The Great Fire of Melbourne

You've heard about the Great Fires of London, Chicago and Rome - but what about the Great Fire of Melbourne?
Find out more in today's video!
-------------
MORE INFORMATION
tomelbourne.co...
storeyofmelbou...
My website: philipmallis.com
--------------
SOURCES
philam.github....
-------------
I acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which this video was filmed, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people. I pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and their extensive and continuing connection to land, water and country.

[@aussietaipan8700]

My grand father took me on a walk around the city when I was very young, and I remember he talking about the 1897 Melbourne fire. He showed me building that survived and much of the extent of its reach. My great grand father helped the firemen fill the trucks with water to fight the fire.

[@philipmallis]

That's amazing thanks very much for sharing!

[@zodiac6968]

Great hearing things like that, i tip my hat to your Grandfather.

[@Sopez1]

Your grand father is full of shit.

[@IvanProsper]

I live in Melbourne and never knew this story.

[@philipmallis]

Neither did I until recently!

[@closeben]

A great reminder for why our emergency services need to be well funded.

[@albertsaffron7582]

It’s nice to hear a story that isn’t “the whole thing went to shit so now we have a strong fire fighter force” but rather “we foresaw something like this, so we prepared, and when it did arrive, a far worse outcome was prevented this proving the importance of the force”

[@ourresidentcockney8776]

Gotta love how amazing our fireys are and have been for well over a century!

[@leonkernan]

1:11 “end of the world expected” It’s not just the modern media that blows things up!

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

There was an overall sentiment at that time that the world "is going to end“ But it was mostly in that perspective that a huge war was expected between the empires in Europe. Especially with Germany‘s aggressive foreign policy, a global war was just a matter of time. The same era of nihilism was also very present in Europe itself.

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

That was also the reason why Britain unified its Australian colonies btw. London feared that Germany would start claiming Australia or parts of Australia as its colony and start an invasion from Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land (modern-day Papua-New Guinea)

[@robstergodsafakemclean1363]

Wasn't aware that the Great fire of Melbourne was a thing.

[@HouseholdDog]

Me either.

[@xr6lad]

I did.

[@andreagriffiths3512]

I’ve never heard of this but now I have, I shall be geeking out a bit more every time I pass that area. Loved learning more about my home city ❤

[@SimplicityOfLove]

Its amazing how many cities had a great fire around 1900

[@kennedypoi503]

Noted, Tartarian structures destroyed, can you spot one?

[@johnmcdonald1293]

Great work young man , I am 56 years of age and this is the first time I've ever heard of this incident.

[@moregoldmoregold]

Tartartian buildings taken out

[@kennedypoi503]

0:58 Spot the Tartarian structure.

[@thomasheuer1916]

Luv this channel. I learn so much.

[@philipmallis]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@GoldSniper-ox7rk]

Me and my mates used to climb the shot tower early 70s and throw pidgeon eggs down from the top. I must of been 9/10 years old then, 61 now.

[@Praktical_]

Shoutout to whoever decided to flood Y&J's roof, saved a great pub 👍

[@phillipnoone8044]

Thanks for rhe video!

[@marynoonan6111]

I agree with them about not building anything over 10 stories

[@TonyRuth-o2b]

Great info Philip. I've known of this but found very little information in the past. Thanks for adding to the information about it.

[@mce_AU]

Great work as usual Philip.

[@09_jp_]

So, we're just meant to believe that those poxy fire trucks were the peak of automotive design at the time but still some of the most grandiose and ornate 10-storey-plus buildings in the city to date also existed? No cranes, no trucks; just horse and cart 🤔🧐

[@kayooftheWell]

Good video, concise and well presented. Imagine if the fire department nearby hadn't been established just a few years before this event.

[@wildwombat]

& this, rather than funny cat videos, was why the internet was built. Great information (& not containing one dancing cat) Beautifully filmed and narrative. I didn't know any of this. Cheers 🍻 mate

[@philipmallis]

Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!

[@aquacactuscheeseburger]

4:00 "water tight doors help prevent a ship from flooding". Cheeky saying that while showing us a picture of the titanic! ;)

[@philipmallis]

Glad someone noticed!

