ASHBURTON FIRE MUSEUM 10
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ADVERTISING FEATURE Ashburton Guardian Wednesday, April 17, 2019
ADVERTISING FEATURE
T HE H ERTIAGE C OLLECTION O F T HE A SHBURTON V OLUNTEER F IRE B RIGADE Wednesday, April 17, 2019
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Ashburton Guardian
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Museum’s collection without equal anywhere in New Zealand Far left – Ashburton Fire chief Alan Burgess speaking at the opening of the 130419-HM-0337 fire museum extension. Left – Pegging out the boundary for the Ashburton Fire Museum extension, project chairman Dave Eddington.
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Ashburton’s fire museum and it’s impressive new extension house a collection of equipment, engines and memorabilia that is without equal anywhere in New Zealand. In part that collection owes its success to the forethought of earlier firefighters who saw the value in keeping retired equipment, but it also owes a huge debt of gratitude to a small group of people who not only dreamed of creating a fire museum that would be New Zealand’s best, but who also made this happen. Last weekend the final act was played out in the Ashburton Fire Museum’s history with the opening of a museum extension that has absorbed the time and energy of countless volunteers for more than four years. The museum itself dates back to the late 1970s when it became part of the Plains Village as a small home for fire equipment of the past. In the years since, the collection of fire memorabilia has doubled many times over and with that doubling came the dream of a space that would do justice to the district’s fire past.
In 2015 a point had been reached where the museum’s band of loyal supporters knew something had to be done. The equipment and items they cared for were of huge historic value and they deserved to be well displayed and available for the community to view. Creating the space they needed would take money, and lots of it, but the commitment to preserving the past was made and the fire museum team were prepared to go to great lengths to make it happen. In 2015 plans were made to redevelop the small museum in the Plains Village into a large complex that could house and display the district’s fire heritage collection. This would reinforce the quality and status of what was becoming a nationally-significant and steadily growing collection, that was unique in that virtually every item had been part of the district’s fire-fighting armoury. Their plans were large and they were bold. The fire station would get a 430sqm extension, the current space would be upgraded and the collection would be reinterpreted
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in new displays incorporating audio-visual story-telling technology. Included would be space for the collection of Ashburton brigade material to incorporate new additions, fire engines housed in sheds around the district. The new facility was also to become
an educational tool that schools and community groups could access. Ashburton’s team of firefighters knew the project was beyond them because of the massive time commitment required, so they shoulder-tapped to create a small group of people to form the redevelopment
management team. David Eddington, chairman, Craig Wakelin, secretary and Peter and Larraine McQuarters, Jim Reed and patron Alan McQuarters became the small group that would drive the project from dream to reality. They were joined by a group of
volunteers dubbed Grey Watch. This group added Denise and the late Bill Clark, Graeme Baker, Bill Hart, Bruce Hill, Ian Moore, Ken Peck, Carl Petersen, Frank Sandys and Dennis Dixon to the team. continued over page
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ASHBURTON FIRE MUSEUM ADVERTISING FEATURE Ashburton Guardian Wednesday, April 17, 2019
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Ashburton Guardian 13
Opening the end of a four-year battle
From P11 Plans were drawn, budgets set and negotiations with the Plains Museum Trust and the Tinwald Reserve Board were had. The goal was to raise $300,000 to ensure the extension could be built by professionals while the expert-directed fit-out would be completed by volunteers. Community funders would be approached alongside community fundraising. The plans were well laid, well thought through. The collection would be an asset vested in the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade, a registered charity. This meant it would ultimately be owned by the people of Ashburton. The project was launched in August 2015 and almost immediately the funds started to flow from the community. Grants and donations large and small were made and each moved the management team one step closer to achieving the $229,000 in committed cash needed to ensure building could start. The rest of the money needed was earmarked for the building’s fit out. Within a year around $140,000 had been raised and as the calendar flicked over into 2017 the fundraising tally grew, hitting $235,000 by mid year. The fundraising team battled on and by the end of 2017 they had sufficient money in the bank to start work. A building consent had been secured for a 250 square metre extension to the original building that would bring display space up to 500 square metres in total. The committee had raised $250,000 out of the $300,000 needed to complete the project, and there was sufficient cash in the bank to ensure completion of the new build and its connection to the existing museum. On Saturday their efforts were rewarded when the museum and its extension were officially opened. It now houses what is believed to be the most complete collection of any individual volunteer fire brigade in the country and begins with the very first shoulder
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
ADVERTISING FEATURE
yoke and canvas buckets that started the brigade back in 1874. It tells the story of the evolution of fire-fighting in the Ashburton District over almost 150 years. The star of that collection is the 1889 Shand Mason steam horse-drawn appliance. It is in full operating order, one of just a few worldwide.
Many items in the collection are extremely rare and while building work was under way many pieces were moved off-site into secure storage. There is still money to be raised and the redevelopment team is still in business, but for now they’re sitting back and enjoying a facility community generosity has funded.
