Ballarat East Fire Station, Fire station in Ballarat East, Australia.
Ballarat East Fire Station is a brick fire station at 20-22 Barkly Street in Ballarat East, Victoria, featuring a distinctive tower designed by architect Henry Caselli. The building continues to operate as an active fire station while maintaining its heritage appearance.
The station was established in 1858 and rebuilt in 1864 to continue its service. This long history makes it the oldest continuously operating fire station in the Southern Hemisphere.
The station houses collections of historical firefighting equipment and displays photographs documenting how fire services evolved since the 1850s. Visitors can see the tools and memories that shaped the local fire service's story over generations.
Visitors can explore the building during the annual Ballarat Heritage Weekend or arrange tours on specific occasions. The station may have limited public visiting hours, so checking ahead for opening times is helpful.
This station was among the first to use an operational telephone system connecting to the main Ballarat Fire Station. This communication innovation allowed faster emergency responses and better coordination between the two locations.
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