Brigade book makes history

By Tania Martin
A HISTORY book of the Monbulk Fire Brigade that has been 20 years in the making is set to be unveiled in November.
Residents Dawn Fleming and Geoff Sands have spent years compiling stories, anecdotes and photographs from the brigade’s history.
The book will be unveiled at a ceremony at the Monbulk Bowling Club in Moores Road on Wednesday, 9 November at 7.30pm.
Following the Ash Wednesday bush fires in 1983, Mr Sands was prompted to write a short history of the Monbulk brigade which was a six to sevenpage document.
He said the history was then published in the local newspaper.
Mr Sands who was a volunteer with the brigade for more than 50 years, said he then felt that this small history didn’t do the brigade’s history justice.
For the past 20 years Mr Sands, with the help of Dawn Fleming, has worked hard on putting together a history of the brigade from 1941 to 1991.
Mr Sands said the book includes items of interest covering every large bushfire, details of all past captains, and photographs of the St Paul’s Catholic Church fire of 1969 and the arson of the Monbulk Mechanics Institute Hall in 1972.
He said donations from the local community and businesses district had helped pay for the book project.
Invitations have been sent out to numerous past members of the brigade for the launch of the book.
However, Mr Sands said there are people who may have been connected to the fire brigade in some way that have not been contacted.
He said anyone who may have known or are related to someone in the brigade and are interested in attending the launch should contact Sally Rutzou on 9756 6417 by Wednesday, 19 October.