Sydney fire scenes, official and sporting photographs of fire-fighters of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, equipment used for fighting fires, and members of the Fire Brigades Board and Board of Fire Commissioners.

Included is a team photograph of the 1930 NSW Fire Brigade football club winners; photographs of fire-fighting equipment; and a group portrait outside the newly completed, and soon to be opened, Wollongong Fire Station; and a photograph of staff to show the final issue of the complete uniform after the station's official opening. On the reverse side of some photographs are details such as the names of those in the portraits and the date they were taken.

There is also a framed photograph of the first motor fire engine for the New South Wales Fire Brigade taken in 1904. This photograph of the Merryweather chemical petrol fire engine includes senior members of the fire service, including Fire Commissioner Taylor, Superintendent A. Webb, and Deputy Superintendent N. Sparks.

Other photographs include the 1898 Woollahra volunteer fire brigade, fire-fighters of The Rocks fire station circa 1900, demonstration of smoke helmets by fire-fighters from fire station No. 1, delegates of the first inter-state fire brigades conference held in Melbourne on the 15 March 1905, and members of the last Metropolitan Fire Brigade Board. Also included is a photograph of the funeral procession of F. Morris and a 1950s photograph of the switchboard at Newcastle fire station. Most of these photographs have been mounted on cardboard, possibly for display purposes. The majority of the portraits have names on the back.

Also included are three photographs mounted on cardboard of a model Dennis Fire Engine presented to the Colonial Secretary, Captain the Hon. F.A. Chaffey MLA. The model was a memento of a fire-fighting demonstration by the NSW volunteer fire brigade at Katoomba in November 1935.

This series appears to consist of photographs taken by the fire service and from donated photographs from employees or from individuals present at fire scenes.