The Romsey Fire Brigade has a long history, one that goes back more than one hundred and twenty years. Because of its location in Central Victoria at a point of access to much of the rest of Victoria, Romsey was linked to the development of the State and as a consequence, the growth and development of the brigade reflected the development of rural fire brigades across Victoria. Due to various influences, such as economical difficulties and the occasional political dithering, progress was sometimes extremely slow and frustrating, however as is often the case with struggles concerning the greater community good, the outcomes can often be very successful.

The First Brigades in Victoria

The earliest fire brigades in the rural towns of Victoria were in the goldfields communities. With the rapid establishment of ‘tent cities’ and the use of open flames for heating, cooking and lighting, it is easy to imagine that the threat of fire was always present. Once a goldfield proved to be productive, wooden and canvas structures would spring up all over the place. The unplanned and over-crowded nature of such communities caused them to be vulnerable to the worst effects of fire and an organised system for fighting fires became necessary. From the 1850’s onwards many volunteer urban and rural brigades were formed throughout Victoria. That they were largely successful can be attributed in great part to the gold seekers that came here from other parts of the world and the miners from America, Canada, and Europe, where traditions in volunteer fire fighting were well established, helped to mould the special and distinctive way of fire fighting here. The Americans' were particularly influential and their experience was not only confined to the goldfields, but was a major factor in the establishment of volunteer brigades in the city of Melbourne and its suburban areas. In these early years in Victoria, co-operation between the various brigades was very limited. Large numbers of brigades existed, often within close proximity to each other, but their resources were not co-ordinated. It has been estimated that in the 1880’s there were up to fifty brigades in the metropolitan area of Melbourne alone, and more than one hundred in Victoria. Insurance companies, councils, private companies, or simply any group of volunteer fire fighters could run their own brigades and as a result brigades were often owned and operated by individual timber yards, breweries, or any other commercial business. There were even 'temperance' brigades who took on the additional and seemingly risky task of dissuading members from other brigades from indulging in strong drink both during and after fighting fires. A regular consequence of all this was complete chaos, in that several brigades may turn out and then ‘compete’ with one another for the rights to fight the fire. This lead to much jostling with each other for possession of plugs, resulting in a serious deviation from gentlemanly behavior, a circumstance that did little to create order at the fire site. History even records that it was not unknown for one brigade to cut through the hoses of another with an axe in order to gain an advantage. If this was not successful they might then spiritedly engage the opposition brigade in an impromptu but determined display of all-in boxing. Those citizens who eagerly came to watch a building burn to the ground were then treated to the additional spectacle of an inter-brigade brawl. All too frequently by the time the fire fighters had calmed down the blaze had either gone out of its own accord, or else had been extinguished by a few of the rather more responsible onlookers. The creation of an integrated, efficient, and co-ordinated, fire-fighting organisation that recieved adequate funding and Government support in this State was still a long way off.

The Birth of the Romsey Fire Brigade

 The Romsey Examiner got things started with the following editorial on Oct 23rd, 1884: Some time ago we advocated the establishment of a fire brigade – or at least the purchase of a reel and hose – for Romsey. This idea seemed to take, so far as we could glean from the expressions of opinion concerning it by the townspeople, but nothing has yet been done towards giving it practical effect, and people continue to wonder why their fire insurance premiums are so high. We feel satisfied that a concerted movement in the direction of instituting a brigade would result most successfully as there are few in the township who are not directly interested in house and other property liable to damage by fire…

Three weeks later, on November 13th, the following notice appeared in the Romsey Examiner: Fire! Fire! Persons interested in the formation of a Fire Brigade at Romsey are desired to meet in the Mechanic’s Hall next Monday at 8 o’clock. [By request] ROBERT FURPHY  The response by the local community to this request was reported in the Romsey Examiner November 20th, 1884: Fire Brigade – In response to an invitation advertised in our last issue, about forty residents of Romsey attended at the Mechanic’s Hall on Monday evening to consider the establishment of a fire brigade in the township. Mr William White was voted to the chair. Much enthusiasm was evinced by all present at the idea of forming a brigade, and it was unanimously decided to take preliminary steps in that direction at once, over [20 pounds] towards meeting the cost of plant, etc [about 50 pounds] being promised in the room. Messrs. White, H. Vinnicombe and Hanson were appointed to canvass for further subscriptions. On the motion of Mr Blackburn, seconded by Kay, an application was ordered to be sent to the Water Trust for the use of their hydrant and appurtenances and it was resolved to apply to the Romsey Shire Council to grant a portion of the Shire Hall stables for the brigade station. The meeting was adjourned until Monday evening next when the appointment of officers will take place.

