Not all stories about Auckland’s Fire Brigade involve shiny appliances, powerful jets of water playing on angry flames and occupants being rescued from blazing houses. This series of individual items brings to light other behind-the-scenes topics woven into the 150 years since our city founded a dependable, municipal brigade in 1874.
Contents: Water: there better be water for firefighting, Do-It-Yourself Fire Brigades: communities’ efforts, Theatre Firemen: in Cinemas and Town Hall, Horse Power: an era the fire brigade almost missed, Auckland Fire Brigade Bands: among the best, Fire Police, Operational Support: more than 90 years’ volunteer service, Road Crash Rescue, originally inherited by default, Fire Brigade Competitions: since 1872, keen contest between brigades, Fire Brigade Union: representing local firefighters since 1913.
Water
When it came to firefighting, early Auckland-town relied on springs, sumps, wells and, when it was flowing, the stinking, clogged, Ligar Canal which ran the length of Lower Queen Street. And one other resource was sometimes deployed… the harbour, but that depended on the state of the tide.
Auckland continued to build more and more wooden houses and commercial buildings… they often had shingle roofs and were built close together. They had a propensity to catch fire. To improve fire protection the town had its first water reticulation in 1866, supplies piped from brick-lined reservoirs in the Domain.
Auckland Domain Reservoir 1866. Auckland Libraries Collection
They reservoir was 60 meters (180 feet) above sea-level so there was quite good pressure to feed the first 20 standpipes/hydrants installed in downtown streets – and available to the fire brigade.
The Domain supply repeatedly dried up in Summer, so in the early 1870s the City Council sought alternative sources in places like Onehunga Springs, Western Springs, Waitakere Ranges, and the Hunua Ranges… and perhaps a pipe from the Waikato River. All these options were set aside when, after many years’ consideration and argument, Western Springs were chosen with a powerful lakeside steam-pump to push the water up to reservoirs at Ponsonby Road and at Khyber Pass Road.
Western Springs Lake and Pumphouse. Auckland Libraries Collection
In May 1876 the work was complete and Fire Chief John Hughes was given the honour to show the pressure in the mains. In Fort Street his men pointed their hoses skyward and reached an estimated 30-feet (10m) above the 75-foot (25m) flagstaff and at Government House, the pressure was “well sufficient to drench the place” as the newspaper of the day observed, adding “…Mr Hughes has pressures never before available to firefighters”.
The City Council was obliged to provide water as Auckland suburbs grew. Over the decades it reviewed the earlier studies – and all those resources were called on to service demand. Onehunga Springs, the locals’ own water supply, was incorporated in the city’s supplies, likewise Otahuhu Springs. Large dams were constructed in the Waitakere Ranges (the first of several in 1929) and Hunua Ranges (the first of a number in 1945) with associated pumps, filters and reservoirs. Local Councils combined to ensure adequate supplies and in 1962 the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA) was created to oversee a number of public services across Greater Auckland, including water supplies. The ARA inherited the Auckland City Council’s considerable water supply undertakings and it added further bulk water storage dams, treatment processes and water distribution works.
Wartime, and extra firefighting precautions were initiated to meet the distinct threat of aerial attack should World War Two in the South Pacific extend to New Zealand. By 1942 the “Emergency Water Supplies Plan” meant static water tanks had been constructed in Albert Park, Emily Place, Victoria Street West, Victoria Park and Karangahape Road. Together they stored hundreds of thousands of gallons (litres) for firefighting contingencies. At the same time 2 additional pumps were installed at Western Springs to bolster supplies to both Ponsonby and Khyber reservoirs. Emergency plans provided for water storage tanks at most military facilities around Auckland and the Brigade stocked up on hose- with 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) available, compared to just 1,000 feet (300m metres) at the beginning of the war.
Wartime exercises included drawing additional water supplies from the harbour. Auckland Libraries Collection
In the 1960s that the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board, recognising the importance of “good water” (referring to high pressures for firefighting) created a Water Office where maps of streets across Greater Auckland were catalogued with overlays showing water mains, distribution pipes, their sizes and flows, together with the location of every hydrant. Extra supplies for firefighting were thus easily identified… and tapped into.
