This presentation memorializes w wonderful project undertaken by Dr Merilyn Childs and a team lead by costumier Gracie Matthews to reproduce previously lost historic female fire fighters uniforms in NSW Australia.

1. A project completed by Dr Merilyn Childs as part of her Key Note Address,
Good work sister – a century of female fire fighting in Australasia
Australasian Women in Fire Fighting Conference, Darling Harbour, Sydney,
Australia 7th June 2006.

2. The following slides memorialise a wonderful project completed in 2006
that aimed to reproduce long lost uniforms of the following female fire
fighting brigades in NSW Australia:
 The Amazons, First ladies Fire Brigade c1901-9003, Armidale, NSW
Australia
 Women’s Fire Auxiliary c1942-45 NSW Australia
The recreated uniforms were reproduced voluntarily over a 3 months period
by an amazing team lead by designer Gracie Matthews, who was at the
time owner of Dazzling Fancy Dress, Yagoona, NSW. Gracie is now a
freelance costumier living and working in New Zealand.

3.  The following slides show images of the original fire fighting
uniforms, as well as the reproduced versions.
 The uniforms were donned by female fire fighters attending
the WIFF2006 Conference, and paraded to a standing
ovation - and proud tears - of contemporary female fire
fighters who had no knowledge of the untold history of
female fire fighters in Australia.

4. Honoured guests at the presentation, as shown on video footage, were
 Descendants of Minnie Webb, the first female Station Officer in Australia
(c1901) of the Amazons Ladies Fire Brigades, Mrs Netta Darby and Ms
Patricia Webb, Minnie Webb's nieces.
 Female fire fighters who served with the NSW Women’s Fire Auxiliary
during World War II:
Mrs Madeleine Pinning nee Woodham
Mrs Norma Ethel Manning nee Nicholls
Mrs Marjorie Anderson nee Gow
Mrs Nita McClure nee Stephenson
 Commissioner Greg Mullins, AFSM, NSW Fire Brigades.

11.  An unsuccessful attempt was made to negotiate a
permanent home for the exhibition at the NSW Fire
Museum.
 The collection was eventually split up. The Amazons
Ladies Fire Brigade uniforms were donated to the
Armidale Family History Museum, and the WFA
uniforms were donated to WAFA, Women and Fire
Fighting Australasia, Inc.

12. Female fire fighters of
the Amazons Ladies
Fire Brigades would
have worn corsets
underneath their
dress uniforms!
Photo to the right
showing Minnie
Webb, Captain of the
Amazons,
demonstrating the
skill of leaping from a
burning building.

13.  Many delegates at WIFF 2006 took photographs of the
exhibition. If you have photographs, please contact me!
 Some names have been lost. If you have names I can attach
to photographs, please let me know.
Please contact me!