Unley Museum
Fire Station Hunt
There are 10 flames hidden
throughout the museum with a
number. You must look both high
and low.
Can you find them all & answer
all their questions?
1. William Abery
5. Warmer…
Hi, my name is William Abery and I’m only
two and a half in this photo. I’d like to take
you on a hunt through what used to be an
old fire station. Can you guess WHY I’m in
the picture?
This is the second fire place on our tour.
What do you think originally happened in
this room when it was still a fire station?
Note the wooden floor.
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2. Two Stalls
The last two horses (named Bluey & Turps)
that used this room as a stable left in 1917.
Why did fire men need horses and why do
you think they left the station in 1917?
6. Watch Room
Firemen could “watch” for smoke rising in
the distance. In addition to the original
stone and wooden tower, there used to be a
metal one at the rear of the station. Can
you find where Unley’s fire men accessed
the original lookout tower?
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3. Feeling Warm?
The fire station was built with five different
fire places. This is the first of two visible on
this hunt. What two objects in this room
were used by firemen?
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4. Lots of Pegs
There are many pegs on this wall. Count
them and guess what the pegs held up!
7. Concrete
In 1927 a concrete floor replaced wood for
the heavy Garford fire appliance. Without
a windscreen, it had a “stop start” take off.
Can you guess its animal nickname?
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8. Open Up
The original fire station doors operated by
ropes and pulleys activated by a single
pull. How many panels are at the top?
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9. Shower Room
Unley Museum
Fire Station Hunt
There are 10 flames hidden
throughout the museum with a
number. You must look both high
and low.
Can you find them all & answer
all their questions?
Several firemen lived at the fire station.
When plumbing was introduced, brick
additions were added to the stone building.
When looking at the current toilet block,
which room used to have a shower?
Note the wall tiles.
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10. Great Grapes
The configuration of the fire station has not
changed much. Many of the plants including
this grape vine are very old. This grapevine
was checked off during fire station
inspections. It also sheltered those on call
enjoying Christmas day tea. Can you guess
how old it is?
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HISTORY OF THE UNLEY
MUSEUM & FIRE STATION
The Unley Fire Station was built in
1889 with the last appliance to leave
in 1968. It was the first purpose-built
fire station south of Adelaide and it
contained bedrooms for the firemen.
Chesterfield & Sons built it from
plans by Thomas H Smeaton. In
1905 the foreman’s accommodation
was enlarged and the facility was
modernised in 1940.
Firemen initially drove a two horse
reel. In 1917 this horse drawn water
cart was replaced by the first
motorised appliance, an MAB. The
Garford, nicknamed the kangaroo,
arrived in 1927 followed by a
Diamond T appliance from 1939
with its more powerful engine
installed in 1960.
In 1954 an earthquake damaged the
wooden watch tower seen in photos
and it was removed. Brass helmets
and brasswork on the appliances
were replaced in the middle of the
1950s to cut down on polishing.
Sunday mornings were allocated to
chores around the station including
cleaning hoses.
For complete answer key, please see the
curator or a volunteer.
Thank you for visiting!
Unley Museum
80 Edmund Avenue
Unley SA 5061
8372 5117
Monday – Wednesday 10am – 4pm
Sundays 1.30 – 4.30pm FREE