Today Watercare, an entity of Auckland Council, oversees water supplies. It says it provides more than 400 million litres of water to Auckland every day, drawing on 27 sources, treating it and piping it to homes and businesses via a vast network: some parts are presently (2025) being upgraded in multi-million-dollar projects to future-proof supplies.
In 2002 the Waikato River began contributing… ironically one the sources first considered way back in the 1870s.
And for firefighting… Watercare maintains some 47,000 fire hydrants across Greater Auckland enabling firefighters ready access to water… which remains the ideal fire suppressant.
RCC October 2023 June 2025
Do-It-Yourself Fire Brigades
Reviewing the history of Fire Brigades across Greater Auckland the fact cannot be missed – so many suburban and outlying stations were of the “do-it yourself” variety, and without which there is no doubt some brigades would not have existed.
Local Councils were responsible for fire protection in earlier times, and to save ratepayers’ money they were happy to come to an arrangement with members of the fire brigade, many of whom had trade skills – or had friends – who would join-in to help build a fire station… or whathever was required.
The fledgling Henderson Volunteer Fire Brigade was a good example of this. The brigade was formed in 1929 during depressed economic times. When Henderson Town Board was approached to provide a fire station it was found funds would not stretch to even the modest shed that was planned at the Board’s works depot. So agreement was reached. The Board would find the cost of the materials if brigade members would construct the building.
Henderson’s first DIY fire station
The deal was done: the timbered shed was erected and, with improvements, served the brigade for more than 30 years.
Titirangi firefighters came to the same arrangement with Waitemata County with an added “extra”… a special “midnight” delivery of roading metal for the floor! Original fire stations at Laingholm and Mercer owed their existence to similar deals.
Other brigades “made do” with interim housing until they acquired a station. This, too was often “do- it-yourself”. At St Heliers the brigade came to an agreement to keep their fire engine in Mr Key’s bus depot, ideally placed on the waterfront.
A DIY arrangement provided shelter as a station at St Heliers. Auckland Libraries Collection
In Papakura the appliance was kept under lock-and-key at the local garage to avoid thefts of petrol while, similarly, Snells Beach residents found a private garage in which to house their appliance while awaiting their station to be completed, known as Mahurangi East.
Members of the Arch Hill Volunteer Fire Brigade wanted for uniforms in 1903 so they “did-it- themselves” with a fund-raising evening in the local hall, a biograph display (an early version of the movies) showing “excellent animated pictures of overseas fire brigades at work”. A member of a neighbouring brigade about the same time said they had a “unique DIY” when it came to uniform. Each member was handed a coat and a handful of silver buttons and told to “…go home and get the wife to make sure it fits!” Other brigades mounted concerts and public events: money sometimes raised to finance DIY insurance schemes… a fund to assist firefighters unfortunate enough to be injured in the execution of their duty in the days before the introduction of other benefits or compensation.
Brigades such as Beachlands fund-raised in their community to enable purchase of the most expensive asset they would have – a fire appliance. Northcote brigade members did the same, organising Queen Carnivals and other appeals to help pay for their first fire engine.
Northcote Queen Carnival 1922. Auckland Libraries Collection
Northcote firefighters also built the station’s tower to house the fire-bell and to “provide training in life-saving”. Firefighters at other stations provided, DIY-style, facilities for training or an outdoor social area – items otherwise not funded by officialdom. In some brigades profits from the sale of alcohol beverages over the bar paid for additional social and brigade equipment, the “nice to haves”.
DIY was not confined to smaller volunteer brigades: Auckland Fire Brigade got firefighters to assist in minor mechanical etc work. In 1948 it was a bigger project with the assembly of the new Leyland appliance. Its 30-meter (100-foot) Merryweather ladder arrived from England in two packing cases and firefighters assembled the components and fitted them to the chassis.
