5.1 Fire Response in Bendigo
Jose Manga
In the early hours of August 26th 1871, the city of Sandhurst (now Bendigo) woke up to the sound of the fire tower’s bells and dense smoke coming from a fire that had broken out at the Beehive Building in the city centre. Located on Bendigo’s main street, the Beehive is an iconic building that in the nineteenth century was the commercial hub of the city, surrounded by the most important colonial government buildings, banks, offices, and storehouses. That morning, the fire threatened to consume the resources that had sustained the growth of the city and, in many ways, the success of the colonies. The fire was a reminder of the severe conditions in which these emergent societies had chosen to establish. In Australia, fire events caused by extreme weather have defined the natural landscapes and have shaped human interaction with the environment.
Fire is an essential natural element for all living creatures. It would be impossible to conceive human development without fire. However, fire is usually seen as a threat and a devastating event. Local Aboriginal peoples learnt to live with this phenomenon, successfully adapting to the varying nature of fires throughout millennia. With the arrival of European settlers, the pristine landscape suffered a dramatic change. Pastoralist settlers cleared vast forest areas and established cattle stations in the country. These enterprises were the starting point to the formation of colonial villages and towns. By the mid-19th century, these settlements were growing in size and population, as new waves of migrants moved to the bush, attracted to the land opportunities.
The discovery of gold in Victoria and New South Wales in the 1850’s not only transformed the landscape of rural Australia, but also brought enormous wealth and development to the emerging cities. Bendigo became one of the richest cities in the world thanks to its vast mineral resources. The Victorian gold rush would have a big effect on the way people responded to disastrous events. In order to respond to these urgent issues, the first Bendigo fire brigades were formed in 1855, with the purpose of protecting the city and the wealth produced in the area.
The Beehive Building fire exposed the risks of settling on a region that is surrounded by a dense forest that could prove fatal during the harsh summer season. But more importantly, the fire exposed the settler’s lack of preparedness against new environmental challenges. Days after the fire, a local resident wrote to the Bendigo Advertiser: “…our gallant band of firemen worked with a good will, but in an unfortunate way. Much of their vigorous exertion resulted in helpless confusion; but what could you expect when all gave orders, and each followed his own.” At the fire scene, the valiant efforts of the volunteers were countered by the evident lack of organisation. For the colonial authorities, it became clear that rural communities had much to learn from the environmental conditions in which they lived, and the way communities organised themselves in order to respond to these adverse situations.
The selection of objects displayed on ‘Fire Response in Bendigo’ show the evolution of the fire threat and the local response to these events in the Bendigo area. The chronological sequence starts with an acknowledgement of the relation between First Nations people, nature, and fire; followed by the establishment and development of the Bendigo Volunteer Fire Brigade throughout the twentieth century. This display is an invitation to reflect about the growth of Australia as a nation, the relationship of the Australian people with their environment, and the formation of an Australian rural identity.
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Reflection
The idea for this project came after a history article was published in the Bendigo Advertiser in July 2021. The article described a fire event that destroyed an emblematic building in the Bendigo city centre in August 1871. However, the focus of the article wasn’t on the fire event itself, but on the performance and the behaviour of the firefighters.
As a volunteer firefighter for nearly twenty years, I wanted to know more about the history of the local fire services. I joined the Bendigo Fire Brigade (BFB) in 2015, and in 2021 I was involved in the development of a small cataloguing project with the support of the brigade. We met regularly to register photos, artworks, documents, historical equipment, and memorabilia acquired by the brigade throughout the years. This project highlighted the importance of the brigade’s historical heritage. Volunteers understood that the cataloguing project went beyond preserving the objects, it was about preserving our identity as a brigade.
I also worked as a tour guide for more than sixteen years in Peru. During this time, I regularly visited museums, galleries, and archaeological sites. This activity gave me a better understanding of the important role of museums, not only as tourist attractions, but also as places where people reconnect with the past, and where community identity is developed. There is a strong connection between the exhibited objects and the viewer, and museums facilitate that connection providing neutral spaces where identities converge.
The exhibit project uses six objects arranged chronologically in the form of a timeline. The display tells the history of the response to fires, focusing on the creation and development of local fire brigades, and different historical episodes that had an influence on the local fire services.
The first object is a Bottlebrush (Callistemon spp.). This plant is endemic to Australia and is part of the natural landscape. This object acknowledges the connection between First Nations people, the landscape, natural events, and how people learnt and adapted to the challenges of the environment.
The second object is a hand-coloured photo from 1857. It shows the visit of Victorian Governor Henry Barkly to Bendigo. The Victorian gold rush had transformed the landscape of Bendigo (known as Sandhurst in those years). As the city grew, the emerging community and colonial authorities worked together in the formation of fire brigades, as a response to the urgent necessity to protect the lives and the assets of their citizens.
The third object is a smoke protector mask from 1875. This modern device was purchased and used by the newly formed Bendigo Fire Brigade in 1899. Towards the end of the 19th century, technological innovations were essential for the different productive activities in the colonies. Authorities realised that firefighting was an extremely dangerous activity and that they needed to acquire adequate protective gear for the volunteers.
The fourth object is a roll of honour with the names of the BFB members who served in the armed forces during the Great War. This object acknowledges the impact of the world wars on rural towns, and how these events helped in the construction of a new emerging Australian identity.
The fifth object is a photograph from 1963. The picture shows six members of the BFB running team that represented the brigade in competitions around the state. The post-war era was a time for the consolidation of the fire services within rural communities around the state and nationwide.
The last object is a modern thermal imaging camera used by fire crews in search and rescue operations. This device uses infrared radiation to capture temperature variations, and translates them into coloured images. For the display, the object faces the viewer, while connected to a small screen. The viewer can see the device as well as their own thermal image on the screen.
In this way, the display starts with an organic object that is a potential threat during the fire season, and finishes with an electronic device that captures the viewer’s own temperature.
The newspaper article that motivated me to do this project tackled some issues that perhaps not everyone is aware of. During the events of the 1871 fire, internal conflicts among members, lack of professionalism, and even social issues (like alcohol consumption) had a serious impact on the fire response. Over the years, volunteer brigades have developed and become professional institutions. However, there are still problems affecting the operational activities and the institutional image of the brigades. Political interference, lack of cultural and gender diversity, and a decrease of volunteer participation are some of the issues affecting the fire services these days. In many ways, the history of the Bendigo Fire Brigade is reflected on the history of rural Australia.
Lima, November 2022.
