Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade
Organisation Details
TitleTe Puke Fire Brigade - the first 100 years
DescriptionOn October 10th 1913, Town Board Chairman Mr. Tom Palmer convened a meeting at Montogomery's Hotel, and the Te Puke Fire Brigade and Salvage Corps was formed on that very evening. Other elected members of the corps were: William Gray as secretary, Robert Brownlee as Foreman, Charles Chester as Captain, and the firemen were: A. Washer, J. McEwen, J. Henry, Joseph McDowell, Dale Wrigley, JP (Parly) Ryan, J. W. Wintle, William Gray, Cecil Butcher, E. Butcher, J. McLaren, C. Wood, N. Rennie and Robert Bell.
There was no town water supply, so the brigade relied on buckets and a well nearby. This was to change in 1915, when the first water supply was turned on by Tom Palmer and a demonstration of a stream of water rising high into the air from a fire hose attached to a hydrant was photographed outside the hotel, which significantly had been totally destroyed by fire in 1907.The brigade received its first appliance in that year, a hand drawn cart with huge wheels, to which was attached a hose on a reel, buckets and a ladder. A new fire station was built on land gifted by Gilbert W. Brown on January 20th, 1920. The first motorised appliance was presented by the Town Board to the Brigade on August 12th, 1924. It was a 1923 Ford Model T, a one ton motor truck, complete with lockers.
Relations with the Town Board did not always go smoothly, and in 1938, the whole brigade resigned en masse to express extreme dissatisfaction with the Town Board, citing "promises of the past unfulfilled". A new brigade was formed in March 1939 with G. D. Skelton being appointed as the new Superintendent. Other members were: H. C. Smith as Deputy Superintendent, H. S. McInally as Secretary and Firemen H. A. Smith, F. J. H. Johnson, W. E. May, W. J. McAreavy, H. L. Akeroyd and J. Borrie. In August 1939 a new appliance was delivered, a 1938 Ford painted....fire engine red. As the reality of war loomed large, an auxiliary band of volunteers was formed to take the place of those men who volunteered to go overseas to serve.
Major changes to the running of brigades at a national level came about as a result of the Ballentyne's fire in Christchurch in 1947. The Fire Services Act 1949 set up the Fire Service Council which had the job of co-ordinating local body and volunteer fire services. On March 6th, 1950 a resolution was passed "that this brigade signify its willingness to carry on under the status of a Volunteer Fire Brigade."
One of the most significant blazes happened at Thompson's Sack Factory (unoccupied at the time) on January 10th, 1966. Several photographs can be seen in this digital collection, and it is clear why it was so memorable. The building itself was an old hotel brought to Te Puke from the Karangahake Gorge by Tom Palmer and after this spectacular fire, was rebuilt for the Te Puke Hotel and then demolished to make way for the Te Puke New World in 2013.
The first piece of rescue equipment was purchased in 1973 and was presented by the Te Puke Rotary Club. It was a saw which operated on compressed air and could cut through the steering column of a car. This began the fire brigade's attendance at vehicle crashes.
The Te Puke Fire Brigade continues its proud tradition of courage and service to the community to the present day, growing and modernising alongside the community. For a full history of the first 100 years of the brigade, please refer to the excellent book "From Flax to Fruit....Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade : 100 Years of Community Service 1913-2013" available from the Te Puke Library & Service Centre and on request with your Western Bay District Libraries card.WebsiteTe Puke Fire Brigade Facebook pageGeotag[1]
DescriptionOn October 10th 1913, Town Board Chairman Mr. Tom Palmer convened a meeting at Montogomery's Hotel, and the Te Puke Fire Brigade and Salvage Corps was formed on that very evening. Other elected members of the corps were: William Gray as secretary, Robert Brownlee as Foreman, Charles Chester as Captain, and the firemen were: A. Washer, J. McEwen, J. Henry, Joseph McDowell, Dale Wrigley, JP (Parly) Ryan, J. W. Wintle, William Gray, Cecil Butcher, E. Butcher, J. McLaren, C. Wood, N. Rennie and Robert Bell.There was no town water supply, so the brigade relied on buckets and a well nearby. This was to change in 1915, when the first water supply was turned on by Tom Palmer and a demonstration of a stream of water rising high into the air from a fire hose attached to a hydrant was photographed outside the hotel, which significantly had been totally destroyed by fire in 1907.The brigade received its first appliance in that year, a hand drawn cart with huge wheels, to which was attached a hose on a reel, buckets and a ladder. A new fire station was built on land gifted by Gilbert W. Brown on January 20th, 1920. The first motorised appliance was presented by the Town Board to the Brigade on August 12th, 1924. It was a 1923 Ford Model T, a one ton motor truck, complete with lockers.
Relations with the Town Board did not always go smoothly, and in 1938, the whole brigade resigned en masse to express extreme dissatisfaction with the Town Board, citing "promises of the past unfulfilled". A new brigade was formed in March 1939 with G. D. Skelton being appointed as the new Superintendent. Other members were: H. C. Smith as Deputy Superintendent, H. S. McInally as Secretary and Firemen H. A. Smith, F. J. H. Johnson, W. E. May, W. J. McAreavy, H. L. Akeroyd and J. Borrie. In August 1939 a new appliance was delivered, a 1938 Ford painted....fire engine red. As the reality of war loomed large, an auxiliary band of volunteers was formed to take the place of those men who volunteered to go overseas to serve.
Major changes to the running of brigades at a national level came about as a result of the Ballentyne's fire in Christchurch in 1947. The Fire Services Act 1949 set up the Fire Service Council which had the job of co-ordinating local body and volunteer fire services. On March 6th, 1950 a resolution was passed "that this brigade signify its willingness to carry on under the status of a Volunteer Fire Brigade."
One of the most significant blazes happened at Thompson's Sack Factory (unoccupied at the time) on January 10th, 1966. Several photographs can be seen in this digital collection, and it is clear why it was so memorable. The building itself was an old hotel brought to Te Puke from the Karangahake Gorge by Tom Palmer and after this spectacular fire, was rebuilt for the Te Puke Hotel and then demolished to make way for the Te Puke New World in 2013.
The first piece of rescue equipment was purchased in 1973 and was presented by the Te Puke Rotary Club. It was a saw which operated on compressed air and could cut through the steering column of a car. This began the fire brigade's attendance at vehicle crashes.
The Te Puke Fire Brigade continues its proud tradition of courage and service to the community to the present day, growing and modernising alongside the community. For a full history of the first 100 years of the brigade, please refer to the excellent book "From Flax to Fruit....Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade : 100 Years of Community Service 1913-2013" available from the Te Puke Library & Service Centre and on request with your Western Bay District Libraries card.
WebsiteTe Puke Fire Brigade Facebook pageGeotag[1] Photographs
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Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade. Western Bay of Plenty Community Archives, accessed 19/03/2026, https://westernbay.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/3281