Assembled Merryweather ladder is fitted to Leyland appliance
– Auckland Fire Brigades Museum and Historical Soc
In 1967 a group at Central Fire Station’s workshop, led by firefighter Ray Patterson, converted a Dennis F8 fire engine to become the brigade’s first Emergency Tender. A Bedford was later, likewise, changed from an Emergency Tender to Breathing Apparatus tender and then to a mobile Canteen. And firefighters assisted when, several times, the control room at Central Station was enlarged, moved and modernised.
In the 1960s and 70s DIY kicked in again when brigades were often fundraising for rescue equipment, especially the “Jaws of Life” when rescues (notably extrication from crashed motor vehicles) were added to the fire services’ duties. And when “first medical response” became an additional service from 2013, many brigades launched appeals to purchase defibrillators and other advanced first aid equipment.
When it comes to DIY, perhaps Waiheke firefighters take first prize. Not only did they construct the two original fire stations on the island, but in the mid-1950s they converted a Land Rover into a handy, 4-wheel-drive appliance (the brigade’s first), again led by Ray Patterson, followed by the building from the chassis-up of a Bedford, custom-built to provide an appliance for even better fire protection on the island.
Not all DIY projects ended happily. When it came time to maintain them, enlarge or replace these assets, brigades often got into wrangles with their local body about providing ongoing funding.
RCC June 2023/June 2025
Theatre Firemen
In 1907 the Fire Brigades Act provided measures for fire safety in places of public assembly prompted by a string of disastrous fires in theatres overseas. In 1904, for example, 600 were killed when fire swept through Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre.
Following up on te new legislation, Auckland’s Fire Chief, Superintendent Charles Woolley, proposed a number of fire prevention measures in February 1908, supported by the Fire Board and adopted by the City Council.
The city’s (then) two entertainment houses were required to take additional fire safety precautions. On top of regulations re sufficient egress, 2 firemen had to be on duty during each performance. Having inspected the place before curtain-up they had to unroll fire hoses which were kept in the wings beside the stage, and ensure they were connected, ready in case of fire. The firemen were also to police the no smoking regime in theatres – banned by City bylaw. They also had to try to allay panic among patrons if there was a fire: mayhem among theatre audiences as they rushed to the exits had been the major killer overseas. The fire brigade agreed to provide experienced officers to carry out these duties, who also had to witness the “asbestos safety curtain, a fire-proof barrier between the stage and audience” being tested, lowered at least once each session.
Safety Curtain – lowered once during the performance – theatrecrafts.com
This added precautions seemed to have paid off when, within the year, there was a fire involving film and the projector in His Majesty’s Theatre on November 9th 1909. Flames shot out of the machinery, rapidly involved furnishings, drapes and seats.
His Majesty’s Theatre, Queen and Durham Streets, seated about 1,600 patrons. Auckland Libraries Collection
Patrons left the theatre without any signs of panic. Meanwhile, the two firefighters on duty quickly attended to the blaze using hoses and equipment which they had laid out, as required, for just such an eventuality. There was much speculation afterwards about what might have happened had the firefighters not been on duty with immediate access to fire hoses.
Motion pictures (movies) quickly became common-place on Auckland screens from the early 1900s, often shown in existing theatres and halls until custom-designed cinemas were built, many coinciding in the 1930s with the introduction of “talkies”: films with a soundtrack. Bylaws governing places of public assembly were amended: fire safety rules applied to theatres with more than 500 seats and . additional safety precautions were introduced for cinemas because the film was made of a nitrate material, highly flammable and which gave off toxic fumes when burning.
Projection rooms were susceptible to fire – MOTAT Collection
The compartments housing the projectors had to be fireproof while the attendance of firemen was retained – and extended – to cinemas that sprung up in practically every Auckland suburb.
The Fire Board usually had on its books some 15 or 20 firemen for theatre duties: in 1937 the going rate of payment was 5 shillings each session. While the bylaw said “… qualified firemen must be in attendance…”, this provision was later amended to “a person approved by the Superintendent of the Fire Brigade”.
