Station Focus: 282 Dungog Fire Brigade 1920-2025

Community Roots

The history of organised fire protection in the Dungog district is long and varied. Beginning as early as 1912, attempts to form a brigade began shortly after a house fire on 26 June, where the absence of a brigade meant bystanders banded together to extinguish the flames. Soon after in July, the editor of the Dungog Chronicle had written to the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) to enquire about the requirements for establishing a fire brigade in the area. Following the advice given, a public meeting was held in October the same year where several members of the community gave their names for the roll. Unfortunately, this attempt would be unsuccessful. Until this point, Dungog had not experienced any significant fires that the residents couldn’t extinguish, so they didn’t see the need to form a fire brigade.

Although this first attempt was unsuccessful, Dungog would not go completely unprotected. Local residents continued to form themselves into bucket brigades whenever fires would occur, and the local butter factory even formed their own private fire brigade to protect the business in tandem with lending support to protect the town when necessary. In 1920, there were calls once again to form an organised fire brigade within the town following a fire at the local garage in August. A public meeting was held in the Town Hall in November where they discussed whether the brigade should be run by the BoFC or the council. Ultimately it was agreed that the brigade would be run by the council under the name Dungog Municipal Voluntary Fire Brigade, with Mr. G. Dombkins appointed as Captain.

Dungog Brought under the Fire Brigades Act

The Dungog Municipal Voluntary Fire Brigade had a rocky start, with the brigade having trouble organising regular meetings and training sessions to keep the brigade in working order. Due to this, the Dungog Municipal Council began enquiring about the processes required to be brought under the auspices of the BoFC in November 1922. Following a visit by an Inspector of the NSW Fire Brigades, it was recommended that a fully equipped brigade be established with eight firefighters and a hose reel. The Dungog Fire District was then proclaimed on 7 September 1923, and the newly reorganised Dungog Fire Brigade was formed on 1 January 1924. Attention was then given to find a home for the brigade. An old boiler house on Dowling Street, owned by a councillor, was given to the brigade rent-free to serve as a temporary fire station. However, the premises was not suitable for long-term use, so the search began for a new site to construct a permanent fire station.

Dungog Fire Station c.1930s [Museum of Fire Collection]

Dungog’s First Purpose Built Fire Station

Land on the corner of Lord and Mackay Streets was purchased in 1925, and once funding for construction was secured, plans for the proposed station were submitted to the BoFC in June 1927. Approval for the building’s erection was granted in July 1927, and tenders were advertised by September 1927. The BoFC employed Mr J. Musgrove of Dungog to undertake the construction of the station with work beginning in October 1927. Construction progressed smoothly and the new Dungog Fire Station became operational on 6 March 1928, and an official opening ceremony was held on 23 March 1928.

Repairs and Renovations

The Dungog Fire Station saw a number of repairs and alterations throughout its service to keep up with the growing demands of the brigade and the developing district. In 1975, Dungog Fire Station expanded their engine bay doorways to accommodate the larger modern appliances. Further major renovations were carried out in 1994 which saw the entire station given a face lift. These refurbishments saw the floor of the engine bay re-laid, the interior and exterior of the building repainted, and a new shower area installed in the station.

Dungog’s New Fire Station

By 2019, the needs of the brigade had outgrown their over 90-year-old fire station. Plans for the new fire station were unveiled in 2021, however, the initial site chosen for the station was deemed unsuitable, so a new location was chosen on Common Road. Construction began in mid-2024 with the new Dungog Fire Station finally becoming operational on 4 June 2025, with an opening ceremony held on 4 September 2025.

Dungog Fire Station, 2025 [Courtesy Fire and Rescue NSW]

Captains List

Name	Appointment as Captain	End of Service as Captain
G. Dombkins	1920	1921
E. Newton	1921	1922
G. Dombkins	1923	1930
W. Yates	1930	1933
E. Baker	1933	1934
S. Jones	1934	1952
R. Redman	1952	1967
D. S. Redman	1967	1989
D. W. Redman	1989	1994
D. Crane	1994	2012
M. Parker	2014	2020

Historic Fleet List

Year	Make/Model	Motor Engine Number	Type
1924	-	135	Hose Cart
1924	NSWFB Conversion	061	Horse-drawn Pumper
1930	Garford Type 75	130	Pumper
1934	Garford Type 75	116	Pumper
1940	Garford Type 15	025	Pumper
1947	Dennis 250	084	Pumper
1965	Dennis 250	086	Pumper
1965	Dennis Ace	234	Pumper
1967	Bedford J1	167	Pumper
1977	International 1710A	549	Pumper
2001	International 1710B	573	Pumper
2001	Isuzu FTR-800	439	Pumper
2022	Isuzu FTR-800	615	Pumper