Ready to turn the first sod on the site that would become the extension to Ashburton’s Fire Museum (from left) chairman of the project’s management team, Dave Eddington, patron Alan McQuarters and Ashburton Fire Chief Alan Burgess.
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There were smiles all round and for many, a huge sense of relief when the ribbon was cut to signal the opening of the Ashburton Fire Museum’s extension. That simple snip of the scissors represented the thousands of hours of work by volunteers and a huge investment of money by individuals, organisations and businesses and it rewarded a small group of people for their commitment to seeing the museum extension planned, built and opened. In true ceremonial style, as the clock ticked over to 11am, the fire bell tolled and the fire flag was hoisted aloft, those four years of work and planning were neatly wrapped up. Master of ceremonies for the April 13 event, Peter McQuarters paid tribute to all who had been involved in the project and said that Ashburton now had the best collection of single brigade fire units and equipment in New Zealand that were on public display. The project was unique, McQuarters said in that it was completed within budget, and for a price that in many areas would only have covered the planning stages. “We’re very hands-on and a lot of people have dived into their pockets along the way,” he said. The core group involved with the project from day one, Dave Eddington, Craig Wakelin, Jim Read and Larraine and Peter McQuarters were acknowledged for their tenacity and determination in battling against the odds to raise the cash needed and to drive the construction of the extension, by Ashburton fire chief Alan Burgess. “We knew we needed a dedicated group to drive this along and it’s a magnificent job they’ve done. This is the brigade’s heritage and we’re extremely proud of this museum,” he said. That such a comprehensive collection of old fire equipment was still in the district was a credit to firefighters of the past who saw value in ensuring that equipment was kept and cared for, Burgess said. Chairman of the museum team, dubbed Grey Watch, Dave Eddington applauded both the volunteers and the many sponsors who had provided the $250,000 plus needed to take the museum extension to where it is today. “I was asked to lead this group and it took only a very short moment of contemplation to say yes,” he said.
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Above – Wilma Wolfrey and Alan McQuarters declaring the Ashburton Fire Museum extension officially open.
Below – The display of historic fire equipment and vehicles in the Ashburton Fire Museum stands alone in New Zealand as the best single brigade collection. 13040-19-HM- 0299
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Big thank you to all our wonderful sponsors 4 Square Methven, Rakaia, Allenton, Netherby Aeroview Function Centre Alan McQuarters QSM Alistair Thomson Alpine Buildings Timaru Anderson Joinery Ltd Annie’s Country Quilt Store Ashburton Americar Rod & Custom Club Ashburton Crane Hire Ashburton District Council Ashburton Guardian Ashburton ITM Ashburton Club & MSA Ashburton Plains Rotary Ashburton Powdercoating & Sandblasting Ashburton Trust Event Centre Ashburton Trust Lion Foundation Baker Family Bill and Yvonne Hart Brendan and Michelle Price Brian Glassey Bridgestone Tyres Broadcast Media Ltd Bryan and Jeanette Murphy Bus, Truck and Bodyworks Ltd BW Lighting Cairns Groundspreading Camtec CCTV Solutions Canterbury Long Run Iron Canterbury Vehicle Compliance Ltd Chilton and Mayne Architecture Community Trust Mid/South Canterbury Cranfield Glass Ltd
Cullimore Engineering
Moore Family Trust
Clyde Cook
Neumanns Tyres
Dennis Dixon
Newlands Auto Electrical
DH Bird
NZ Sock Company
Donna and Callan Simpson
Owen and Lorraine Wilson
EA Networks
Panelcraft Auto Restoration
East Coast Transport
Pendarves Rural Fire
FENZ (Fire Emergency NZ)
Phillip Kenny Family
Fire Service Historical Society
Placemakers Ashburton
Fire Solutions Timaru
Plains Railway Preservation Society
Frank Sandys
Redpaths
Gary Hogg
Richard and Elizabeth Ashford
Harvey Signs
Rooney Earthmoving
Heartland Design
Rotary Club of Ashburton
Helmack Engineering
Rural Transport
Iconic Car Care
Seed and Field Services South Island Ltd
Jim Reed Builder
Silk Estate
Jo Goodhew
Smallbones
John Hannan
Specialised Electrical Services
Juice Signs and Display
Spraymarks Ashburton
Keith Pickford and Linda Blackmore
Steve Paston
Ken and Linda Baker
Steve Smith
Kennard Hire
Stuart Tarbotton Contracting Ltd
Kevin Collins
Talley’s
Laser Electrical
The Ashburton Courier
Late Bill Clark Family
The Finishing Company
Lions Club of Ashburton Pakeke
Tim Westwood
Marie Allan
Tom Churchill
Masterguard Cameras
Twentyfour Catering
Masterguard Security
Val and George Henderson
Matt Walker
Wilson Bulk Transport
Maurice and Jean Baker
Wilson Windscreens 2018 Ltd
Mid Canterbury Hokonui
Wolfreys Family
Midlands Group
Wrights Dry Cleaners
Plus numerous anonymous sponsors