It wasn’t until 1928 that I came down on the Spirit of Progress from Sydney to stay with my mother’s first cousins Sibyl and Tony Hamilton on their property “Lyncroft” and, therefore, my first cousins once removed. That made me about nine years old.
The present house was not there then and their house was weatherboard and fibro sheeting. It was the beginning of my great love of the land, though I had not wiped off my musical love as well.
However, I am really writing about the years from 1928 to the beginning of the CFA which was formed in 1949.
OUR MINUTE COMMUNITY
It must be remembered that the population was minute compared to today’s burgeoning growth. Most farmers worked their land with horses. Tractors did not appear until after the Second World War with one or two exceptions.
Between Tucks Road and Red Hill-Shoreham Road the land was heavily timbered and was gradually being cleared with cross cut saws, mauls, wedges and axes (no chain saws!) I don’t think young people would know what a maul is! *
Most bush fires became out of control when a farmer thought he would clean up some debris after felling. It happened again and again; up would come a strong northerly and the fire hopelessly out of control would rage up the hill.
On more than one occasion a fire went through “Lyncrofts” bush and one cottage was burnt. The fire later turned around and blew up from the south and nearly got into the Smart’s pine trees and Cypress Hedge. They bought two of their horses down to us for safety.
Tom Tuck’s house, later bought by Charles Smith and then in 1951 by the McCulloch’s, came very close to being burnt down on more than one occasion.
The hillsides were a frightening sight at night and our children were very apprehensive at the sight of fires.
The one way farmers could be alerted, apart from seeing smoke on their horizon, was the use of the Post Office and the telephone. The Post Master or Mistress would ring everyone and tell them where they were most needed. These women did a wonderful job and don’t forget they did not knock off. They were on duty for 24 hours for any phone calls {phone calls needed to be manually patched from the local post office/exchange through to the person receiving}.
Shoreham exchange was run by Mrs Hitchcock. The Main Ridge exchange was run by Bill Miller’s wife. It was located on the corner of what is now Shands Road and Old Mornington Road. The Flinders exchange was run by Mr Glendinning the Post Master. Phones in those days did not have a dial {all calls needed a postmaster to connect} that came much later.
In 1938, my father F J Kingsley-Newell bought 170 acres from Maurice Byrne. He had to retire from the Sydney Bar due to a heart condition. He and my mother Beryl built their house Valle Pcis in Tucks Road. How happy I was at last to run my father’s Angus stud, which I continued to do until 1951.
THE SECOND WORLD WAR
By 1939 the Second World War was upon us. The women were trained in home nursing and First Aid, which came in handy when fire fighters needed assistance.
We also supplied the fire fighters with sandwiches, food and cold black tea – the most satisfying drink when throats were parched.
From 1939 onwards we Red Cross workers, in our starched biscuit coloured uniforms, had a roster to drive over to Balcombe camp to help with meals, bed making, taking temperatures etc for the troops, thousands!
One day mother was driving home from Balcombe Army Camp to drop Biddy Middleton home on the old Mornington Road after a day’s work. It was apparent that there was a big bushfire down on Stony Creek and was roaring up the hill. Mother got confused with the smoke and missed the Tucks Road turn off and nearly ended up in the creek. If there had not been a contingent of soldiers deployed to fight the fire goodness knows what would have happened to her.
EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES
There was a minimum of firefighting equipment which each man provided for himself. There were a few knapsacks – not exactly a great deal of water. Branches of eucalypts were cut down to beat out flames. Sometimes they had wet sacks to beat out the flames and sometimes they had leather beaters on wooden sticks. They also tried backburning which could be rather risky with a wind change.
For years fires have raged from Dromana up to Arthurs Seat and along Main Creek Rd and Musk Creek Rd.
One huge fire climbed up the hill (behind Dromana Technical school) many years ago to what was Passiflora, a large passionfruit property, which was hoped to grow juice for cordial drinks. “Passiona” was its name!! The fire went up McIlroys Rd where apart from the passionfruit there was heavy timber.
Later another big fire was on White Hill (so named because of the creamy coloured shaley ground). A number of houses were demolished and burnt to the ground.
Since the formation of the Fire Brigade, I have had 45 years of association with this marvellous group of people through my husband Ronald.
The brigade has given us great pleasure and seen many changes. Knapsacks and beaters have given way to a well organised and modern firefighting unit. All along there has always been a great feeling of community spirit amongst the members, which has helped make Shoreham the close-knit community it is.
Best wishes to all. Sonia McKillop
* A maul is a fat blunt axe like tool for splitting wood.
An extract from Shoreham Rural Fire Brigade, 50th Anniversary Booklet (1999)
[ Editors note (April, 2023): – Sonia passed away in 2002. Her husband Ronald McKillop was a founding member and served the Brigade for 44 years. His son Roderick is a Brigade Life Member and retired from the brigade in 2023 after 35 years’ service. Ronald and Sonia’s great granddaughter Oriana has recently become the latest member of the Shoreham Brigade.]