The Romsey Town Brigade was thus publicly conceived on the 13th November, 1884, and followed by the appointment of brigade officers at a public meeting, on Monday 24th November 1884. This meeting took place in the original Romsey Mechanics Institute Hall and was reported in the Romsey Examiner, 27th November 1884 as follows: Romsey Fire Brigade: This institution was successfully floated on Monday evening last, at an adjourned meeting of the townspeople, Mr William White occupying the chair. Officers were elected as follows: - Captain, Mr Angus; 1st Lieutenant, Mr Robert Furphy; 2nd do., Mr A. T. Dawson; 1st Foreman Mr J. T. Smith; 2nd do., Mr J Seymour; secretary, Mr W. Boyd; treasurer, Mr W. White. The purchase of a reel and accessories was left in the hands of Mr White, and it was decided to vest the whole of the brigade property in the Romsey Shire Waterworks Trust, should that body be willing to accept the responsibility. Exclusive of the captain, lieutenants and foremen the brigade will be twenty strong, that number having signified their willingness to become members and to attend for practice regularly. Another meeting will be held on the 8th. prox, at 8pm when final arrangements for the future management and operation of the brigade will be framed. In the meantime the fireplugs in the township are to be marked, so that their positions may become more fully known to members, and to residents of the township generally. Subscriptions to the amount of over [forty pounds] have already been promised towards defraying the cost of the reel and hose [etc], and it is expected that at least [sixty pounds] will be raised before the end of next week.

Mr William White was clearly not one to wait for things to happen and it was further reported in the Romsey Examiner just a few weeks later on 18th December, 1884: The Fire Brigade – Whilst in Melbourne last week Mr William White, who was deputed to make inquiries concerning the necessary plant required by the Romsey Fire brigade, interviewed Mr. Superintendent Hoad, whose name has been prominently associated with the Metropolitan Brigade for more than a score of years. Mr Hoad supplied Mr White with some valuable information which will be laid before the local brigade at their next meeting…

Unfortunately it is not known what this ‘valuable information’ was, but it soon became apparent that the promised funds from the local community necessary for the brigade to function, were not readily forthcoming. Advertisements in the Romsey Examiner on January 8th and February 12th of 1885 politely requested that those who had promised money to purchase equipment to now hand in their subscriptions. On March 6 of that year, a concert was held in the Mechanic’s Hall to raise funds for the brigade, but how successful the event was is unknown. The Romsey Fire Brigade of 1884 was not a intended to fight bush fires, but was formed mainly to fight fires within the township itself, however in rural areas it is apparent that the firefighters belonging to a town brigade would also volunteer to attend to fires outside of the town precincts.

The Difficult Years

The above extracts from the Romsey Examiner are indicative of the formation of many of the rural fire brigades. In the early years especially, country Victoria relied almost entirely on a system of volunteer firefighters and upon the generosity of the local community for financial support. We do know that the farmers and townsfolk within the district of Romsey did help each other whenever fire threatened their homes and their properties and that the townsfolk of Romsey did attempt to form some sort of a system in order to fight fires. The years from the birth of the Romsey Fire Brigade in 1884, until its incorporation into the Country Fire Authority in 1945, embraced difficult times. Crushing depressions in the 1890’s, and again in 1929 through into the 1930’s, saw tens of thousands of people without work and it was many years before the Australian economy improved. The subsequent effects of two world wars, and of droughts, bushfires and floods, with the huge toll on human life, of the losses of crops and stock, made life extremely harsh for everyone. There was certainly no encouragement for residents to improve their fire fighting skills and no funds to allow for the purchase of new equipment. 

That times were tough and the local belief in the importance of fire fighting was lacking, is evident by a report that when the Mechanic’s Hall caught fire in 1904 the only fire hose was to be found rotting in the Council’s stables. Sadly, the town brigade continued to lose its focus, but fortunately by this time Romsey had a well-established bush fire brigade, which was not yet attached to any statutory authority. A report in the Romsey Examiner, February 17, 1939 stated: A special meeting of the Romsey bush brigade was held on Monday to discuss the proposal for taking over the material from the defunct Romsey township fire brigade and extending the activities of the bush brigade to the township of Romsey. Mr Skehan made available a shed to house the equipment.