[@mattbowd]

The doors helped, but only in the sense that they delayed the inevitable :) Another great video @philipmallis! Looking forward to the next one as always :)

[@gregbowen617]

Well, I never knew this about Melbourne! Thanks for bringing this to us in your excellent way...

[@xr6lad]

One of the buildings that burnt was Craig Williamson department store on Elizabeth St. The Mutual department store continued trading on Flinders St until the mid 1960’s in that same building that survived the fire.

[@LindaBurles-c4g]

swampy goat track? surrounded with one off architectural masterpieces ? interesting!

[@johno01970]

Great (another) video Philip...Keep them coming!

[@thisisfabulosa]

Great overview, great research ! But a few corrections - there was only 1 tram co. but perhaps different lines different tickets ? Fills wasn’t the tallest, that was the API building across the street. And interesting about that commission recommending low height limits - that fed into the actual eventual height limit in the main streets of 132ft, as long as the construction followed new fireproof measures, notably fireproof construction in steel encased in concrete or reinforced concrete.

[@philipmallis]

Thank you! Yes you're right thanks for the information!

[@Emily-the_funny_guys]

Great video Phillip. I assume no one died in this fire 🚒🔥

[@tonyross6506]

Thanks for another great video I have found out so much more about Melbourne through watching most of your library keep up the great work

[@philipmallis]

Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!

[@cherylrayes8015]

Amazingly I only heard about this fire for the first time yesterday when I visited Rippon Lea house which was owned by the Sargood family at the time. I enjoyed this interesting look at our history. Cheers Cheryl 🙂

[@harrydean5089]

Of course! The most spectacular and beautiful building in the video survived the fire but not the 1960s! lol :(

[@NewFalconerRecords]

Intriguing video once again Philip. How great is it that they were able to reign in those 17 retired fire-fighters? Very few people would've had telephones back in those days, but they managed to contact them and they came back on board. Fantastic.

[@janetpendlebury6808]

They would have sent runners round to their houses.

[@aussie_xsf]

I helped rebuild the Empire and Mutual store in 2005, they kept the original facade thankfully

[@DannyMacs-ru5kn]

I'd love to know how stone catches fire

[@johnd8892]

Full of wooden floors etc.

[@majorhayze]

As someone who works in the fire detection industry, it’s awesome to hear these stories about the city I work in. Thanks!

[@brankog7]

amazing, thanks Philsta!

[@Taitset]

Echoing many other comments: I had also never heard of this! Great video as always.

[@306champion]

Thanks for that mate, the older I get the more I'm into local history.

[@markissboi3583]

one the 1st cinemas & film studios was the salvation army they sent people out to film , was bought by usa

[@jenniferdawson5738]

Love this about early fire brigades....Do you know of the firestation behind Fitzroy Town Hall in the 1890S?? There were actually 3 stations in Fitzroy at that time..There was one at 126 Moor street Fitzroy behind the Townhall...It was converted to a house for the hallkeepers in 1928....Sadly demolished in 1960 to make was for more modern? building.....Any chance you could have a look please Phillip....Thanks for the videos.....Jenn.

[@bulldog9708]

We learn something about our city every day Phillip, thanks for the content

[@oliverlamb8892]

Comparing Sydney's destruction of its trams to the Great Fire of London? That's a savage... burn. Buh-dum-pssht!

[@jjfreight-trains]

I couldn't help but think about the flammable materials used on these buildings today, aluminium with polystyrene panels. Also the 99% percentage rates of the shoddy building works done by Australian Builders today. Opal Towers! Building Works Complaints in Australia and New Home Builds volume home builders Disgraceful

[@har234908234]

Great stuff again, Philip. In looking for answers to some of the comments, I've had a look at a book available online on issuu "Life Under The Bells", Sally Wilde 1991 about the 100 years of the MFB. I'm skimming it a bit, but a lot of the early years center around the first Chief Officer of the MFB David John Stein who advised on the reconstruction of the Mutual building. His quote on page 54 from the Argus in 1891 was so prescient that you can't help feel that conspiracy nuts these days would think he lit it himself to prove a point!

[@johnd8892]

Àt 0:36 , good to see St Patrick's under construction. Amazed that mud flood idiots think all that construction here was impossible for the population back then.

