Fire Station Studio

Built in 1974, the fire station was critical to the safe operation of the island’s dockyard due, in part, to the presence of hazards such as the storage and use of flammable chemicals as well as the movement of both naval and civilian vessels. Further, the island’s remoteness from the mainland – and the fact that it could only be reached by boat – meant that if a blaze broke out, the fire brigade would be significantly delayed in extinguishing it.

In the years and decades preceding the construction of the fire station, the island was not unscathed by fire. To respond to these incidents, the island used its own firefighting equipment. When necessary, heavy-duty gear and fire floats were sent from nearby Goat Island, home to Sydney Harbour’s main firefighting facility.

In August 1909, a fire broke out in the shipwrights’ workshop. A watchman raised the alarm, calling for assistance from the crew of the HMS Challenger – a second-class protected cruiser berthed at the island’s Sutherland Dock. Fifty crew members responded to the emergency, using 4 hydrants to keep the fire under control. The fire boat Pluvius subsequently arrived with a further 7 hydrants and while the blaze was eventually extinguished, the workshop was completely destroyed. At the time, newspaper reports highlighted the island’s limited firefighting resources, noting that watchmen were forced to rely on the personnel and equipment of docked vessels – especially during night-time emergencies.

In March 1926, one of the electric cranes on the northern side of the dockyard caught on fire due to a wiring issue. According to newspaper reports, a distress call was sent to nearby Goat Island and the fire float Pluvius responded. Upon arrival, it took half an hour to extinguish the blaze. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

In September 1937, a major fire destroyed Cockatoo Island’s general and paint stores. Exploding drums of paint and oil intensified the blaze, melting nearby steel girders and forcing a docked ship to be towed to safety as its paint blistered. Firefighters from Balmain – joined by Cockatoo Island residents, sea cadets, yachtsmen and other volunteers – battled to keep the fire under control. The firemen had to leave their engines at Balmain and travel to the Island on launch boats, which gave the fire time to intensify. Despite support from 2 fire floats pumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, the fire remained uncontrollable and eventually burned itself out, causing damage exceeding £30,000.

In the early 20th century, there were only 2 fire-fighting floats stationed in Sydney Harbour. A third – ironically the hull of which was built on Cockatoo Island – was commissioned in 1912, along with a tug to increase the harbour’s fire response capacity. However, the dockyard remained vulnerable due to limited fire-fighting equipment, a lack of trained personnel and the Island’s isolation.

Today, while there’s no longer an active fire station on the island, modern fire safety and detection technology is in place. This, together with support from Fire & Rescue NSW, ensures the island remains protected.