The term “Theatre Firemen” was coined, and they formed their own Union which negotiated pay rates and uniform etc. They were entitled to Auckland Fire Board service medals but the United Fire Brigades’ Association at one stage denied service awards to “theatre-only firemen”.
Theatre Firemen, in fire brigade uniform, continued safety duties at places of public assembly such as theatres, racecourses, carnivals, and circuses. When the Volunteer Fire Police Corps was founded in 1933, Superintendent Bill Wilson approved members as Theatre Firemen, and the most popular duty was the visiting circus: those on the roster could take their family without paying!
The appearance of the big top meant the circus was in town! Auckland Libraries Collection
The popularity of movie-going was illustrated in the late 1930s with 27 theatre firemen on the books.
In 1942 Auckland City Council agreed to join other councils who had amended bylaws to allow Theatre Firemen’s duties in cinemas to be done by members of theatre staff such as door-keepers and ushers, as long as they had received instruction and were approved by the Fire Brigade. While no longer wearing fire brigade uniform, Theatre Firemen wore a distinguishing badge. This applied to city and suburban places of amusement.
For live theatres and bigger events, Fire Police were rostered more frequently during wartime: called in to replace those firefighters who had enlisted for active service abroad. Theatre Firemen, with additional safety duties, were required more than ever with the threat of invasion. They were trained for new duties including evacuation of the public to air-raid shelters and how to deal with incendiary bombs.
In 1949 patrons of the Concert Chamber challenged the “no smoking” by-law, describing it as “almost prehistoric”, saying “this ridiculous regulation must be relaxed”. There was no change to the by-law. Smoking would not be condoned today!
Fire Police undertaking Theatre Fireman’s duties ended in 1964 after a vitriolic quarrel over duties, payments and rostering. It was so serious that the Fire Police Corps was threatened with disbanding: avoided only after it was agreed Fire Police would no longer double as Theatre Firemen. Others, however, retained duties and formed a Fire Safety Officers’ Guild, apparently as a self-governing outfit (even though they continued to wear fire brigade uniform). They carried on duties until requirements in Building Regulations were relaxed in 1992 and soon after that they were no longer seen at racecourses, showgrounds and sports fixtures: fire safety was up to the management of the various venues.
Three Theatre Firemen’s tales
#1 The “fashion icons” attending Christchurch cinemas often liked to have a cigarette at the interval.
Not to be thwarted…
Ignoring the no smoking ban, they would light up in the foyer and, if approached by the Theatre Fireman, would hasten into the adjacent Ladies Rest Room, well out of the clutches of the fireman – only to emerge, guileless, a few minutes later!
#2 “We never have overcrowding”, declared the manager of a Wellington Theatre. Just a few nights later a Fire Inspector found otherwise. He had the show stopped and the house lights turned on. More than 100 people were found standing at the back and perched on stairs and in aisles. They were asked to leave. It’s not recorded whether they received a refund. The theatre management was not prosecuted because the Inspector refused to testify.
#3 An employee of the cinema, who regularly did fire safety duties at an Auckland suburban cinema in the 1960s says he was appointed at 18 years of age, the youngest ever approved. Having familiarised himself with the bylaw and the prescribed duties he applied to an officer at Central Fire Station. All questions about duties and responsibilities were answered correctly and a certificate was issued. The main safety checks at the cinema were carried out nightly before the show and included Projection Room safety, unobstructed egresses, outside exit lights turned on and panic lights tested.
Signs, lit, required above each exit door
The Log was signed off on completion of the checks… and it was the first thing inspecting officers wanted to see when they arrived on one of their periodic, unannounced, snap inspections.
RCC January 2024 / May 2025 /June 2025
An Era the Auckland Fire Brigade Nearly Missed!
It was almost beyond belief that real horse-power had been deployed for centuries, and by many fire brigades in New Zealand in the late 19th century, but Auckland Fire Brigade was caught behind the times… almost skipping the horse-drawn era altogether – and advancing to the motorised appliance.
