Old Perth Fire Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids No 1 Fire Station |
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Old Perth Fire Station
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| General information | |
| Type | Heritage listed building |
| Location | Perth, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 614: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 18 November 2008 |
| Reference no. | 2051 |
The Old Perth Central Fire Station is a special building in Perth, Western Australia. You can find it at 25 Murray Street, where it meets Irwin Street. This building was the very first fire station built just for firefighters in Western Australia.
It opened its doors in 1901 and served as a busy fire station until 1979. Today, it's a cool place called the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Heritage Centre. It's like a museum where you can see old documents and vintage fire trucks from the early days of emergency services.
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The Building's Cool Design
The Old Perth Central Fire Station was designed by an architect named Michael Cavanagh. He created it around 1900, using a style called Romanesque Revival. This style often includes round arches and strong, solid shapes, like old Roman buildings.
The building has two floors and is made of rough-looking limestone with a tiled roof. It stands out with its interesting front, featuring arches, small towers called turrets, and columns set back into the walls.
A Look Back: The Station's History
Before this station was built, the fire brigade worked out of the basement of the Perth Town Hall. In 1899, they decided they needed their own dedicated building. They bought land at Murray and Irwin Streets for £3,125. This amount would be worth about A$Error when using : |start_year=1,899 (parameter 3) is lower than the earliest available year (1,901) in index "AU". today.
Michael Cavanagh was chosen as the architect. He was a well-known architect who had moved to Perth during the gold rush. He designed the station to cost no more than £4,000. The building was finished in December 1900, and the firefighters moved in on January 1, 1901.
Growing Bigger: The Station's Expansion
By 1910, the fire brigade needed more space. They wanted to add extra workshops, a meeting room, and living quarters for officers. They bought the land next to the station on Irwin Street for £A2,100.
An architect named James (Jack) Learmonth Ochiltree was hired to design these new parts. Many firefighters were skilled builders themselves, so they helped construct the new workshops and lecture room using materials from an old school building that was on the newly purchased land. The additions were completed in 1914, making the station even larger and more useful.
What It Is Now: A Museum and Education Centre
In 1979, the Perth Fire Brigade moved out of the building. But the story didn't end there! The old station was carefully restored between 1983 and 1985. Workers fixed the roof, rebuilt a limestone arch, and replaced old columns and doors. Inside, they added new stairs, toilets, and even a small theatre.
In 1985, the building reopened as the Fire Safety Education Centre and Museum. Later, in 2006, more work was done to make sure everyone, including people with disabilities, could easily access the building.
Today, this historic building helps us understand both past and present emergency services. It has displays about the history of fire services in Western Australia and a special gallery about natural hazards and disasters.
Why This Building is Important
The Old Perth Central Fire Station is recognized as a very important historical building. It was added to the Register of the National Estate in 1978 and classified by the National Trust (WA) in 1975. People value its unique "Federation Romanesque" architectural style, especially its eye-catching turreted entrance.
The building is also listed on the City of Perth's local inventory and was permanently added to the State Register of Heritage Places in Western Australia on December 3, 2008. This means it's officially protected for future generations to enjoy and learn from.
