Restored historic fire truck gets new home on Crown reserve
The Central West community of Tullibigeal will have a new landmark and tourist attraction with the unveiling of a restored historic 'Ladies Fire Truck' and display shed, thanks to funding from the NSW Government.
The joint project between the NSW Government, Lachlan Shire Council and the Tullibigeal and District Progress Association will be officially opened on 20 October.
Tullibigeal is a small rural community of about 250 people with a rich cultural and farming heritage. The story of its Ladies Fire Truck dates back over 30 years to a hot and windy day in December 1991 when a cloud of smoke darkened the sky, rallying the local bush fire brigade to fight a fire roaring through a paddock of rose clover.
When another grass fire broke out local women and children gathered to fight it with wet hessian bags and buckets of water to stop flames reaching nearby homes.
The community battle was in full swing when a little red Bedford fire truck arrived driven by a local legend named Tom Glasgow. The old truck, which first went into service in 1961, had been disused for as long as people could remember and was covered in dust and cobwebs.
The makeshift fire crew extinguished a section of the fire before a brigade from nearby Ungarie arrived on route to the main blaze and helped save the day.
In the aftermath, a crew of local women were trained to use the Bedford fire truck to assist with controlled burns for several years. It even featured in local street parades, transported Santa at Christmas times, and hosted a display for a former NSW Governor.
Now the Ladies Fire Truck has been restored to its original glory with the assistance of $165,000 in funding from the NSW Government, with NSW Crown Lands providing support to project partners.
The restored fire truck will take pride of place in its new display shed on the Crown reserve at Tullibigeal Community Centre next to the local swimming pool.
Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty said:
"The NSW Government is focused on building better communities including by assisting projects such as the restoration and protection of Tullibigeal's Ladies Fire Truck as an important piece of local history."
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:
"Bushfire brigades and their volunteers play a crucial role in protecting regional communities, so it is fantastic to see the local Crown reserve at Tullibigeal being used to immortalise the story of the Ladies Fire Truck for future generations."
Tullibigeal Community Centre & Swimming Pool Land Manager Treasurer Janelle Ireland said:
"The story of the Ladies Fire Truck reaches far beyond the group of women who commandeered it that day. This is a story of a bunch of women who decided they needed to take the safety of their families and community into their own hands and instigate change that would see their community receive basic and fundamental services."
Lachlan Shire Council Manager Project and Buildings Guy Marchant said:
"The Bedford truck has significant local history as the Ladies Fire Truck which deserves recognition. The truck's restoration and shelter are the best way to preserve an important part of Tullibigeal's history and will provide a point of interest for both locals and visitors to the town."