Firefighters had been the “beast of burden”, themselves pulling hand carts, hose reels and ladder wagons to and from the fires. No horses were used, as was the case with most suburban volunteer brigades. And there was no change, no horses, when brigades consolidated in 1862. In 1886 the City Board at long last provided the volunteer brigade with 2 horses each night to haul pumps and wagons. It turned out these animals had been busy all day on Council work and hardly fit to turn-to in the middle of the night for fire brigade duties. This arrangement was short-lived. By the time the brigade was taken over by the Auckland City Council as a municipal service in 1874, firefighters, themselves, had to again resort to hauling their wagons to the scene of the fire. After practically every major fire there was resolution to deploy horses, but over the decades nothing eventuated.
As they say… “it always takes a good fire!” to remedy matters, and in this case it was a blaze that raced through Auckland’s luxurious Grand Hotel resulting in five deaths. The Inquest heard that, amazingly, even after the turn of the century the City Fire Brigade did not own one horse and that Auckland firefighters still had to haul their carts to the fire. The men were more often than not exhausted by the time they reached the fire, in no shape to fight the flames. The coroner was appalled, and critical.
At last, horses in Auckland Fire Brigade, 1902. Auckland Libraries Collection
The City Council was thus shamed to overhaul Auckland’s fire protection and at long last, in September 1902, the Council approved the purchase of horses for the fire brigade: the catalyst was the arrival of two Shand Mason appliances from London: an extension ladder and a steam-driven fire pump, both far too heavy and cumbersome to be dragged by firemen.
Shand Mason Steamer: catalyst towards horse-power
Despite horses deployed over many centuries, fire brigades in Auckland almost missed the horse-drawn era altogether because the motorised appliance was not so far off. In November 1906 Auckland Fire Brigade took delivery of its first vehicle, an Ariel-Simplex, which again revolutionised local fire services.
Ariel-Simplex: heralds a horse-less era
Auckland Libraries Collection
It had been remarkable that Auckland firefighters very nearly “skipped” the era of horses: just 4 years after introducing them, the brigade found itself part of the new motor age! “Dobbin” was already on the way out: the Brigade dispensed with horses in 1917.
RCC October 2023 / June 2025
Auckland Fire Brigade… and Bands
Auckland has had three fire brigade bands over the 150 years.
The first, the United Fire Brigades’ Band, was founded in the late 1890s, possibly coinciding with the gathering in Auckland of fire brigades from throughout New Zealand for the annual United Fire Brigade’s Conference and Demonstration in October 1897. Its bandmaster was one of the country’s leading musicians, Walter Ratcliffe Hunter, and over the next few years it played at fire brigade functions, regularly at school picnics, street processions and charity concerts.
By 1900 local bandmaster Eugene Hulse had taken over: he also led the Newmarket Fire Brigade Band at the time… and it appears he amalgamated both these under the title “Hulse’s Band” which entertained Aucklanders for some years. But the connection with fire brigades was lost.
50 years were to pass before there was another fire brigade band. The Auckland Watersiders’ Silver Band, founded in 1919, was looking for change in 1955 since there were no watersiders (wharf workers) left in the band. It had been the official band of the Emergency Fire Service during World War 2, so, with this affinity, the local fire board “adopted” the band, renamed the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Brigade Band.
Auckland Metropolitan Fire Brigade Band outside Central Fire Station 1950s
Bandsmen were enrolled as members of the voluntary Fire Police Corps to ‘legitimise’ the situation and the band went on from strength to strength, winning local and national titles at various championships. In 1957 the band, conducted by Les Francis was judged the Champion A-Grade band, the best in New Zealand, the title reclaimed under Lloyd Thorne’s baton in 1960.
Record cover of the band’s winning music
– Stebbing Recording Studios
Patronage from the Fire Board was lost in the mid- late 1960s so the players merged with the Onehunga Band around 1970 to become the Waitemata Onehunga Silver Band.
Waitemata Onehunga Silver Band – R.Morrison, Auckland Museum Collection
It was subsequently sponsored by (and taking the name) Turrell’s, Continental Airlines, Fosters, City of Sails, and Dalewool. Over the years the band won numerous top titles in New Zealand… and overseas: in England it was placed in the top ten at the world’s premier Brass Band Competition!