It is not reported exactly why the town brigade became redundant; it may have been simply apathy, or for economic reasons, or a combination, bearing in mind that by 1939 a war was imminent. It may have been that in Romsey, as in other areas, some town brigades simply became obsolete or were absorbed by the more active bush brigades, which were generally quite capable of attending to both bush and structural type fires. The Country Fire Brigades Board [CFBB] was created  in 1891 by an Act of Parliament with the intention of making the Victorian rural brigades more efficient and effective at fighting fires. Its main priority was to help those brigades that were available to fight fires in the vicinity of a town and not necessarily to aid those formed to fight bush fires. The Romsey town brigade was possibly too small to attract interest from the CFBB and qualify for registration and financial assistance; in any event the bush brigade absorbed the town brigade to become a single entity. In 1940 the CFBB offered a plan to the State Government which involved co-ordinating rural fire fighting resources to fight bush fires, much as is done today, but the plan was not accepted. In spite of this and by their own initiative, Romsey and practically all surrounding brigades, including Sunbury and Woodend, became one of the first regions in Victoria where local brigades organised themselves to fight bush fires as a Group.

Fighting Fires in the Shire of Romsey

The countryside which surrounds Romsey is almost exclusively very productive farmland, but it is also one of the most bushfire-prone areas in Victoria. The early brigades, although reasonably well manned, were not well equipped and a hose and reel on a hand pulled cart was the usual item of equipment used to fight fires within the township of Romsey.  Prior to this it was the ‘bucket brigade’, which relied upon ready access to water such as a creek or tanks as well as plenty of volunteers armed with buckets and beaters. When the water mains were laid in the town and fireplugs installed, fires within the town itself could be attended to more easily. In Romsey, when firefighters were required, it was usually the local policeman who was in charge. The fire bell, situated in the main street, would be rung to summon volunteers who would then be directed to the site of the fire. If the fire was obvious to all, the  volunteers would make their own way directly to it by any means available. The original fire bell now resides at the brigade station at the rear of the old Romsey courthouse. Farmers would organise their family members and farmhands to prepare for back burning and have their beaters readily available and knapsacks filled with water. Green branches torn from trees were considered better than the beaters made of hessian or leather strips fixed to a pole, since the latter were believed likely to fan the flames and spread the fire, whereas the limbs from trees would tend to smother the flames. Many of the illustrations in the old newspapers and magazines frequently show firefighters attacking the flames with these branches. According to Lancefield resident and forty year veteran of the Lancefield Brigade, Mr Laurie Green, it was not until the early 1940’s that knapsack sprays were used to fight fires in the local region. He recalled that it was at a fire on Number Three Creek, which crosses the Lancefield-Kilmore road, that knapsack sprays were first used by the local brigade and consequently one of the first times that water, at least in the portable sense, was used on a bush fire within the area. Another very effective method for fire control was to create a dead area ahead of a fire by ploughing wide furrows and in the early days this was often accomplished with a horse drawn plough. Now this strategy is accomplished with heavy earth-moving equipment such as bulldozers and is frequently employed in fire fighting today. One of the major problems with fighting bush fires in our Shire is access, where steep hills and deep gullies often seriously impede the efforts of the firefighters and it is here that local knowledge of the terrain is of vital importance. Very strong northerly winds are associated with the hot Victorian summers, that makes the local region one of the most difficult in Victoria for fighting bushfires. As trucks began to be used on farms, many were adopted for use in firefighting. Innovative farmers outfitted their vehicles with petrol driven pumps, hoses and water-filled tanks and they would then load the vehicles with beaters, shovels, mattocks and other equipment needed for fighting fires. Trucks also gave added mobility and speed necessary to proceed quickly to the fire, often with several firefighters aboard the vehicle. 

Founding the Country Fire Authority

The Fire Brigades Act of 1890, laid the foundations for the creation of the Country Fire Brigades Board [CFBB], creating nine country fire districts and gave the CFBB extensive powers and responsibilities over brigades located more than 16 kilometres from Melbourne. Officially it came into being on 1st January 1891, but to obtain the economical and practical benefits of belonging to the CFBB, a brigade needed to be registered with the CFBB. Though formed in 1884, it seems that the Romsey Brigade endured a rather uncertain and self-reliant existence throught its first twenty years and it was not until 1906, as recorded by the Romsey Examiner, that the brigade was to be reformed and to then make application to the CFBB for registration. This may have been the first time that the Romsey Fire Brigade was affiliated with a statutory body.

