by Bob Newton
Pictured above is the former fire bell that is now located at the current Korumburra fire station. It was donated by the Coal Creek Coal Mine Company in 1896 when James Hardwick was the manager—it was surplus to their needs. After a meeting in Radovick’s Hotel, a fire brigade was formed. The newly formed Fire Brigade station and tower was established at the top end of Main Road (later changed to Commercial Street).
The Coal Creek coal mine was located in the Ivy O’Neill Park in Mine Road. The Fire Brigade was relocated to Mine Road in 1963, where a siren was installed and the bell was no longer needed. Thankfully, the bell was saved by the brigade members, or this 123 year old history would not have been discovered after my research.
The Fire Brigade, in its infancy, was equipped with the old hand reel which had to be pulled by the firemen to wherever a fire broke out. The efficiency of the brigade, however, was good, and many outbreaks were kept in check, otherwise the whole of the main street would have gone up in smoke.
Frank Kitchingman was one of its early captains, and Peter McGrath was secretary. The brigade conducted a sports meeting on the showgrounds on New Year’s Day for a long time, and raised much of its finance by it. The woodchops were most popular at those meetings, and were contested by the best axe men in the district.
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