RCC September 2023/June 2025
Fire Police/Operational Support
This was a volunteer group was founded in 1933 and has been (and still is!) very much part of Auckland fire brigades for 90+ years. It was founded as the Auckland Metropolitan Volunteer Fire Police Corps when 12 men enrolled in June 1933… and has thrived ever since. (There was a name change to Operational Support in 2010). The pioneers’ sole purpose was to support firefighters and police at major fires: mainly crowd control. Their only uniform/insignia was an arm band. They travelled to call-outs in private cars: one or two responded on the tram or by bus!
Arm Bands, the first and only asset in 1933
Early on it seems traffic management was added to their duties: reports say Fire Police closed Queen Street in 1935 during the major fire in Woolworths Department Store.
As Auckland grew, and the Fire Board’s protection spread to sprawling suburbs, Fire Police found they were responding to calls in South Auckland and western districts, and not just to fires but to motor accidents and other emergencies as the brigade diversified operations. And then the North Shore was added to their turn-out area. Numbers grew to cope with the increased work-load, which included taking responsibility for the mobile canteen, the first of many vehicles to be entrusted to the volunteers to carry out their duties.
The Iveco appliance, added in 2025 was purpose-built to meet requirements. Ian Batterbee
Today 60 members provide 24×7 support services to the Super City, from Dairy Flat to Mercer, and coast-to-coast, equipped with 4 dedicated vehicles, the latest gear and their own radio network. It’s the biggest and busiest volunteer brigade in New Zealand: uniquely Auckland.
RCC Nov 2023, June 2025
Road Crash Rescue – Won By Default
Remarkably, until the mid-1960s no one organisation in New Zealand was recognised as the go-to agency for the essential services of rescue. Civil Defence legislation provided for rescue services in times of earthquake, floods, landslide etc, while expert teams responded to victims lost in the mountains or bush and members of Lifesaving Clubs patrolled surf beaches. But there was nothing written down about Road Crash Rescue…extricating victims trapped in crashed motor vehicles.
The Fire Service at that time was primarily given over to firefighting, but it would be more or less driven to fill the “rescue” gap. It was at a time when cars were increasingly being made of thinner metal: they were lighter, higher powered, designed to go faster – with resulting damage, injury, and, often, occupants trapped in the wreckage, when there was a crash. To ensure rescue services would be available there was suggestion that tow truck companies would gear-up with special equipment to make these rescues. But it was doubtful commercial arrangements would be satisfactory… and a question whether insurance companies would pay out. Anyway, this proposal was frowned-on by police who repeatedly called out the fire brigade to attend to rescues. This work was best left to emergency services, police said: but they, themselves, were not “in that business”. There remained a gap to be filled.
In 1966 Auckland St John Ambulance, sensing a need, built its own Emergency Tender (ET) on a Land Rover Series IIB, fitted with the widest range of rescue gear including lighting, cutting equipment… and a boat.
St John Ambulance’s Emergency Tender at work, December 1970. S. Brandt
Then, at the same time, the Auckland Fire Brigade revealed it, too, was constructing its own ET. A Dennis F8 appliance was being converted for the role, to be stationed at Pitt Street Station. It carried giant floodlights on the roof, a Tirfor winch, rescue lines, hand-tools such as jacks, crow bars and perhaps a Halligan bar which was an American invention: an all-purpose break-and-enter tool combining a pick, an adze and an axe. There was also a metal-cutting circular saw and a meter-long tool, (a local invention, I believe, that emulated a kitchen can opener, but on a giant scale, enabling it to cut into car bodies). An enhanced first aid kit was added.
Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board’s first Emergency Tender
Auckland fire brigade thus got into the rescue and extrication business with its own ET. The new concept provided an immediately-available four-person crew equipped with breathing apparatus for snatch search and rescue duties or for establishing deliveries inside the building. The secondary availablity was to be “other recues”, but this quickly became, predominantly, attendance at persons-trapped motor vehicle crashes. Inaugurated on 25th of Februray, 1967, the F8 often worked alongside St John’s Landrover at incidents with firefighters using equipment from both vehicles.
