This is a recreated image produced for this 85th anniversary blog. It is for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual vehicles, buildings, or equipment from the period.
Eighty five years ago, on Valentine’s Day 1940, a group of locals gathered in the Jamberoo Council Chambers, not for romance but to talk about fire. Austin Howle was elected captain, with M Boulton, A Pryor, and J Murphy as vice-captains. Each picked a team of five mates, and together they formed the very first Jamberoo Bush Fire Brigade.
The equipment was modest. It was a standpipe, a hose director, and a couple of lengths of canvas hose kept in a box at the Post Office. But it was ours, and it worked. Eventually, it was moved to the fence at the Council Chambers, which you might now know as the butcher’s shop.
Fast forward to 1958 and Kiama Council handed over our first station, an old Electricity Department building. The “tanker” at that time was a box trailer with a water tank and pump, towed by the captain’s Land Rover. Then came the brigade’s first real tanker in the early 1960s, an ex-army Ford Blitz that the members kitted out themselves.
From there, the fleet kept growing. A 1981 Toyota four-wheel drive, a 1957 Commer fire appliance rescued from Goulburn, and a Ford van turned into a forward control unit all joined the ranks. By the 1990s, we had replaced the lot with modern equipment, and the station grew too. Thanks to a lot of voluntary muscle power from brigade members who built, poured, painted, and laid bricks, we ended up with the four-bay station we know today.
We have had 14 captains over the years, from Austin Howle through to our current leader, Hannah McInerney. Along the way, many members have gone on to senior roles across the Kiama and Shellharbour fire service.
Today, Jamberoo is a village with fire-fighting equipment that consists of: Heavy tanker (Cat 1), Village protection unit (Cat 10), Striker unit (Cat 9) Personnel carrier (Cat 20)
The brigade 60 members, ready to tackle structural fires, bush and grass fires, motor vehicle accidents, rescues, searches, and even the occasional tree blocking the road. We also lend a hand across the Illawarra Zone and wider NSW whenever needed.
From that humble box of hoses to one of the best-equipped brigades in New South Wales, Jamberoo RFS’s story is about dedication, community spirit, and a willingness to muck in and get the job done.
Here’s to the next 85 years, and maybe, just maybe, fewer 5am callouts.
#JamberooRFS #RuralFireService #FireBrigadeHistory #CommunityService #VolunteerFirefighters #HistoricFireTrucks #EmergencyServices #FirefightingHeritage #LocalHistory #NSWRFS