[@Sir_Richard_Stewart]

My Great Great Grandfather is in that Photo

[@CaptainKremmen]

8:55 Another relic in small print. State Bank Victoria on the Ross House plaque.

[@lachlanmillsteed6825]

it’s sad the Finks building was demolished. the building that occupies that space now is not my cup of tea

[@eldstrom]

Was the Sargoods warehouse building heritage listed before the fire?

[@PeterShieldsukcatstripey]

Wow I'd never heard of that. All the sightseers and well done to the brave policemen and firemen in their brand new fire engines. I wonder what the gas explosion was.

[@susanc8036]

Thank you so much! This is wonderful!

[@brettmitchell1777]

1:20 disgraceful to see a church with political slogans.

[@budgiedeluxe]

talking about fire, will you do a video on the little known town of fiskville and how it killed it's residents?

[@christopherhill7852]

What about 14th September 1889?

[@wallypoffle7796]

Thankyou Philip for another fascinating well researched history of Melbourne.

[@philipmallis]

You're very welcome!

[@RcottR]

It's funny how Melbourne survived that fire but did not survive the wrecking balls of the 1960s 😅

[@trueaussie9230]

Nothing 'funny' about it. Melbourne started its 'wrecking spree' at the same time as other cities around the world were lamenting theirs. So much beautiful architecture lost. 😭😭

[@MelodyMan69]

I remember when I first saw a Fire Brigade in Melbourne (1960s). The SHINEY HELMETS stood out and I now understand why small Boys were attracted to being a Fireman. 👀

[@aussiepete6770]

I'm really surprised right now. Firstly, I lived in Melbourne most of my life and never knew of this fire.... Secondly, I used to work in Ross House. I was coming back from Ross House to my home, when my car I was driving had a fuel leak, caught fire and burned to the ground.

[@AdamFordGhostships]

Finks building wasn't the tallest in melbourne at the time of the fire. That title belonged to the APA Building on the west side of Elizabeth, built 1890. Finks lost its top two storeys and all that gorgeous ornamentation to the fire, which were knocked in and the building was rebuilt internally, but it lived on in its stumpier version until 1967.

[@philipmallis]

You're right, thanks for that information!

[@hopmountain8523]

So interesting, please delve deeper into into these historic tidbits of Melbourne's history. (Also love your Train/Tram clips).

[@GreenGibbon]

I've read numerous books on the early history of Melbourne, but, oddly enough, only knew about this fire in passing reference. Fascinating to get the actual story! Good man, Philip!

[@icascone]

Oooooh soo That's where the height restrictions came from!! (Apologies if you've mentioned this before lol)

[@zacnat12]

Very interesting. Thank you. One of our first family relatives wrote about disembarking at the Yarra River jetty in 1897 having arrived from England.

[@AenesidemusOZ]

Thanks for this! I never knew about the fire, and my wife had an ancestor working next door.

[@SlubanAustralia]

Such great insight! You have done it again Phil! Thankyou for the education.

[@michaelteasdale2919]

Get channel 👍

[@vicrigg9390]

great research

[@kanejones8843]

Only thing I hate about these videos is hearing about the beautiful buildings knocked down in the 50/60/70s to be replaced with a hideous tower

[@gregberechree5535]

Just getting rid of the old world that didn’t fit the historical narrative - though there are hundreds of them still standing in Melbourne but must commenters appear to be unaware of this. The Shrine of Remembrance being a great example of an old world structure built by another civilisation of which you have never heard.

[@ilaser4064]

8:38 and replaced with this souless crap.

[@tone34]

Tartarian evidence destroyed?

[@BarklyMitford]

Another great video on Melbourne history. A video on the Eastern market that was on the corner of Bourke and Exhibition Streets up until the late 1950’s when it was demolished to make way for the Southern Cross Hotel, itself now gone. Thanks again for the videos especially the ones on the 1969 transport plan and associated freeways.

[@philipmallis]

Thanks Nigel, that's a terrific idea! You're right of course about the markets. They had a huge impact on the early years of Melbourne and are largely forgotten today.

[@mojogaucho]

The Great Fire of London was in September of 1666 not 1656.