Devastating fires in 1926 highlighted the lack of co-ordinated fire fighting resources in country Victoria and became an initiative for a group of concerned businessmen in Melbourne to instigate forming a new brigade. In 1927, with input from some parliamentarians, they formed the Melbourne Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade which was to deal with fires within a sixty-mile radius of Melbourne. This scheme was to include important forest areas such as the Macedon Ranges, but unfortunately still lacked a wider vision for fire fighting on a statewide basis and because of these limitations it was felt that a single co-ordinated organisation was essential to fighting bushfires right across country Victoria. As a result, a Bush Fire Brigades Board was proposed that was not to replace the CFBB, but was to work with it and would have a legal right to enter property in order to access water supply from farm dams. It was proposed also that a brigade Captain would have authority to compel farmers and landowners to clear their land of undergrowth and other flammable material. In 1928, the Bush Fire Brigades Association [BFBA] was formed and it appears that the Romsey Fire Brigade joined the BFBA in this year.

A committee, which consisted of representatives from the seven districts into which the State was now divided, as well as representation from various public bodies such as the Police, Lands Department, Forests, and Railways, administered the BFBA. The BFBA was an entirely voluntary organisation that was the forerunner to the Country Fire Authority, which was founded some seventeen years later. The Fire Underwriters’ Association, which could have been expected to have a major interest in such a body, declined to provide the BFBA with financial assistance and its funding source was from annual brigade subscriptions and some assistance from the Forests Commission. The world-wide depression of 1929 further effecting the growth of all fire fighting organisations across the nation, so that progress was virtually at a standstill for several years. The CFBB and the BFBA continued to struggle over the next decade or so, with the BFBA and its member volunteers receiving no financial assistance from the Government. The fact that many rural brigades did survive at all during these times is testament to the determination and dedication of the volunteers.

The Government complacency and underestimation of the contribution made by volunteer brigades was about to come back to haunt it as some of the worst fires in the history of the State of Victoria were about to begin. Black Friday came on the 13th  January 1939 and is the day when bushfires raged through the central and eastern parts of Victoria. Seventy-one people died and more than 650 homes and shops were destroyed as the townships of Woods Point, Warburton, Omeo and Mansfield suffered devastating fires that tore through buildings and huge tracts of magnificent forest. Driving through some of these regions today one can still see the remains of this devastation where dead grey tree trunks stand out against the green forest. The following extract from the book ‘Cutting Green Hay’ by a former resident of Romsey, the poet and academic, Vincent Buckley, gives us a personal account of these devastating fires, an event he witnessed from the ‘slopes above Romsey’: The days became hotter, until in 1938 [when I was home from secondary school] they reached an apex of heat that resembled an explosion. For those weeks we lived in an exploded bowl. From Christmas on, the heat continued; by January 9, forestry officers were dead in the bush, women and children were found cowering in a bush dugout, and Melbourne had reached 112.5 degrees. Towns throughout the state cowered under burning embers, and by Black Friday, 13 January, Melbourne broke a record: All-Time Heat Record – 114 Deg.! and the Melbourne hills started to burn, with dozens killed in the fire.

It often takes a disaster before corrective action occurs and following the 1939 bush fires a Royal Commission recommended that a single firefighting organisation be formed across country Victoria. It was not until the disastrous fires of 1944, when a further 32 people died, 700 homes and huge numbers of stock losses were recorded, that legislation was finally passed to form what we now know as the Country Fire Authority. On the 2nd April 1945, the CFA officially commenced operations. A rural brigade was required to be registered with CFA to recieve the benefits of belonging to a cohesive organisation with a single voice and even more importantly, to obtain financial assistance from the fund jointly administered by the Government and insurance companies. But in spite of these obvious advantages, there was still a great deal of resistance from the rural brigades throughout Victoria to becoming part of the CFA. The CFA was initially seen by many rural brigades as an organisation that was going to assume ownership of all the property legitimately owned by the brigades, however the Act did stipulate that brigades would retain anything that was obtained through their own efforts. It appears to have been a matter of distrust of Government and authority, or possibly reaction by rural brigades against the suggestion of change itself. At a meeting of the Romsey Rural Fire Brigade on Monday 24th September 1945, registration with the CFA was discussed at some length. Resistance to joining the new Authority is evident by the subsequent report in the Romsey Examiner: Long discussion ensued on the question of whether the Brigade should register with the new Country Fire Authority. The meeting was of unanimous opinion that there was much room for improvement in the new scheme as provided by the Act, and eventually by a majority vote it was decided to register. The meeting agreed, however, without a dissentient, that a protest at being forced by Statute into a most unsatisfactory state of affairs to be made to the Premier, and that a copy of the letter be sent to Mr L.L.Webster, M.L.A and to the Rural Fire Brigades Association.

