All dressed up outside Taree Fire Station for Saturday’s centenary commemoration. All photos: FRNSW
Taree’s fire station turned 100 years old and firefighting brass joined local VIPs to help the NSW town celebrate the milestone.
The station is also home to two of Fire and Rescue NSW’s longer-serving regional firefighters: Station Officer Peter Willard (45 years of service) and on-call firefighter Owen Kirkman (35 years).
On Saturday, FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell AFSM joined dignitaries, community members, and current and former firefighters to celebrate the centenary.
Other guests included Mid-Coast Council deputy mayor Jeremy Miller, NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Superintendent Ugo Tolone, State Emergency Service Local Commander Lester Davis, and Captain Brock Forbes of the Volunteer Rescue Association.
Fewtrell says the milestone represents “a century of courage, commitment and community service”.
“The Taree crew has always been multi-disciplined and highly skilled, responding to everything from structure fires and Hazmat incidents to natural disasters and rescues,” he says.
“The station’s rich history is a testament to the generations of firefighters who served the Taree community with pride.
“This is a proud day for Taree and for Fire and Rescue NSW.”
BACKGROUND
FRNSW says firefighting in Taree began in June 1893 when a brigade began to operate out of a small station on the inaugural captain’s property. Over the following decades, the station relocated, including into Belmore Hall from 1914 to 1923.
On May 22, 1925, Taree Fire Station officially opened on its current site.
It wasn’t until 1990 that major renovations were carried out including a second engine bay.
In 2005-06, the station was designated a Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) station and its crew trained to respond to hazardous incidents.
The FRNSW records show that in the 2023–24 financial year, the station responded to 779 incidents and carried out 238 community activities.
HIGHLIGHTS
- 2019-20 bushfires: Crew worked alongside RFS and FRNSW strike teams to protect Mid Coast communities.
- 2021: Supported evacuations and clean-up efforts during flooding of the Manning River.
- 2021: Firefighters responding to an ethanol tanker rollover on a remote dirt road worked for 36 hours to prevent an environmental disaster.
- 2023: Crew attended a major fire in a 12-unit residential complex, rescued an elderly man and saved everyone despite a structural collapse.
