Eastern Hill Fire Station
Encyclopedia
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located in on the corner of Victoria Parade
Victoria Street, Melbourne
Victoria Street is one of the major thoroughfares of inner Melbourne. Running east to west, Victoria Street touches the Hoddle Grid at the intersection of La Trobe Street and Spring Street, opposite the Carlton Gardens. It runs from its terminus at the intersection of Munster Terrace in North...
and Gisborne Street, opposite St Peter's, Eastern Hill, one of the highest points in the city of Melbourne. The building has been recognised as historically significant by the Heritage Council of Victoria and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
.
The station was built in 1891 and opened on 3 November 1893, replacing the original fire station of Melbourne at 447 Little Bourke Street. It was designed by architecture firms Lloyd Taylor & Fitts, and Smith & Johnson, and constructed by Thomas Cockram & Co. The complex contained living quarters, stables, workshops, and offices. The watchtower
Watchtower
A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military, and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may...
was initially manned 24 hours a day.
Firefighters lived on the premises until the 1970s. In 1972 a new annex was added to the complex, with the emergency vehicles now exiting onto Gisborne Street instead of Victoria Parade. The newly refurbished station was opened on 8 March 1979. Parts of the old complex are still used for offices. The Fire Services Museum of Victoria, now holds the majority of the bottom floor of the old station. The Museum contains exhibits pertaining to the Old MFB Board, the Chief Fire Officer, a showcase of fully refurbished fire appliances, a display of International Firefighting garments and a dedication to the MFB's sister firefighting organisation, the Country Fire Authority.
Eastern Hill Fire Station is known as Fire Station 1 inside the Metropolitan Fire Brigade
Metropolitan Fire Brigade (Melbourne)
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade , also known as the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board, provides firefighting, rescue, and hazardous material incident response services to the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
.