The CFA continued to disturb the temper not only of the local brigade but also the local council. At a Romsey Shire Council meeting on December 14, 1945 the following dialogue was reported in the Romsey Examiner: Country Fire Authority drew attention to the fact that the Council’s quarterly contribution of [thirty-two pound, eighteen shillings and one penny] was overdue. - Mr Patterson said the amount had been paid as early as possible, and he told the Authority that in no uncertain terms. – Cr McDonald: They are after their pound of flesh, but they don’t give us any financial help. Some brigades had no money to pay insurances due on their trucks, and the council had to pay them. – Cr Amess: They won’t give the brigades any money to handle at all. Application had to be made every month for what is required. – Mr Patterson: The brigades have refunded what the council paid on their behalf. – Cr Amess: I asked Mr Brocchi [Regional Officer No. 14 Region] to make inquiries who was responsible for the fire trucks. He thought the Council was. – Cr McDonald: They belong to the Fire Authority, who should be responsible for the insurance.

In the early days of amalgamation with the CFA the local community continued to show some dissatisfaction with the organisation. Difficulties were general throughout the State and lasted for most of 1945 and into 1946, with several rural brigades threatening to go on strike until the Act was altered to their satisfaction. The Act also required municipal councils to appoint a ‘Proper Officer’ for development of local fire prevention policy and for enforcing the stubborn landowners into clearing their land of undergrowth. Although this would appear to have been quite a sensible measure it did upset many councils who suspected that it would make them unpopular with their ratepayers. By June 1946 the dust had settled and almost one thousand of the existing rural and bush brigades had transferred to the CFA. Today, Victoria's CFA is one of the most respected emergency organisations in Australia and highly regarded internationally.

Reported Fires in The Shire of Romsey

The lands of the former Shire of Romsey had experienced some of the most disastrous bushfires then recorded in Australia. One of the worst occurred on January 13th, 1899, when a fire started near Mt William and raced down towards Darraweit Guim. A wind change then forced the fire back through Springfield. On the same day north west of Lancefield another fire occurred and The Argus newspaper reported “never since the historical ‘Black Monday’ has such a scene been witnessed in this district. Notwithstanding valiant efforts, ruin and desolation stare many farmers in the face.”

In March 1900 the Romsey Examiner reported a particularly disastrous fire in the district: The fire in Darraweit Guim and Chinton district last week was a very serious one and devastated miles of country. The principal sufferers are Messrs. McCarthy, Lobb, Cummins [who lost the whole of this season’s crop], Stewart, Laffan, Firman, Macvean, and Robertson, and Sir Rupert Clarke [who lost about twenty miles of fencing in addition to a large area of grass, and also had a number of sheep burnt.] Splendid service was rendered by the men from Bolinda station in saving other properties.

Mr Jim McDonell, a local farmer, recalled another disastrous fire that occurred on the last day of December 1904 and into the following day: Starting somewhere north of Springfield the fire burnt through to Chinton but was held on the creek [Deep Creek] at night. Someone took it upon himself to burn a break to protect his property but the break got away on the following day and burnt to Craigieburn. The wind changed to the south and took the fire back to Kilmore. It burnt in the hills towards Springfield for a week and almost reached the place from where it started. Stock losses were heavy and sheds and stables were burnt at ‘Clunie’.

1904 turned out to be an unfortunate year for the township of Romsey as it was that year that the Mechanics Institute Hall was severely damaged by fire. This event tended to highlight the deterioration of the existing state of firefighting awareness and preparedness within the town itself. During the response to this fire it was found that the fire hose was unusable, it being discovered rotting in the Council stables.

Mr McDonnell also tells of another major fire which, in February 1927, started east of Mt William and “…took all before it to the Deep Creek at Doheney’s. It burnt from the Kilmore – Gisborne road east to Moore’s. The wind changed on the second day and took it to Kilmore. Stock losses were light on this occasion as it burnt at a slower rate than the other fires”. Mr McDonell also recalled that this fire, which burnt out the Chinton area, destroyed several thousand acres of the Tom farm. The property was soon after sold but it came back into their hands some years later. The Tom family farm had been ravaged by fire more than once according to Mr McDonell. It was burnt out in 1899, and again a few years later, and each time the only things saved were the buildings. It was on one such occasion that the whole family, together with their valuables, was forced to take refuge from the fires in a potato paddock.

During ‘Black Friday’, 13th January 1939, a fire also took place in Romsey Shire. The major fires which burned through the central and eastern parts of the State had followed an extensive period of drought. The summer was extremely hot and the countryside tinder dry, creating the perfect conditions for massive bushfires. Fire in this region started in the Cobaw ranges and headed for Lancefield. Firefighting resources were very limited and all who were able were called to assist in fighting this blaze with anything at hand; branches torn from trees, wet bags, beaters and a few had knapsacks (which were not yet in general use). Fortunately, the Army responded to the area and the fire was eventually brought under control, but a few areas were still burning several weeks later.

