Brigade History
This is a brief list of highlights. For a more comprehensive history of Buxton Fire Brigade, please refer to Buxton History Book [working title; written and awaiting publication]. Please (contacts Graham Eddy, Julia Foletta) for more information.
Also see the Honour Rolls for Awards and Officers.
Black Friday destroyed Narbethong and burnt parts of Buxton and Marysville. Subsequent Royal Commission orders creation of single organisation to oversee the autonomous bush brigades
World War II begins, draining local manpower
Buxton community formalises its fire brigade, electing Capt Maurice Keppell. Response boundary with Taggerty agreed
Registered with Bush Fire Brigades Committee (BFBC), brigade no 588
World War II finishes
BFBC merged into new Country Fire Authority (CFA). Triangle locale in Healseville Shire so Buxton belongs to District 13 (Lilydale)
Maroondah Highway declared
Joined Victorian Rural Fire Brigades Association (VRFBA)
Narbethong Rural Bushfire Brigade created
Capt Maurice Keppel killed riding a horse on the highway, after 20 years as captain from inception. Capt Roly Fiske elected
Buxton locale transfers from Healesville Shire to Alexandra Shire. The brigade now belongs to District 12 (Seymour) – unhappy at being separated form Marysville and Narbethong
Joined Alexandra Fire Brigades Group (created 1962)
First CFA fire truck – a converted Willys 4WD jeep. Marysville was assigned a Willys at the same time
Fire shed hastily constructed on recent highway realignment, using the bitumen as its (uneven) floor. Popcorn rental arranged later with Country Roads Board
Capt Graham Fiske and Sec Jack Jones elected. They held office together for 27 contiguous years
Yea fires – first time using portable radio in fire truck
Willys fire truck replaced with very, very slow Austin. The Willys went to Golden Square about 1981 where it finished its days
Marysville and Narbethong locales transfer to Alexandra Shire and District 12 – Triangle together again
Reticulated town water available, including fire plugs. Brigade arranged overhead standpipe at fire station for refilling (easier than draughting)
Bingo machine introduced at Buxton Hotel for income
New fire station, still on old highway surface but flat concrete floor. Old fire shed removed
End of reign of Graham Fiske and Jack Jones
Alexandra and Yea Shires merge to form Murrindindi Shire
First fire station extension, at brigade expense: a meeting room
Linton disaster sobered brigade; training became serious
RIP Graham Fiske
Started issuing cloth name badges for PPC
Second fire station extension, again at brigade expense: a kitchen, toilet and comms room
Pagers introduced
Brigade purchased (VESEP assisted) own Landrover Defender dual-cab slip-on 4WD fire truck
Black Saturday destroyed Narbethong, Marysville and much of Buxton
Breathing Apparatus added to Tanker, recognising increased scope of responsibilities
Major flood inundated lower parts of Buxton for several days
Defibrillators (AED) on both appliances – a first for Victoria
Junior Fire Brigade created, a joint effort of the Triangle brigades
RIP Jack Jones
VFBV state meeting held at fire station
CFA digital radio piloted in Alexandra Group. This was a huge change in radio culture from Cat 5 (Group-managed) to Cat 1 (Vicfire-managed)
Third fire station extension, this time at CFA expense: a garage expansion for larger appliances
Brigade-owned slip-on replaced with Light Tanker (VESEP assisted)
All the above ©2020 Graham Eddy A History of Buxton Fire Brigade. Reproduced with permission
Emergency-only mode during COVID pandemic 2020-21