While neither agency had legislative direction, nor authority, to effect rescues, their attendance was welcomed, rescuing trapped patients and, undoubtedly, saving lives. The fire brigade was eventually left with the task in Auckland when St John managers concluded that they should concentrate on ambulance services, leaving rescue work to fire-fighters. The fire brigade inherited the St John Land Rover, later converted to a Command Unit.
Then, in August 1971, Auckland commissioned its first purpose-built new ET, an International ACCO 1820, with the call-sign F17, and it responded to all calls involving “special (non-fire) services”, by now extended somewhat, from rescues at car accidents to any situation with potential for rescue and/or life-saving… and to all major fires.
Auckland’s first custom-built Emergency Tender – Grant Manning
The Jaws of Life, invented for rescues from racing cars, were by now well proven by overseas fire and rescue squads, and a set was added to F17 along with a generator, air bags and other stabilising tools. The lighting capability was enhanced: power-to-weight ratio of generators had greatly improved.
George Hurst’s invention: the Jaws of Life
F17 was representative of the development of the ET in bigger New Zealand centres. But many smaller and volunteer brigades also acquired ETs in the 1970s, their communities often rallying to donate rescue equipment. Some of these ETs were utes or vans while other brigades converted retired ambulances to fill a need.
By 1973 the Fire Service Council accepted that brigades had, by default, taken over the task of rescue and extrication services at motor accidents and at other emergencies and distributed technical advice, supplied recommended equipment and added appropriate training to its syllabus. The Fire Services Act 1975 was to “consolidate and amend the law relating to the protection of life and property”, extending its mandate to act at emergencies (like road crashes) and not confined to fires.
In 1997 as part of his restructuring of fire services, Chairman of the Fire Service Commission, Roger Estall wanted out of the added responsibilities and costs that, he said, were associated with rescue services. He proposed tow companies take over extrications, etc, at road crashes… an idea that was not adopted.
The word “rescue” was added to fire services branding and the latest Fire and Emergency New Zealand legislation includes, as a main function “to rescue persons who are trapped as a result of transport accidents or other incidents; and to provide urban search and rescue services”. The niche activity taken on by Auckland Fire Brigade 60 years ago has become part of everyday business, and, at last, by mandate.
RCC June 2025
Fire Brigade Competitions
Fire brigade competitions have long been an institution and Auckland brigades have, over the decades, been up with the best.
Records show inter-brigade events began in Australia in 1872 and in 1876 two New Zealand teams, Wellington and Dunedin attended Ballarat for “fire brigade practice competitions”, a series of 10 tests of efficiency and expertise. Circumstances forced the Kiwis to combine as a New Zealand team and it was placed third out of 50 brigades. Some New Zealand brigades held identical events at home at the same time as the Ballarat contest and when they found they were recording similar times, or better, they were very keen to compete.
And just a few months later, December 1876, inter-brigade competitions began in earnest in New Zealand in Dunedin where 6 teams entered, including Ballarat from Australia. The host brigade won, followed by Auckland and Ballarat. Dunedin organised a similar programme to coincide with the UFBA Conference in January 1880 and again in 1885 which, for the Auckland team, became a cause celebre. It found serious mistakes in timing of the events and fluctuations in the water supply, both affecting results, so they walked out of the contest in protest.
Teams competing in 1906, Auckland Libraries Collection
Brigades’ prowess grew over the years, and so did the competitions, with scores of teams from the length and breadth of New Zealand participating in biennial timed to coincide with the United Fire Brigades Association’s annual conference.
Local, Provincial and National competitions were popular in the 1950s
Te Awamutu’s team, national champions, poses with trophies, 1967
UFBARivalry continues, along with more recently introduced fire brigade challenges, including Road Crash Rescue, Toughest Firefighter Alive and Driving. Apart from bragging rights, winners take out elaborate – and valuable – silver trophies and handsome shields, some going back to the beginning of nation-wide competitions.