On January 7 1969, in the early afternoon a fire started at ‘Fairfield’ north of the Romsey-Wallan road and burned in a westerly direction into the properties of the Tom and McDonell families, where it was held and not considered to be a threat as long as the wind did not get up the next day. However that did happen and at about 10am the call for assistance went out, with volunteers and their fire fighting units responding promptly, but the fire escaped and headed for the Darraweit Guim township. In the hours that followed eleven homes were destroyed, together with the Memorial Hall, the Catholic Church and the old bluestone Presbyterian Church. Homes were also destroyed at the ‘Fairfield’ and ‘Ruglen’ properties and two more were lost at Ada McDonald’s ‘Steel Station’. In the township, Ron Shelton, Jack Green, Miss Christina McDonald and Owen Connors lost their homes along with another two unoccupied houses and Mrs Beggs’ and Sam McDonald's homes were lost as well. All that remained of the township of Darraweit Guim was the school, the general store and a couple of houses. Eventually the fire was stopped at the Northern Highway, south of Wallan. Tragically this fire claimed the life of yet another fire fighter, as Brian Tudor, from the town of Beveridge, died of a heart attack while fighting the fire. That Darraweit is still on the map was a direct result of the credit to its community spirit. After the Presbyterian Church had been rebuilt its Board of Management even offered the local Catholic congregation the use of the Presbyterian Church for services until their own church could be rebuilt. 

January 1973 saw a fire start at Baynton, where strong winds forced the flames towards the Pyalong Road, across to Mount William and on towards Tantaraboo. A southerly change forced the fire back to northwards and it re-established itself on an eight to ten mile front. The local area suffered with losses in homes, livestock and fencing, however the greatest tragedy occurred with the loss of a fire fighter. Dennis Collery of the Hesket – Kerrie Brigade lost his life when a burning branch from a tree fell onto the back of the fire truck on which he was travelling.

1982 was extremely hot and dry and even prior to the official start of Summer, a Total Fire Ban day was declared on November 24. An alert went out for additional staff, equipment and aircraft to be ready for firefighting over that summer period. Fires that occured on that first Total Fire Ban day were then followed by others on December 3rd and 13th, January 8th and February 1st. Many significant fires took place throughout the State, keeping firefighters very busy. On February 1st, a large fire broke out near the Braemar College at Mt Macedon which later proved a mixed blessing to the township of  Romsey, as it created a fire break on the eastern side of the mountain that subsequently prevented the massive Ash Wednesday fires of February 16th from descending down towards the town.

The Romsey Fire Brigade was very much involved in those 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, though in typical understatement the Brigade minutes simply report that “…the brigade had attended the largest fires in [its] history.”  Throughout Victoria in excess of 82,000 ha of public and 120,000 ha of private land was destroyed by those fires that were attended by over 16,000 firefighters, supported by 1,000 police, 500 defence force personnel and local people. Response equipment included 400 vehicles, 11 helicopters, 14 fixed wing aircraft. As a result of the fire in the Trentham/Mt Macedon area, 7 people died, 728 buildings, and 29,500 ha of land was destroyed. 

In the afternoon of the 14th January, 1985, lightning started a fire near the Old Lancefield Road that spread rapidly through grasslands in the hot,dry conditions. The limited access for firefighters due to the terrain in this area hampered efforts to fight the fire and then just after 7.00 pm a particularly strong south westerly change came through, changing the eastern flank into a front that began pushing towards the town of Kilmore. The fire showed rates of spread of about 12 km/h at various times; extremely difficult to contain in that undulating  country. It was eventually contained in the early hours of the following morning, after burning through 7,500 ha of grass, scrub and forest lands. It caused the death of 3 people, 7 seven homes were destroyed, along with 200 km of fences, over 1,000 head of stock and 1,000 bales of hay.   

History records that severe fires of the magnitude such as those experienced during Ash Wednesday occur about 6 to10 times a century and in recent times there have been many major fires throughout Victoria and NSW that have seen involvement by Romsey Brigade firefighters. CFA has assisted firefighters in NSW during 1994, 1997, and 2001, when firefighters from all over Victoria, including members from Romsey, travelled to NSW to assist in fighting some of the worst bushfires ever recorded in that state. The Brigade has sent vehicles and personnel to the fires in the North East, The Grampians, South West and Gippsland in recent years.  