[@philipmallis]

You're right! Did I say 1656 somewhere in the video?

[@davisbrowne1906]

I live in Adelaide and never knew this story.

[@shaunblackwell5159]

Not quite accurate with flinders st station. The current building wasn’t built til 1910

[@philipmallis]

From my information it was finished and opened in 1909 except for the external verandahs which were completed in 1910

[@kristenhooper5809]

I never new this happened in my home city

[@hypercomms2001]

0:35 / 9:39 thank you for this, but I was looking at this photograph of Saint Patrick's Cathedral.... And trying to figure out what the building opposite on the other side of Gisborne Street could be... As it occupies the area that is now part of the garden and back of the state parliament house.... In the idea?

[@laurencevella2909]

I think the building you mention is on Albert Street. Gisbourne Street is the other Street in the image.

[@hypercomms2001]

@@laurencevella2909 you are probably thinking of st. Peter's church but that does not line up with the entrance of Saint Patrick's... The only building that could is off Cathedral Place, at 75 cathedral Place... It is of the same age... But it is a different building structure..... maps.app.goo.gl/n8zL5w1GeJNn8hQu9 Also in the back of Saint Patrick's is a large building where the car park for the Catholic archdiocese of melbourne is now.... That used to be a graduate school that was pulled down in the mid 60s.. And so the street that goes from the entrance of Saint Patrick's to that building I would hypothesize is cathedral place...

[@Renee-vz3cx]

Another informative and interesting video 👍. Never knew about this even as a Melburnian.

[@philipmallis]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CBM_Walks]

@7:18 - @7:34. While a 90 feet (27 metres/10 storeys) height limit recommendation of 1898 Report didn't come in around then, a height limit of 132 Feet/41m*/12 storeys* was introduced in 1916. That 41m limit STILL Applies to the centre CBD Blocks today!: Blocks bounded by Flinders St (from Yarra River, actually) - Elizabeth St - Lonsdale St - Russell St, are still restricted to & always have been since 1916, to 41 metres/12 storeys. The restriction applies to, and from, the "inner" sides of those streets listed. So east side of Elizabeth St, south side of Lonsdale St, west side of Russell St, & blocks within. Limit applies to both sides of Flinders St from Russell St to Elizabeth St and all south side of Flinders St in CBD, to the river/North Bank side. (West side of Spencer St is in Docklands, now, not CBD). The 1916 limit and (still) current low/er height limit for those street sides (and Blocks within), & the difference to opposite side of street, is very noticeable along East side of Elizabeth St from Flinders Lane to Little Bourke St, & along West side of Russell St from Little Bourke St to (south-west corner of) Lonsdale St. The 1916 height limit, as it still does, applies re floors total height. Parapets, decorative spires, a tower (like the Manchester Unity Building one) are excepted. From 1932 to mid 1950s MU Building was tallest in Melbourne. First building to exceed the height limit introduced in 1916 was ICI House /now Orica House. (First building actually in the CBD/Hoddle Grid to be more that 12 storeys was CRA building at 95 Collins St). ICI House was only permitted with a new 'Plot Ratio' regulation, which meant had to have Open Space within the same land plot. So, where there's outdoor spaces right next to a building of 19 stories or more, that's why. In 1999, regulation was changed to Floor Area Ratio, so the "open space" might be within the building. That's why there's massive open ground floor areas in some buildings, such as 101 Collins, and Goldsbrough Lane which runs under a building. Can have FAR Space inside, or outside, combination of both, or split across levels. That 41 metre limit Central CBD limit was reinforced in 2017, with some additional limits (lower height than that) re frontages abutting or close to the footpath. Also introduced in 2017 was any new CBD building can't cast a shadow across the Yarra River, so why won't be anything of much height near the river anywhere in the CBD. Of course buildings on Southbank wont cast a shadow north far (*possible to do 13 storeys in 41m, if built with lower ceiling heights. *I wrote the limit as for current limit is in metres, not the conversion)

[@philipmallis]

Thanks for that information!

