By JESSE GRAHAM
UPPER Yarra residents came out in force on the weekend to pay tribute as part of Warburton Fire Brigade’s 100th birthday, taking up lanterns and hitting the streets on Saturday night.
The brigade held its open day on Saturday 30 May, with a day of music, food and activities from 11am, before a ceremony and unveiling of the brigade’s bell to mark the group’s centenary.
When the sun went down, firefighters and community members gathered at the Alpine Lodge hotel for a torchlight march to the station at the other end of town.
Uniformed volunteers from Lilydale, Belgrave, Yellingbo, Ferntree Gully, Clematis, Yarra Junction and The Basin’s CFA brigades all joined Warburton’s members for the parade, which was accompanied by performances from the Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and Ringwood Highland Pipe Bands.
Firefighters carried open-wick torches, while residents applauded on the sidelines with home-made lanterns for the event, with about 70 made earlier that day in a workshop with artist Sioux Dollman.
Warburton Fire Brigade centenary co-ordinator Leila Smith said the event was “beautiful”, with one of the major highlights being the bell unveiling.
“It was originally housed under the first fire station,” Ms Smith said.
“We have put it back together and given it a bit of paint – it’s now in pride of place at the front of the station.”
The event was the culmination of the brigade’s centenary events.
