Fire station a trailblazer of its time

Sources: History Redcliffe, Queensland Heritage Register.

The old Redcliffe Fire Station building is now a community arts centre, but it was once an emergency services hub, at the forefront of firefighting innovation.

The two-storey Redcliffe Fire Station was built in 1948-1949 on 1.2 acres of land at Oxley Ave, during a period of growth for the Peninsula following the opening of the Hornibrook Bridge in October 1935.

The bridge’s opening ended a perception Redcliffe was isolated and led to a flurry of residential development.

From 1933-1940, Redcliffe was one of fastest-growing local authorities in Australia, with the number of dwellings increasing from 536 to 1865. Redcliffe's population rose from 2008 in 1933 to 6000 by 1940.

In 1938 decisions were made to develop a reliable water supply and, in December 1941, the Redcliffe Water Works was opened.

Mains water supply enabled the creation of a fire brigade in Redcliffe, replacing the volunteer "bucket brigade" which had admirably fought fires until that point.

In November 1941 the Redcliffe Fire Brigade Board was formed, and in 1942 the Volunteer Fire Brigade's Chief Officer was Frank Mayer.

Initial equipment included a Ford Truck, several hundred feet of hose, two hydrants, two branches and one "Y" coupling.

The Redcliffe Fire Brigade was initially stationed at a house on the corner of Webb and Maude streets, Margate.

In September 1947 the Australian Loan Council agreed to lend £8800 to the Redcliffe Fire Brigade Board, and in 1948 land was resumed for a fire station at the corner of Oxley Ave and Mary St.

It was built at a cost of £11,000 by Alex Smith, a well-known local builder who owned the Renown Theatre in Margate (built 1940) and worked on military building projects during WWII.

Leader of the Opposition Frank Nicklin opened Redcliffe Fire Station on November 1, 1949. The first official Chief Officer was Brian Wallace, who served in the position for 28 years.

Fire helmets, trucks and equipment were upgraded to meet modern standards during Mr Wallace’s time at the helm.

Redcliffe was the first fire brigade to introduce fiberglass helmets, steel-clad safety boots, an aluminium fire engine and water tenders with hose reels. The number of firefighters also increased from a team of three to almost 20.

The Redcliffe Fire Station building was listed on the Queensland State Heritage Register in 2005 and in 2008, after 59 years, it closed and services were moved to Kippa-Ring.

Moreton Bay Regional Council bought the site in 2011 and converted it into The Old Fire Station Community Arts and Volunteer Hub.

The building’s interior layout has the characteristics of a fire station of that period, which included accommodation on the first floor for the Chief Officer; a central appliance garage on the ground floor, flanked by a dormitory, recreation room, watch room, showers, toilet, laundry and kitchen; a hose drying tower; an outdoor rear area for vehicle maintenance and cleaning; and close access to a main street.

Its brick construction was, however, innovative for the time.

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Images courtesy of History Redcliffe