Fires & fire brigades guide
A brief overview of the major sources in our collection that relate to fires.
Historical Overview
The Fire Brigades Board was constituted under the terms of the Fire Brigades Act of 1884 which formally introduced a government organised fire service for the Sydney metropolitan area. Sydney's fire protection had previously been provided by volunteer and insurance company brigades. In January 1910, the Fire Brigades Board was replaced by the Board of Fire Commissioners under the terms of the Fire Brigades Act of 1909. In November 1989, following the critical Grey Report, the Board was dismissed. The Fire Brigades Act, which was assented to on 19 December 1989, established the New South Wales Fire Brigades on 1 January 1990.
Records relating to fire
Fire Stations
Each fire station maintained records of its operations and attendance at fires. In metropolitan fire stations these were called Fire station record books and in country stations they were known as Fire station occurrence books. Consult our catalogue for records of specific fire stations.
Inquests
Coroners are authorised by the Coroners Act, 1980 to hold inquests into any fire which may have caused the destruction of property or injury to a person. A coroner may also dispense with an inquest when the circumstances around the fire are sufficiently disclosed to make a formal court hearing unnecessary. See the Inquests & coronial records guide for further information.
Criminal cases involving arson
The Supreme Court of New South Wales' criminal jurisdiction includes two offences relating to fire. They are: setting fire to a dwelling house knowing a person to be therein; and, setting fire to a vessel etc. a person being therein. These crimes were punishable by death before 1955. Hence records of criminal proceedings for these crimes may be included in the records of the Supreme Court in its Criminal Jurisdiction (the Central Criminal Court and Circuit Courts). Lesser offences relating to fire may have been heard in the lower courts.
Police Gazettes
This publication was circulated weekly to all police stations until 1974, when it began to be circulated twice a month. Fire inquests will be indexed under I for 'Inquests - Inquest on fire' for the years 1868-1922.
List of main record series
Fire Brigades Board
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
NRS 4262 [20/15147-15152] | Superintendent's reports These include reports of fires attended and the occupancy of land by fire stations. | 1897-1906 |
NRS 4265 [11/16227-16228, 3/12945, 7/15759-61, 3/12656] | Newspaper cutting books Newspaper cuttings about major fires. Each fire is dated and cites the newspaper source. | 1862-1906 |
Board of Fire Commissioners
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Registered files These files cover a wide variety of subjects from routine matters, policy and procedural matters, major administrative and functional arrangements and major equipment matters. | 1895-1994 | |
NRS 476 [20/14725-91, 3/12943] | Special bundles Included are correspondence, conferences, reports, Select Committee reports, and press cuttings. | 1884-1971 |
NRS 528 [3/12616-12655] | General record of fire registers for the Sydney area Information provided for each fire attended includes: annual number of fire; day and date; time of call; when discovered; called by; locality; occupier; insurance on contents; owner of premises; insurance on building; construction; supposed cause of fire; extinguished by; attendance of engines from permanent stations; number of officers and men; appliances and men from volunteer stations; and damage. | 1884-1942 |
NRS 529 [3/12536-12615] | General record of fire registers for country district The information provided in these registers is similar to that contained in NRS 528 above. | 1952-1963 |
NRS 530 [3/13024-13062, 6/11613-11865, 14/1548-1554.1, 6/17612-17616, 6/13612-13736] | Fire station record books Includes lists of fires attended by various stations showing: date; time of call; by whom called; locality; occupier; business; construction; supposed cause; extinguished by; damage; and, attendance.Further records may be located in Archives Investigator under the name of a particular fire station. | 1943-1983, 1925-1931, 1983-1985, 1945-1986 |
NRS 531 [14/1737.1 part] | List of important fires for the Sydney Fire District This series records the names and addresses of companies where important fires occurred, the trade engaged in by those companies, and dates of fires. | 1840-1969 |
NRS 534 [20/14836-14875] | Files on major fires These files are reports on fires attended by fire brigades within the area defined by the Fire Brigades Act. Some files also include newspaper clippings and/or statements by attending firemen if an inquest was necessary. | 1906-1936, 1941-1963, 1966-1972 |
NRS 535 [20/14876-14882] | Files relating to fires outside of Fire District areas These files deal with correspondence and reports relating to fires attended by fire brigades outside the fire area district. If fires were attended, the brigade was reimbursed financially by the person whose property was attended. | 1905-1971 |
NRS 536 [20/14883] | Inquests into fires These files were originally a part of NRS 534, but were removed because an extensive inquest had taken place as the result of a death or suspicious circumstances associated with the fire. | 1921-1955 |
NRS 556 [7/15762-15764, 3/12657-12671, 14/1743.2, 20/14834-14835, 11/16229-16230] | Newspaper cuttings Newspaper clippings kept on major fires. Each fire is dated and cites the newspaper source. | 1907-1984 |
NRS 563 [3/13011-13, 6/13257-13611, 3/13011-13013, 6/17599-17611] | Fire station occurrence books These volumes record the day to day running of fire stations and show time and occurrence.Further records may be located in Archives Investigator under the name of a particular fire station. | Feb 1898-Aug 1901, Jul 1935-Mar 1936, Apr-May 1962, 1910-1984, 1952-1968, 1981-1983 |
NRS 577 [14/1739.5-1740], 1988-90 [3/1782D.2] | Journal of the Board: Fire News Fire News was a quarterly journal published by the Board of Fire Commissioners. Previous titles were Fire Service (1955-56) and Fire (1957-67). From 1983 a monthly news sheet entitled Fire Service Update was published to supplement the Journal. | 1955-1987 |
Records relating to fire engines
Board of Fire Commissioners
Registered files Files relating to motor fire engines are numbered 901 and include pump tests, mechanical repairs and the general program for the purchase of fire engines. | 1895-1994 | |
|---|---|---|
Instruction Manuals The manuals are produced for all firefighers and cover all facets of firefighting including the handling of fire engines and other equipment. | 1926+ | |
Examination Syllabi and related papers This series comprises some surviving printed syllabi from the courses a fireman undertook. Included is [4] Drills for motor fire engines, hose reels and hose cards, 1939 | 1926-1950 |
Further reading
Colin Adrian, Fighting fire: a century of service 1884-1984. Sydney, George Allen & Unwin, 1984.
See also Activity No. 240 Fire Prevention and Control in the State Archives catalogue. Records are listed under the following agency headings.
- Agency No. 616 Fire Brigades Board
- Agency No. 618 Board of Fire Commissioners
- Agency No. 619 NSW Fire Brigades
- Agency No. 817 State Emergency Services