Meanwhile ...
Our firies get started and foundations are laid.
On 29 October 1966, Callala Bay’s voluntary fire brigade was formed, with Dick Mitchell the first Fire Captain. Council provided the brigade with a fire truck, which was housed outside the General Store (which was the back verandah of the Mitchell’s house at 56 Boorowine Terrace). Now the community also fund-raised for the fire brigade, including setting up a used-bottles bin outside the store, for money on bottle returns. Getting a fire truck was a Great Leap Forward for Callala Bay. Even Callala Beach did not have one (although they had formed their Progress Association first, in 1956). There was still only tank water, and residents were asked to ‘remember not to lock your water tank, and to leave a bucket handy for someone to use in your absence as this may save your home.’ There were fires in Callala Bay in late 1968, and at a crucial point, the famous fire truck broke down. The Progress Association wrote to Council asking for a shelter for the truck ‘which only holds 170 gallons and broke down when required urgently.’ In October 1969, the Shoalhaven Fire Officer attended a Progress Association meeting, and ‘explained his and Council’s dissatisfaction with the fire arrangements in [the] area and wishes to reorganise the Brigade.’ |
The very first fire truck, "Blitz", shown here delivering emergency supplies to Callala Beach during a flood in the early 1970s.
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The original sketch for the hall as submitted to Shoalhaven Council. Those were the days!!!!!
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Difficult Choices
The dream changes ...
This spurred the locals into action. It seemed they had to make a choice: lose the fire truck or lose the dream of a hall. They had to build a fire shelter. And fast. After debate, a compromise solution was found. They would build a fire shelter that could also be used as a hall on the hall land. The idea was that the hall part of the shelter (which was a space no bigger than the area housing the truck) could be extended later on. The Association voted on 20 October 1969 to use almost their entire saved funds of $1400 to build that structure, and to take a bank loan for a further $800. (It was decimal currency by now). A rough sketch for the future hall was hastily submitted to Council, and approved at once. (They did things differently then). The sketch was for the dream of the future hall, and does not show the ‘temporary’ fire shed. |
Finally takes form
Not quite like the plans ...
A quote was obtained for building the hall and fire shed (from builder G Hoffman of Bombaderry) for $2,421 and building started at once. On 28 March 1970, the hall/fire shed (which bore no resemblance to the sketched hall plan) was officially opened by Fire Officer Whiffen. Callala Bay residents had saved their fire truck and brigade and saved their dream for a hall. |
The original hall/fire shed that was opened March 28, 1970.
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The new truck needed shelter.
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Saved by a broken fire truckThe small hall dreams of bigger things ...
But the real hall was still a dream. Using half a fire shed was a temporary compromise, and not much of a step above holding housie and film nights in people’s garages. (You can see how small the original hall space was if you look at the floor of the Progress Hall. The darker wood near the entrance is the original floor.) People donated furnishings, tables and chairs. The Progress Association asked Council for financial assistance to install toilets (there was no sewerage on yet at Callala). The toilets were a separate block out the back. Then in May 1975, the fire brigade got a new fire truck, and the Progress Association applied to Council to extend the hall. |
Click below to continue reading about our history in Section 3.
