Ashburton Borough Centenary/The Volunteer Fire Brigade

The Inaugural Meeting was held on November 20th, 1874. It was short of funds and the Roads Board refused money to build a shed for the original fire engine in 1876. It had started with a bucket brigade and the water supply was sadly deficient. The original members were T. Bullock, S. Poyntz, J. M. Cambridge, C. W. Greenwood, Capt. Meikleham, C. E. Fooks, W. Leggett and J. S. Bruce. Captain Meikleham was appointed the first captain, J. S. Bruce the first Honorary Secretary, and S. Poyntz, Chairman. The entire plant consisted of two dozen iron buckets, three American axes, a handsaw and a crosscut saw, two fire hooks with 12ft handles, one grapnel chain, three 10ft ladders and an alarm bell, the whole outfit costing £36.

In 1875, at the first annual meeting an order was sent to London for a manual engine, towards the cost of which the Provincial Government had made a grant of £950. It arrived in due course and proved very useful. Mr George Compton became Captain in 1876. When Ashburton became a borough in 1878, the Volunteer Fire Brigade offered its services which were accepted.

The plant was first housed on a Borough reserve later used by Haywrights. Then a small building was built at the corner of Wills Street and what was Wakanui Road where the Plunket rooms now stand. When the Borough Council moved from Burnett Street to Baring Square West, their old premises were converted to a Fire Station.

In 1880, G. Compton retired from the brigade and James Wilkie, a reporter for the “Herald” and “Guardian”, took his place. Prior to this period a couple of tube wells had been sunk, one opposite the Somerset and another nearer the bridge. Water was now brought in through the Domain to flush the channels and the Brigade was not so short of water.

At the second meeting of the Borough Council, it was decided to sink five more wells for fire protection. In 1882, the bell was moved to a section in front of the Catholic Presbytery and became the property of the Western Fire Brigade, the second to be formed in the town. It finally went to Allenton.

In 1876 (according to “The Ashburton Guardian,” November 14th, 1974), a manual Shand Mason engine arrived at ​Lyttelton, and in 1878 the “Wainui” arrived in Ashburton and was christened by T. Bullock. In 1885, the Volunteer Fire Brigade resigned en masse, but immediately volunteered to serve again when the Borough Council called for a new brigade. Among the members’ names we find W. E. Dolman, John Hefford, Edward Higgins, J. H. Stevens, D. Leitch, F. B. Willenshurst, Geo. Parkin, Senior, C. Grant, W. C. Davis, P. Rattray, W. Sandoe, W. E. Perryman, W. Marsh, A. Young, J. Harrop, A. Christie, P. Wallace and J. Keir.

In June, 1887, it was suggested by H. Friedlander that a steam engine be bought. David Thomas organised a poll of ratepayers which agreed to the proposal, and a Shand Mason B Vertical Engine was ordered. Mrs David Thomas (Mayoress), christened it “The Pride of Ashburton.” W. E. Dolman was appointed engineer and custodian of the new engine and it served Ashburton for half a century.

The Western Fire Brigade bought a curricle engine in 1886, but was struggling financially. It joined up with the main brigade in 1889, but the engine was kept on the west side, eventually in Allen’s Road Fire Station.

In use at the time of the Centenary, in 1974, were a 1944 Chevrolet with a trailer pump, 1988 Ford V8, a 1967 Commer and a 1967 Dennis.

Radio telephones, introduced in 1967, improved communications and the “Jaws of Life” equipment recently donated in 1978 by the Jaycees has been used on oceasions in car accidents where there may be fire danger.

The new Fire Brigade Headquarters building was opened by Sir Jack Hunn, C.M.G., Chairman of the N.Z. Fire Service Commission on December 11, 1976.

There have been some disastrous fires in Ashburton, but the Brigade has stood by its Motto ‘Ever Ready; Ever Steady; Striving with a Will to Save”.

Gold Star members with over 25 years’ service have been: W. E. Dolman, 1876-1933; J. Hefford, 1883-1912; T. Barber, 1888–1935; T. Gibson, 1900-38; P. Leslie, 1903-36; L. Kidd, 1900-38; J. Hickey, 1914-46; H. Hefford, 1914-48; C. Solway, 1918-54; S. Preddy, 1930-58; R. R. Kerr, 1938-64; L. C. Solway, 1938-76; K. Kenny, 1939-77; J. W. Smith, 1939-74; A. P. Baker, 1941-71.