Te Awamutu’s team, national champions, poses with trophies, 1967
UFBA
In Auckland the first recorded contests between Auckland fire brigades were held in March, 1891 at Potters Paddock, Epsom, (now Alexandra Park Raceway). Five local brigades, plus Hawera and Hawkes Bay, took part. Newton, led by Superintendent Fenton, won the Hose and Hydrant Practice while the Ladder Rescue was taken out by Auckland Brigade’s number 2 team. These events, as in succeeding years, were part of a programme which included athletic or cycle races and drew enormous crowds.
But in 1906 Auckland Districts’ United Fire Brigades’ Association organised its own separate, formal, competitions (known today as The Provincials). The first was at Devonport where 12 brigades entered 4 events, won by Waihi Volunteer Fire Brigade.
1906 events at Devonport included a simulated ladder-rescue. NZ Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic Review
Subsequent competitions over the decades were hosted by brigades between Northland and Turangi, events often tied to coincide with the Provincial Association’s Annual Conference. Various Sub-Associations in the Provinces also staged their own competitions which gave teams realistic preparation for both the Provincials and Nationals. Thousands of firefighters from Auckland fire brigades have taken part in competitions over the years, their numbers dwindling when suburban stations were taken over by career staff. In latter years 2-person events were introduced to the Waterway Competitions and the Auckland Provincial Association added the Driving Challenge to its calendar. The UFBA still stages the national waterway challenge every two years and it has added Driving and Road Crash Rescue events to the calendar.
RCC May 2024 /June 2025
The Fire Brigade Union
Firemen (as firefighters were formerly called) formed their first union in Auckland more than a 100 years ago on August 10th, 1913. Those in permanent employment with the Auckland Fire Board got together and registered the name Auckland Fire Brigades’ Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers which enabled them to take disputes to conciliation, heard by a committee of elected employer and employee interests.
The Union lost no time formulating a claim for more money and better conditions but negotiations got bogged down. It was the first time firefighters’ claims had been considered so all pariers concerned felt their way with those first negitioations. The situation was not helped when the mediator said “firemen are neither occupied in a trade nor an industry”, adding just in time, “but nevertheless, important work of great value to the community and it involves great personal risk”.
Protracted negotiations followed and the employers, the Fire Board, agreed to pay some new allowances, plus one week’s annual leave and provide a new work uniform without charge.
Firefighters’ first-ever claim had been concluded, the forerunner of many more to come over the decades. The “milestone” ones were those seeking higher pay and more realistic hours, some of which resulted in industrial action when negotiations broke down, including work-to-rule, reduced duties or, in some cases, stoppages. The Union has been vocal about poor intervention and processing to deal with behavioural complaints within the industry and for several years, heightened in 2025, it has repeatedly claimed that FENZ’s aerial (high-rise) appliances can’t properly serve urban communities because a delayed fleet replacement programme means they are out of date and mechanically, etc, unreliable.
But the Professional Firefighters’ Union was never more active than in the 1990s when it protested radical reform of the industry which was proposed by a newly-appointed Fire Service Commission, backed by the Government. There were attempts to introduce a 56-hour-week with reduced crewing on appliances, the possibility of private fire brigades, giving up road crash rescues, general cost-cutting across the service and the establishment of non-union Community Service Teams. Protests particularly against Commission Chairman Roger Estall turned ugly. In May 1999 he threatened to dismiss all 1,700 career firefighters and “begin again” with a reduced number of selected staff whom, he said, would accept his scheme of radically different working conditions. Eventually there was mediation. Estall had resigned, meantime. Few of the proposals endure…
RCC November 2023 /July 2025
more to come
A fascinating deep dive into the lesser-known history of Auckland’s fire services! Loved learning about the evolution of water infrastructure and wartime emergency planning—truly shows how much goes on behind the scenes. The detail about hoses reaching above the flagstaff was especially striking. Thank you for preserving and sharing this rich slice of civic heritage!
Thanks very much for taking to time to repsond. Appreciated. Look out for additions : there are one or two more topics being added to “Miscellany” quite soon.