The Romsey Brigade Today

The days of rotting hoses and a total reliance on the generosity of the local community are indeed gone. The local community is critical to the brigade as it produces those volunteers who fight the fires and which also provides support in other ways. Following those early impediments to becoming an organised and viable brigade, the last fifty years or so have seen Romsey record significant and uninterrupted growth. From an original hose and reel stored in premises owned by the Romsey Water Trust, moving to the Council’s stables and later to Mr Jeremiah Skehan’s shed, the Romsey Fire Brigade has made continual progress.

On October 12th 1986, the Brigade moved from its rudimentary shed in Main St, to the new station built at the rear of the former Romsey Courthouse that was officially opened by then State Minister for Police and Emergency services, Mr Race Matthews. This site is also the Headquarters of Romsey Group. Romsey Brigade equipment now includes tankers that can carry up to three thousand litres of water and a pumper capable of pressure boosting the flow from the reticulated supply from the town mains. Response to a fire call no longer relies on the town Constable ringing a bell in the main street of Romsey and deploying men to the site of the fire. The brigade response to a fire reported to CFA call takers on OOO is activated by personal pagers that alert active members in the area to a fire or other emergency event. Communications are a vital part of fire fighting in modern times and procedures are constantly updated and implemented by CFA. Our members need to be dedicated and properly trained and respond in a co-ordianted manner. CFA active members are trained in all aspects of fire fighting as they may be required to respond to any type of fire, including structural or vehicle fires, or any other type of emergency. They may even be required to attend to rescues or to assist victims of flooding or storm damage.

Romsey enjoys close relationships with the other brigades who comprise the Romsey Group, none moreso than the Springfield Brigade. The January 1973 fires outlined above were responsible for the formation of the Springfield Brigade. During the final blacking-out operations of that fire, some firefighters discussed forming a brigade at Springfield and a public meeting was held in Romsey on June 26 that was attended by Region 14 Officers, Romsey Group and other interested people from the district. With the election of office bearers the Springfield Fire Brigade was formed. The first members of the Springfield Brigade were all from the Romsey Brigade and the first items of equipment used by Springfield were basic, consisting mainly of a trailer tank and hand operated pump. Privately owned truck and tank units formed the backup and later the first tanker provided by CFA was a Willys Jeep, which arrived for the summer of 1975-1976. The brigade built a station on land leased by the CFA at 10 cents per year, from R. & J. Clement and a 4WD International purchased from the Riddell’s Creek Brigade was located in a second shed at Tantaraboo. The brigade has recently opened a new Station that encompasses all the latest design features needed in a rural station. The Springfield Brigade area lies between Romsey and Kilmore in long, narrow belt that contains some very rough, difficult, fire prone terrain tha is difficult to access.

The Springfield Brigade has been involved in all of the major fires in the region and was involved in the blacking-out operations in the Macedon Ranges when the Ash Wednesday fires occurred in 1983. Brigade members have assisted in major fires in NSW and helped with flood rehabilitation work in the Benalla area. Although the Springfield Brigade is the youngest in the region it has a record of which it can be proud.

Exemplary Service

In any community activity which requires a commitment to serve, there will often be the few who will give of themselves totally and unselfishly. This is especially so in the case of a town such as Romsey and more particularly so, where the Romsey Brigade is concerned. It should be remembered however, that a brigade does not rely only on the efforts of one or two members – a brigade is a committed team of volunteers who rely on each other for the success of that team. To strengthen this aspect they will train together and maintain social contact outside of brigade activities, including involvement in competitions with other brigades. The Romsey Brigade had a special moment of glory, when in 1968 it sent a team captained by Chris Johnston to compete in the inaugural Rural Fire Brigade demonstration at Melton. Such demonstrations were serious business, especially when it is realised that teams compete against each other whilst exhibiting their level of skill in front of their peers. The 1969 team from Romsey, dressed in football jumpers, work-trousers, and boots, walked away with the winners trophy after competing against those larger more organised brigades that were resplendent in their uniforms.

This team spirit is still as strong in the Romsey Fire Brigade today. A record of service to the Romsey CFA was obtained from the minutes of meetings dating from January 1964. This record is continuous to the present but the whereabouts of any records or minutes of meetings prior to this date is not known. There are many that have dedicated their time and energy to the Romsey Brigade over the years, but there are a few who stand out not just in the number of years of service to the brigade but also in the responsible positions that they held whilst serving their community. A few that have shown such outstanding service are mentioned here:

Gerald Skehan was a big man in more ways than one. Weighing in at over twenty stone and not what one would call overly tall he would seem to have possessed the required build for the local ‘smithy’, an occupation passed on from his father Jeremiah. Gerald was Captain of the Romsey Fire Brigade for over twenty years. When he passed away at the age of sixty-three on January 31 1973, Romsey lost, as one local newspaper said, ‘one of its most public spirited and best known citizens’.

