Station Focus: Kearsley Fire Brigade (1924-2026)

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the centenary of Kearsley Fire Brigade becoming independent in 1926, at a ceremony held on Friday 7 August 2026. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable.

In the early 1920s, the town of Kearsley was thriving, with five coal mines, a bakery, newsagency, two schools, two hotels and a well-known pie shop making up the heart of the community. Although Kearsley had suffered very few major fires in town, the Progress Association could see the fire risk growing as the town continued to expand. As such, in December 1922, they inquired with the Cessnock Shire Council on how they would go about forming a local fire brigade. The following month, the Council submitted a proposal to the Kearsley Progress Association to establish a local fire brigade at a cost of £120 (approximately $12,000 today), citing it would be a sure thing as the town was developing very fast, and with the opening of Lake Road, Kearsley should be an important centre. Before forming a fire brigade, however, the Cessnock Fire District needed to be extended, which occurred on 26 September 1923.

After the fire district was extended, the Station Officer of Cessnock Fire Brigade visited Kearsley in December 1923 to enrol firefighters for the new brigade. These first firefighters were D. Snaddon (Chairman of the Progress Association), A. Johnson, F. Rundle, and W. Pasfield. Shortly after this visit, a hand cart was delivered and stored behind the Kearsley Hotel until a fire station could be constructed. With firefighters chosen, and an appliance to use, Kearsley Fire Brigade officially became operational on 1 January 1924, and ran as a sub-station to Cessnock Fire Station.

Land was then acquired by the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) on Allandale Street in February 1924 for the purpose of constructing a fire station. The need for their own site became apparent, when new owners took over the Hotel, which saw the gates locked at 6:00pm in the evening, and closed all day Sunday. This was a great concern to the brigade as they could not adequately protect their community form the threat of fire. Following a visit from Chief Officer Jackson on 3 March 1925, he agreed that it was a matter of urgency to construct a temporary facility on the Allandale Street site, as the current arrangements were unsatisfactory. The BoFC’s Architect was then sent to inspect the site and although it was level, it was covered in scrub and timber, with no fencing built around the perimeter. Before anything could be done on the site, it would need to be cleared. Unfortunately, no movement would happen until the BoFC visited Kearsley once again in March 1926, with the recommendation to construct a small fire station on the Allandale Street site, along with the recommendation to make Kearsley an independent fire brigade. Approval was granted for the separation, and Kearsley Fire Brigade began operations as an independent brigade with D. Snaddon promoted to Captain on 1 May 1926.

Kearsley Fire Station, c. 1983. Note the watchroom desk sitting outside the station [Museum of Fire Collection]

Kearsley’s Fire Stations

In terms of a fire station, invitations for tenders were finally sent out in November 1926, with the contract being awarded to Messrs. Skelton and Worth in December 1926. Following a speedy construction, the new simple brick fire station was completed in May 1927. It comprised of an engine bay at the front and a watchroom at the rear of the station. It was met with much excitement, and the Kearsley Fire Brigade moved into their first permanent fire station in the same month it was completed.

A developing district and growing fire risks saw the Kearsley Fire Brigade outgrow the hose cart they had been using, however, plans to modernise the brigade’s equipment was met with an obstacle; the station was not big enough to accommodate a motorised appliance. It was ultimately decided that the partition wall between the engine bay and watchroom should be removed to extend the usable space without undertaking major construction. This work was completed in February 1947, with the space big enough to accommodate a small, motorised fire appliance, however, whenever firefighters needed to access anything else in the station, they would have to drive the appliance out.

By the 1980s, Kearsley Fire Brigade had once again outgrown its small brick fire station. As fire engines became larger and firefighters responded to a broader range of incidents, the station’s limited space prevented modernisation. In 1982, Cessnock Council wrote to the BoFC urging construction of a new station to address the cramped conditions and inadequate facilities. Funding was eventually secured in 1988, and the new station was designed by Newcastle architects Valentine & Dicks and built by Parmenter Holland Construction. The new station was constructed on land behind the original 1927 station, and it was only after the new station was built that the old was demolished in August 1989. With a larger engine bay, internal watchroom, upgraded bathroom facilities, and an internal kitchen, the new Kearsley Fire Station was a significant improvement for firefighters. The original “Fire Station” sign from the 1927 building was even preserved and reinstalled inside the new station, where it remains proudly displayed today. The brand-new Kearsley Fire Station was officially opened at a ceremony held on 20 June 1990. Now with a new fire station, Kearsley Fire Brigade received an International 1700A fire engine, which was equipment with breathing apparatus and sundry equipment, which enabled crews to better handle fires and hazardous material spills.

Kearsley Fire Station, Allandale Road, 15 October 1989 [Museum of Fire Collection]

Kearsley Fire Brigade Today

In 2004, Kearsley made history when Desarae Sim became the first woman to join the brigade. She continued to be a trailblazer, becoming the first woman in Kearsley to hold the rank of Deputy Captain in 2013, and the first woman in Metro North 3 to be appointed to the rank of Captain in 2017. This has opened the door for many more women to join Kearsley Fire Brigade, with almost half of the brigade made up of women in 2026. Kearsley Fire Brigade continue to serve their community, not just through incident response, but to the education and support they offer the community.

Kearsley Fire Brigade, 2026. Left to right: Eliza Sharpe, Amelia Haynes Digges, Jessie Piper, Mal Bath, Paul Miller, Bob Sim, Captain Desarae Sim, Bronwyn Murphy, Graham Rose, Robert Steggles, Josh Agnew, Luke Forester. Absent: Deputy Captain Shannon Middleton [Courtesy of Kearsley Fire Brigade]

Fleet List

Year	Make/Model	Motor Engine Number	Type
1924	-	118	Hand Hose Cart
1927	-	036	Hose Reel
1947	Dodge 4 Series 125	034	Motor Hose Car
1953	Garford 15	058	Pumper
1968	Dennis 250/400	220	Pumper
1970	Dennis Ace	248	Pumper
1972	Bedford J1	168	Pumper
1983	Dennis D600 Mk1	380	Pumper
1983	Ford Thames	071	Pumper
1990	International 1710B	596	Pumper
2002	International 1710C	691	Pumper
2005	Isuzu FTR-900	567	Pumper

Captain’s List

Name	Appointment as Captain	End of Service as Captain
D. Snaddon	1926	1961
F. Parsons	1961	1971
J. Snaddon	1971	1980
W. Miller	1980	1987
D. Brown	1987	1989
C. Campbell	1988	1992
M. Hemmings	1993	1997
B. Burns	1997	1998
M. Griffiths	1998	2004
G. Foster	2004	2013
M. Hodges	2013	2017
D. Sim	2017	Present

- Story by Museum of Fire Heritage Team