Daylesford Fire Brigade

The Establishment of the Daylesford Fire Brigade Daylesford became an important mining town after John Egans discovered gold in the Wombat Diggings area. It had many hotels and stores. On the 23rd of January 1861 a fire started at the Freemasons Hotel which burnt to the ground in only fifteen minutes, this hotel was located where the current Royal Hotel stands today. This fire awoke the citizens to the need for a fire brigade in the area. A letter from J.H Lerich who had some experience of fire brigades in new York, called for the establishment of a local brigade. On the 19th of February 1861, a meeting was called by the police magistrate and gold warden Daley. It was resolved that a brigade be formed and at a later meeting twenty nine volunteers were enrolled. On the 5th of April 1861 the following officers were elected. Captain- William Hensaw, Lieutenant- Birch, Trustees- Jamison and Appleton, Foreman- McNaughton and Patterson, Honorary Secretary- Gunson, Treasurer- Daly A block of land was obtained with the help of the council, to erect an engine house. The site was chosen on the corner of Bridport and Victoria streets, where the present kindergarten stands. It was erected at a cost of only the labour as all the materials were donated by Wheeler and Company, saw-millers, storekeepers Millar and Anderson, Buttner and Hallenstein, Newcombe and Laver, Mckille and Studt. The Melbourne fire insurance company donated 10 pounds and the council 20 pounds for the purpose of securing apparatus. The building was officially opened and handed over to the members of the brigade on the 7th of May 1862 by the municipal chairman, Cr Knox. A torchlight procession followed and the gathering later adjourned to Jamieson’s Hotel for dinner which lasted until 3am the next morning. The brigade equipment at the time consisted of five canvas buckets, two axes, two tomahawks, a grappling iron, and a long pole with a hook on the end.