Chris Johnston was another who obviously had boundless energy and enthusiasm. Chris joined the Romsey Brigade in March 1961 and was Captain from 1973 to 1983. He was honored with life membership of the Romsey Fire Brigade on April 4, 1994. On June 9, 1995 Chris was again honoured with life membership of the CFA. Chris Johnston passed away on November 15 1997 and then Captain of the Romsey Fire Brigade, Ron Cole, spoke at Chris’s funeral. Ron, who obviously had great admiration and respect for his friend, said something, which although brief, says a lot about his former Captain: "Having taken over from Chris as Captain, a role which left big boots to fill, I was always greeted with a Hello Captain, never Ron. A memory I will always treasure."

Doug Green joined the Romsey Brigade in March 1961. He was elected to the office of President of the RFB at the October 1965 Bi-Annual General Meeting, a position he held for 28 years, an achievement that will be very difficult to surpass. It was fitting that he, together with his friend Chris, on April 4, 1994, were each awarded Life Membership of the Romsey Fire Brigade. In June 1995 Doug was awarded Life Membership in recognition of his 30 years voluntary work with the Country Fire Authority and the Rural Fire Brigades Association.

Frank and Gwen Crossman came to Romsey from Wattle Glen where Frank was secretary and 5th Lieutenant of the Brigade. In 1973, Frank transferred his CFA membership to the Romsey Fire Brigade. Upon the death of Mr Bob Linston, who was the Communications Officer, Frank was offered and accepted the position of CO in the brigade. Frank and Gwen Crossman have together served the Romsey brigade in the extremely important task of communications, which is the vital link between the fire fighters in the field and Group Headquarters in Romsey. In January 1975 Frank was elected to the position of Secretary, a position which he held for 5 years. Frank Crossman was ultimately elected to the position of President of the Romsey Fire Brigade at the Biennial meeting on the 27 April 1993 and currently holds that position as well as that of Communications Officer. In May 2000 at a special presentation night at Lancefield, Frank and Gwen Crossman were honored with awards for their service to the Romsey Fire Brigade. Frank received 25 years and 30 years service medals, whilst Gwen was awarded medals for her 20 and 25 years of service, including a number of years on the Ladies Auxillary. Both have since been awarded Life Membership of the Brigade. Sadly, Gwen passed away on February 22, 2001 after a short illness and although Frank has now moved away from the area, he continues to hold court at our meetings in his role as President and to our relief he has remained our Communications Officer.  

Ron and Beryl Cole arrived in the township of Romsey in October 1979 to run the local Post Office, a function that they carried out until December 2000. They were quick to involve themselves in the local community, first of all with the Romsey Fire Brigade. The Brigade minutes show that Ron attended his first meeting on November 6th 1979, a little over five weeks after his arrival in Romsey. Ron Cole must have made a favorable impression with the brigade, for less than two years later, at the Biennial Meeting on 7th April 1981, Ron was nominated for and accepted the position of 2nd Lieutenant. Exactly two years after that, at the 1983 Biennial elections, Ron Cole was elected to the position of Captain of the Brigade and held that position for twenty years. Also at that meeting Ron was elected as a Group Delegate and a Region 14 Delegate. Anyone perusing the Brigade minutes will see that Ron Cole has been a very active member of the Romsey Fire Brigade. On the same presentation night that Frank and Gwen Crossman received their awards Ron Cole was similarly honored with a medal for 30 years of CFA service. Beryl also became very involved in the community and joined the Ladies Auxiliary where she has acted as President, Secretary, and Treasurer and she has also been Assistant Communications Officer for the brigade, a role still she still performs from their home. Both Ron and Beryl are Life Members of our Brigade, in recognition of their committment to the community.  

Without the Ladies Auxiliary and the Romsey Art Group, the Romsey Fire Brigade would literally be much the poorer financially. These two very enthusiastic groups worked hard for more than twenty years at the difficult task of raising much needed funds for their Fire Brigade. From 1981, they jointly ran an art exhibition of works by the Romsey Artists. This effort, together with various stalls and raffles run by the auxiliary, has raised in excess of sixty thousand dollars. This sum of money was put toward a new tanker, which the brigade took delivery of in December 2000. It is unfortunate that our Ladies Auxillary and the Artist Group Art Shows have gone into a recession period in recent times. The additional effort of the Ladies Auxiliary in providing support for the fire fighters during bush fires has certainly earned them their place in this category of ‘Exemplary Service’ in the Brigade's history.