Station gains merry museum space

BUNINYONG-Mount Helen Fire Brigade’s new purpose-built station has been designed to serve the community into the future, but it’s also honouring the past.

The brigade has its own museum room facing Learmonth Street housing its historic late-19th century English-built Merryweather and Sons horse-drawn fire cart.

Although it was previously showcased only on special occasions, the bright red Merryweather is now permanently on display in a climate-controlled space for preservation, can be seen by passers-by, and remains operational after restoration in the early-1990s.

Buninyong-Mount Helen Fire Brigade captain Gareth Smith said the cart belongs to the community, and volunteers have worked with the Buninyong Historical Society to make sure it could be the star of the new station.

“People are fascinated when they see it. It’s critical for the town to know our history as an all-volunteer brigade, and engage with where we’ve come from,” he said.

“The faces and equipment have changed at our brigade over the years, but it has the same essence, led by volunteers.”

When the cart was first introduced in the 1890s, station volunteer John McLeod said it was cutting edge technology.

“There were no hydrants or town water, so you can imagine how helpful it was. It was used until the mid-1940s, which is pretty amazing,” he said.

The Merryweather would attend fires, pulled by a horse. In a see-saw motion, the fold-out arms would be manually pumped by a group of men, four each side in three rotations, to get water running through the hose.

It can hold 672.8 litres and reportedly shot water as high as the third storey of a building, but keeping up the supply was a challenge in an emergency. People were paid per barrel to cart water to the Merryweather during a fire.

“It was strenuous work,” Mr McLeod said. “Even spectators would have been helping because it would have been exhausting.”

The horse lived in the church yard next to the old station station and knew when the fire bell rang, it was time to work, walking down to be harnessed up.

The museum room has been funded with the support of Community Bank Buninyong, and a historic photo of the brigade is expected to be installed on the wall as a mural.

“The Bank’s support has been critical in making this happen,” Mr Smith said. “It’s not a standard feature of any fire station but is becoming the envy of other brigades planning their builds.”

Sovereign Hill were a key part of the Merryweather’s restoration in the 90s, with staff crafting wheel parts for the cart.

Clydesdale horses from the outdoor museum have helped operate it during station open days, steam rallies, and community events.