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

Kangarilla Brigade - 1940 to Present

On the 15th of February, 1940 a meeting was held to form a Fire Fighting Committee to raise funds to obtain equipment for the Kangarilla District.

At a further meeting in October of that year the Secretary reported that the District Council of Meadows had forwarded 20 knapsacks, 10 that had been ordered by the committee and 10 subsidized by the Council.

On the 2nd of January, 1955 with temperatures around 107F and a gale force north wind blowing, a bushfire started in the Onkaparinga Gorge. This burnt houses and properties in the McLaren Flat and Blewett Springs areas and following a change of wind to the west it spread towards Kangarilla, being contained on Glory Road.

This prompted several meetings in the following months and these resulted in the building of a Fire Shed at the Kangarilla Oval to store equipment, purchasing a fire truck (Chev Army Blitz) and joining the E.F.S. in 1957.

In 1968 another fire truck (an International) was purchased and this was housed at the home of Kangarilla resident and firefighter, Bert Thorpe.  The first four fire phones were also installed. In 1976 a second International truck was purchased to replace the old Chev Blitz.

In 1978 the Church of England donated their church to the C.F.S. and this became the Fire Station until the current complex at the Kangarilla Oval was built.  The first meeting was held in the Church Fire Station on the 24th March, 1980.

In 1982 another fire truck (K14) was purchased to replace the truck housed at Bert Thorpe’s property.  The new unit was presented to the Brigade on 9th February, 1983.  Ash Wednesday on 16th February 1983 saw the 3 units being involved in fighting the fires,  as well as a truck owned by local resident Trevor Gage which was used as a tanker.
Following Ash Wednesday, meetings were held once a month, which resulted in the formation of the Management Committee. Also following Ash Wednesday, another truck was purchased and fitted out as a tanker.  Breathing Apparatus was purchased for the first time and Pagers also came into use.

In July 1986, a two wheeled trailer was donated by Flagstaff  Hill Lions Group, and was fitted out as an emergency trailer with generator and lights etc.

In February 1992, the brigade took delivery of the K24, a new Fire Appliance (a Hino truck) and also purchased a Fire Appliance from Cherry Gardens brigade to replace K34.  This truck was used as a temporary appliance until the next one was built.  On the 1st of July 1993,  a Mercedes truck was bought from E.T.S.A., built up and fitted out as a proper fire appliance by the members, overseen by our equipment officer Kym Vawser.  The old k34 was replaced in January 1994.  Not long into 1994 K34 was dedicated by Keith Griggs with a special service at the station.

In 1998, the Group, then known as the Happy Valley Group, received a new bulk water tanker, (capacity 10,000 litres) as the old one needed an upgrade to cater for the large area, and also because Kangarilla did not have a mains water supply. (Kangarilla still does not have a mains water supply)

In 1998 the C.F.S group boundaries changed as Cherry Gardens and Coromandel Valley moved to another group.  A new  group was formed and included Mclaren Flat, Blewitt Springs, Morphett Vale, Seaford, Clarendon, Kangarilla and Happy Valley, making  one large group renamed ‘Mawson Group’.

In 2002 after a long battle with ongoing problems with the K24,  a replacement appliance finally arrived, with upgraded attachments including electric sideline windups, making life easier for the Firefighters.

In 1999/2000 The S.A. Government and Esau decided to change the radio system so that all the emergency agencies, including Police, Ambulance, Metro Fire Department, SES and CFS could use the same radio system.  This was the introduction to the GRN (Government Radio Network) system. This meant all personnel needed to complete an accredited course to learn to use the radios. Changes were also needed to the paging system as well to work in with the Radio system.

Also in 2002, Kangarilla Station purchased a 135 KVA Generator, and a shed was built around the generator to protect it and to keep down the noise level.  This Generator is connected to the whole complex (football club/CFS) in case of a major blackout in an emergency situation so that the bore pumps can still be operational for fires etc.

In March 2004, Kangarilla Station was modified internally to include a B.A. (breathing apparatus) sink and storage cupboards. The old kitchenette was removed and other small changes made.
Earlier that same year the Station was finally recognized as a two truck station. This meant that all the trucks were now owned by the Government not by the brigade.
On 11th of May 2004, Kangarilla was fitted out with a new 34 Isuzu Appliance replacing the worn out Brigade owned 34. This particular K34 was the first one of the new series, and needed to be tested for the type of terrain found in the Kangarilla area. This particular Appliance was a 4 door crew cab that seated up to 5 crew. After extensive testing,  the Appliance was found to be unsuitable for the area, so an application for a replacement was needed.

In the Spring of 2005, on two occasions, 24th of October and 7th of November, the main street of Kangarilla was inundated with floodwaters and the CFS and SES were called upon to control the flood and protect homes with sand bagging efforts.  During this time, late at night on the 24th of October, an electrical storm shook the little towns of Yaroona and Kangarilla.  Trees were struck by lightning, taking out power lines.  The main strike took out the power from the corner of Sand and Recreation Roads blacking out the whole area. In doing so it also damaged the power source within the CFS station at Kangarilla which was being used at the time. The  photocopier, computers and various other electrical items in use at that time were subsequently lost. The staff managed to keep the station operational with the 135 KVA Generator installed for such purpose.

On the 5th of December 2006, the Kangarilla crews were called to the Onkaparinga Gorge for a large fire, which was deliberately lit.  The fire took up the area from Piggot Range Road to Chapel Hill Road over a very large area.  It  threatened homes, farms, vineyards and livestock.

On 10 January 2007,  a huge firestorm erupted in Mount Bold.  Fires spread from Mt. Bold Road to Echunga Road. Approximately 800 – 900 hectares of land was burnt and two homes were lost in the fires.  Cattle were lost along with a stud horse, and various sheds.  Additional CFS support crews came from Pinnaroo and the south east to provide assistance.

In November 2007, Kangarilla received another new Appliance.  This was a Hino 34, fitted out as another 4 door crew cab that seats 6 crew members.  It was also fitted with a water-blanket spray bar all around the external top of the cabin, offering fire protection for crews within.  This was a new addition to all new  appliances.

Compiled by David Smart (info from 1940 – 1994)

And by Joanne Vawser (info from 1994 – 2007)

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

Brigade Stations

1980 to Present - 1990 Kangarilla Road, Kangarilla
Photographer, CFS Promotions Unit - May 2012
Google Map reference - Longitude 138.659339 Latitude -35.141590

Captains

Life Members