SA Country Fire Service Promotions Unit - History Section
Promoting the Historical foundations of the Service

Athelstone Brigade - 1961 to Present

The Athelstone CFS was started in 1961 when the area was still considered a country town. The fire station was opened in 1962, named the Athelstone Unit of the City of Campbelltown EFS (Emergency Fire Service).(Ellis, pg 99) Twenty years later, the urban sprawl had caught up with the town and the Metropolitan Fire Service took over the area. However, the brigade decided there was still cause for a country brigade with the Hills so they chose to be kept going under CFS Headquarters. (Warburton, pg 56)

On the 15 February 1979, Athelstone CFS had its saddest moment. Barry McLoughlin was killed when an appliance he was travelling in, rolled over on the way to an incident. (Ellis, pg 299)

In 1987, Athelstone became one of the first State-support Brigades, along with Burra, Ceduna/Thevenard, Hawker, Karkoo, Monash, Morgan, Parndana, Perterborough, Stirling North, Wudinna,and the Mount Lofty Ranges Training Centre. These brigades would receive more funding to be available to respond anywhere in the state or provide specialist services in their area.(Ellis, pg 236)

In 1994, and again in 2001, the brigade sent appliances and crew to fight the battle against wildfires in NSW. A great experience for some of our members as were the fires in Indonesia in 1997. The CFS role there was to conduct aerial water bombing operations as well as having control/command functions.

Just before Chrismas, 1999, Athelstone was involved in an industrial fire at Olympic Dam with eight other CFS crews, the MFS and emergency crews operated by the mining company. It took over eight hours to contain and used 18,000 litres of foam.(Ellis, pg 280)

In the year 2000, Athelstone took delivery of their 24P appliance. Twenty-one of these appliances were ordered and delivered to brigades who attend HAZMAT (HAZardous MATerial) work, road accidents, or need greater pumping power for industrial fires.(Ellis, pg 272)

In November 2005 a new ISUZU 34P appliance manufactured by SEM Australia was delivered to Athelstone CFS to replace the ageing Hino 34.

The new 34P appliance still had the ability to carry 3000 litres but also contained the greater pumping capacity of a 'pumper'.

The new appliance in Athelstone's fleet allowed the ability to separate out the specialist equipment carried by Athelstone.

Athelstone 34P became a combination fire and road crash rescue appliance leaving the 24P to become a dedicated fire and HAZMAT appliance.

The brigade now had greater flexibility to respond to concurrent fire or road crash or HAZMAT incidents as separate trucks could now be responded to separate incidents if required.

Three members of the brigade have received the Australian Fire Service Medal:

• Cheryll May, Australia Day, 1997
• George Polomka, Queen's Birthday, 1999
• Wayne Atkins, Australia Day, 2000

References

Ellis, Julie-Ann, 2001. Tried by Fire: The story of the South Australian Country Fire Service. Published by the South Australian Country Fire Service.

Warburton, Elizabeth, 1986. From the River to the Hills: History of Campbelltown, 150 years. Published by the Corporation of the City of Campbelltown.

This information has been sourced from the Brigade website at this address

Brigade Stations

1961 to Present - 35 Greenbank Road, Athelstone
Photographer, CFS Promotions Unit - Dec 2010

Captains

Life Members