[@CBM_Walks]

@@philipmallis Hi Phillip, that was the short version of all that information. I have had the "tl;dr" comment when I've detailed that in couple FB groups, & they are re heritage stuff too. Maybe I should send u a message next time I might be hosting a city heritage walk, & I can bore... i mean... tell more of it in person. The walks i host are a social & exploring thing, not a company run thing. I have to tell someone all my knowledge, & via a social walks group is good way, plus i can plan whatever I want to do or change things on the day, according to attendees interests. I had a shop at 283 Flinders Lane (one of the one in the Carlow building) in the early 1980s, & there were some quite black areas in the laneway at the back of the shop. In 1980s I didn't know there had been a major fire through the whole area. Knew of couple (later) building fires but didn't destroy the building. Of course most buildings that were there when the fire happened have nearly all gone. Must check to see what else was left beside the Mutual building. While the fire did raze most of that CBD block, I believe it didn't go through near the corner of Flinders Lane/ Elizabeth St. Of course Carlow House is 1930s build (from memory). By the way, was interested to read that your 40 minute Hurstbridge line video is now one of your most popular ones. When see comments on some youtubers videos that their video is too long. When it's just 3 minutes lol. Even seen, twice, comments on youtube shorts one that it was too long. 59 seconds is too long? LOL

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Great photos. Fire Sale.

[@DeMews]

"....17 retired firefighters who were recalled to help..." They all had telephones? Phones would have been expensive in those days. So the question is, if they didnt have phones, how were they contacted? Must have been by horseback and that would have taken hours and then hours again for the firefighters to get to the fire.

[@philipmallis]

Quite possibly, it wasn't mentioned how they were contacted. But given the length of time the fire brigade were there (until the next day) it's likely that they didn't come until later. Melbourne wasn't very big at the time so it would not necessarily have taken a long time for them to arrive, assuming that they lived within the city of course.

[@GamingWithDesto]

Given the size of the fire, they may well have seen the smoke and headed to the station on their own accord? Bad news travels fast and they would likely have heard on the grapevine so to speak.

[@astra6712]

Typically people didn’t sleep all night. The shop keepers would’ve been working till midnight. People would typically walk around of a night time. The women typically would’ve been sewing or churning butter or preparing ingredients for the next day to sell at market or in the family business.

[@har234908234]

As a general question it's interesting to think about what people would have done before the telephone... people have always been pretty resourceful, and they'd all know the risk of fire with the limited fighting capapbilities in their lifetimes. The Melbourne Cup is a two mile horse race (3200m now) and has always been run under 4min. That'll get you to Richmond, Collingwood etc... you surely wouldn't have done that in the middle of the night on the old roads but maybe that gives a good idea... They were sure prepared for this from earlier fires. Pretty sure they had sirens (if not bugles!) and when people heard them you know the types who would react. Telephones were definitely around in 1890 and the FD would have to be the first thing you hook up! Manual exchanges - someone would have to be on the end hooking up the next person, but there's an article here: trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8597218/291089

[@har234908234]

Bells!

[@SergeiBoy]

Another great video Philip

[@philipmallis]

Thanks!

[@ryana8174]

That's Melbourne alright, tradies standing around doing nothing😂

[@zuokia]

Hi

[@maxwellbowden9961]

It wasn't that Great. It's still there

[@ChewiestBacca]

My fart did that. So sorry.

[@christinejackson3922]

Not funny are you 13 years old

[@ChewiestBacca]

Yes

[@beekeeper4243]

Hiding Tartaria and our true history, they did it all over the world with these huge fire's, stories of cows kicking over lantern's in Barnes and jumping huge lake's only to burn masonry buildings 😂🤣😂

[@mickman3582]

Can you please do a video on the eumemmering bypass later renamed the Mulgrave fwy and south Gippsland fwy. The Mulgrave was progressively built all the way to Warrigal road linking it to the south eastern "carpark" aka fwy.

[@TheYutongCaptain]

Thanks for information I have been sharing this with overseas visitors who are interested in the history of the city. It adds another dimension to their visit and they do actually go and look at the locations mentioned in books and in this video.

[@CockatooTransit]

Rest in peace tram network

[@queerleague]

I was curious as to what £2 million - £3 million would be worth today so I found an historical currency calculator. Answer: approximately $418m - $627m.