Station Focus 015 Burwood Fire Brigade 1882-2025

Burwood Fire Station, c.2005 [Museum of Fire Collection]

The Establishment of Burwood Fire Brigade 

The rapid growth of Burwood in the late 1800s necessitated local fire protection measures, as relying solely on fire companies from metropolitan Sydney, which at the time was considered too distant, proved inadequate. The Burwood community was acutely aware of the fire risk, having experienced a devastating fire on 2 January 1879 that destroyed the Burwood Congregational Church. The fire spread rapidly, and the absence of a local brigade saw a fire engine sent to the church by train, although this would ultimately prove fruitless due to the lack of water, leading to the destruction of the church. 

In August 1882, the community finally saw hope for adequate fire protection when the Burwood Volunteer Fire Brigade was formed. They soon found a temporary premises to operate out of in Belmore Street, but still lacked a fire engine, limiting their ability to attend and adequately extinguish fires. Consequently, a fire engine was ordered, and on 9 June 1883, a procession was held to celebrate the arrival of the brigade’s first appliance, which was officially christened “La Mascotte”. In 1884, Burwood Fire Brigade was then brought under the auspice of the newly created Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB, now Fire and Rescue NSW), which centralised the management of fire brigades across metropolitan Sydney. This allowed Burwood Fire Brigade to no longer be a grass roots community initiative, as they now had the backing of the State Government, increasing their funding and implementing institutional support. 

Burwood Volunteer Fire Brigade with their mascot, 1912 [Museum of Fire Collection]

Finding a Permanent Home 

From their formation, Burwood Fire Brigade resided in various rented premises until the MFB purchased their first permanent site on the corner of Belmore Street and Burwood Road in June 1899, with the foundation stone being laid at a ceremony on 14 December 1899. After a swift build, the new Burwood Fire Station was opened on 5 January 1900. Designed by architect R. Shute, the station’s distinctive façade was made of double-pressed red bricks with black brick dressings. 

As the Burwood community continued to grow and flourish, it became evident that the Burwood Fire Brigade needed permanent firefighters rather than volunteers. This change occurred in 1912, and after another decade of operating out of the Burwood Road station, it became clear that a new station was needed to provide adequate accommodation for the permanent firefighters. As a result, in 1924 land was purchased on Livingstone Street to construct a more suitable and future-proof fire station. In March 1925, invitations for tenders were advertised, with W. Gazzard from Newcastle being awarded the contract. Construction commenced in April, and the new Burwood Fire Station was officially occupied and opened on 4 December 1925. Designed by the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW architect, Mr. McNiven, the two-storey fire station was constructed with a brick exterior and ornamental pressed metal ceilings. The ground floor housed a double engine bay, recreation room, single men’s room, watchroom, bathroom, and laundry. The second storey contained quarters for the Officer in Charge, including two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and enclosed balconies at the front and rear of the building. Additionally, two semi-detached cottages were constructed on either side of the station to provide accommodation for the permanent firefighters. 

Sketch plans for Burwood Fire Station, 1925 [Museum of Fire Collection]

Burwood Fire Station has undergone many renovations throughout its 100-year service. Major renovations were carried out in 1999-2000, which included an enlargement of the engine bays, extensions to the front of the station, and the addition of a new gymnasium, mess, recreation areas, and watchroom. 

Burwood Fire Brigade remains an integral part of the surrounding community and the firefighting community at large. As a key rescue brigade, firefighters have consistently competed and achieved high rankings in various rescue competitions. In 1999, they achieved global recognition by being officially ranked number one in the world in rescue after winning the title at the World Championships Rescue Competition. They went on to successfully defend their title for several years. 

Historic Fleet List 

Year	Make/Model	Motor Engine Number	Type
1883	Howe & Rose	-	Horse Drawn Manual Pumper
1888	-	-	Manual Pumper
1897	-	-	Manual Pumper
1902	Shand Mason	031	Manual Pumper
1904	MFB	012	45ft Horse Drawn Curricle Ladder
1913	Stone & Meredith	012	Horse Drawn Hose Carriage
1918	Garford Type 75	043	Pumper
1921	Merryweather	066	Pumper
1925	Dennis 300/500	030	Pumper
1935	Dennis 60hp	006	Pumper
1936	Dennis 60hp	010	Pumper
1940	Garford Type 75	119	Pumper
1941	Dennis 500/700	110	Pumper
1943	Dennis Light 4	276	Pumper
1951	Dennis 300/400	043	Pumper
1954	Dennis F1	034	Pumper
1957	Commer B357	297	Pumper
1963	Commer C5FT	303	Pumper
1967	Ford D400	339	Pumper
1969	Dennis D600 Mk 1	383	Pumper
1971	Dennis D600 Mk 2	449	Pumper
1981	International 1710B	635	Pumper
1985	International 1810C	278	Pumper
1986	International 1830D	154	Pumper
1991	International 1830B	620	Salvage
1992	Scania P93M-250	199	Pumper
1996	Austral FirePac	350	Rescue
2003	Varley Commander T3-R	839	Rescue Pumper
2005	Austral FirePac	352	Rescue
2009	Scania P310	310	Rescue Pumper
2018	Scania P320	234	Rescue Pumper
2025	Scania P320	350	Rescue Pumper

 Want to learn more about the history of Burwood Fire Brigade? You can purchase a copy of the Burwood station book either in-store or online by visiting www.museumoffire.net/product-page/station-books

- Story by Museum of Fire Heritage Team