Eastern Hill Fire Station

A black and white postcard published by Robert Jolley, Melbourne.  It is postmarked Hamilton 14 November 1906, but is earlier as from 1905 all postcards were printed with a vertical line down the centre, allowing for a message on one side and the address on the other.  This postcard has no vertical line. 

The image shows the Eastern Hill Fire Station on the corner of Victoria Parade and Gisborne Street, East Melbourne. Two horse-drawn fire trucks are out the front.  One has its ladder fully extended and a fireman has climbed to the top.  The image gives the impression of being a publicity shot and may have been taken about the time of the station's opening in 1893. The postcard bears the title Central Fire Station.  This is also a clue that the photo is very early and before its final name has been decided.

The Argus of 3 November 1893 gives a full description of the fire station.  See link below.  One passage is particularly colourful:-

'Behind the engine-hall are Stables to accommodate nine horses at one time, the doors of the boxes being fitted with electrical attachments working automatically from the alarm, so that as soon as the call is given the doors fly open, electric bells ring in the stalls, and the horses run out and place themselves each in its own position in the engines or cart. The harness, which is suspended in the air by ropes and pullies, drops into its place as if by magic, the men are at their stations, and almost before the astonished onlooker can realise what has happened, the brigade is in full gallop towards the scene of the conflagration.'

To the left of the main building on its south side, are two gate posts leading to a driveway and beyond that a small house in the same style as the main building.  This was perhaps a gatehouse or similar. It has now been demolished along with its neighbours to make way for the new fire station.  While the old main building remains as the Fire Services Museum.

To the very left of the photo can be seen letters making up part of the words 'Prize Ales'.  This was painted on the wall of the Volunteer Arms Hotel on the corner of Albert and Gisborne Streets.  Between the hotel and the fire station, but not visible in the photo, was Henry Withers' cooperage, where one could acquire casks of up to 1200 gallons (5455 litres) in capacity. Next door was James McCracken, monumental mason. 

To the right of the main building, in Victoria Parade, is a pair of houses.  They have matching facades, but the house nearest the fire station is double fronted, while its neighbour is single fronted.  They have been demolished.