February 12^th, A well attended Public meeting was held to form a volunteer fire brigade for Maiden Gully and the first Brigade meeting was held on April 1^st, 1998. Subsequently, the Maiden Gully Fire Brigade was officially registered as CFA Brigade No 02763 on April 28^th, 1998. Brigade meetings were held in the Maiden Gully Community Centre and the Brigade’s first fire appliance (an International 3.2 Tanker) was housed in a private carport off Schumakers Lane.

City of Greater Bendigo grants a 50 year lease on vacant land behind the Maiden Gully Community Centre at a peppercorn rental in September. Brigade members with assistance from local contractors, clear, fence and begin landscaping of the area.

September 12^th, official opening of a 9m by 6m colorbond shed at the rear of the Fire Station property. This building to eventually become the workshop for the fire station complex houses the Brigade’s replacement tanker. An Isuzu 2.2D was officially handed over on the same day.

Tone overlay pagers introduced replacing telephones and listening sets providing for the first time a reliable response system.

Twin Fire Service agreement established with the Pewaukee Fire Department in Wisconsin, USA. In the same month, a grassfire trailer was commissioned.

Construction begins on Maiden Gully’s first fire station. Government (CFA) contribution of $180,000. Brigade and community contribution of $50,000.

April 27^th, Maiden Gully Fire Station is officially opened by the Honourable Bob Cameron, Minister for Local Government and Workcover. The Brigade occupied the station the week before.

Official handover of our second fire vehicle – a Toyota Land Cruiser Slip-On Unit. Funding for this Brigade owned unit came from the Community Safety Emergency Support Fund ($26,000) and the Brigade’s own fundraising ($34,000).

The brigade wins the Region 2 Community Safety & Fire Prevention Award, Website launched, chainsaw purchased and construction of Pump Pit to enhance training.

The brigade wins the CFA’s Initiative Award for the first time. The Toyota Slip-On Unit is updated with a new cab/chassis.

Further concreting of training area (25m³). Begins a major commitment to the NE fires with Slip-On working for 6 weeks.

New driveway on north side of station constructed and new native garden planted.

Completion of concreting of training area (30m³ of concrete). The brigade celebrates its 10^th anniversary with visit from Chief Officer. The brigade also begins housing the Region Spare Pumper. Site works begin for extensions to the fire station. This is a brigade managed and funded project.

Tragic February 7^th Fires with 5 homes lost in Maiden Gully, with brigade members committed to a number of major fires locally and elsewhere in the State. The brigade again wins the CFA’s Initiative Award. Extensions are completed giving an extra vehicle bay, turnout and drying rooms and drive-through facilities. This is opened by Chief Officer Russell Rees on November 29^th. Two extra sets of Breathing Apparatus purchased.

Despatch Computer commissioned. District Light Pumper is available to Brigade 95% of the year.

Captain Andrew Howlett retires after 13 years of Brigade leadership and hands over to Captain David Mustey. CFA allocates a new Hino Light Pumper to Maiden Gully. Brigade receives funding from the Victorian Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP) for a replacement for the Toyota Slip-On.

Brigade helps launch CFA Siren policy with Fire Services Commissioner and the Minister of Police & Emergency Services. Light Tanker (Tanker 2) is delivered in December to replace the Slip-On. Automated External Defibrillators now carried on all first responding units.

CFA replaces Tanker 1 with a new Hino Medium Tanker in June and a Ford Ranger twin cab is purchased by Brigade to support the Brigade’s operations. Ex-Captain Andrew Howlett is awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal in the Queens Birthday Honours List. A major occasion was the handover on October 20^th of three new vehicles (Light Tanker, Medium Tanker and Support Vehicle) by Damian Drum MLC and Cr Rod Fyffe.

Twenty-seven current and former members of the Brigade received the National Emergency Medal in recognition of their work combatting the 2009 Black Saturday Fires. Controls for the front engine bay doors are altered to open simultaneously and close automatically.

Support Vehicle (Ford Ranger) is equipped as a Field Command Vehicle (FCV). Brigade develops a ten-year Infrastructure Plan for facilities and vehicles to cope with the growth of the community. Strong support given by the City of Greater Bendigo to provide extra land and plans developed for increased parking and training area along with a new vehicle storage shed.

Medium Tanker again upgraded with latest model. City of Greater Bendigo grants lease of extra land and a successful VESEP application provides for concreting of new area. Permits gained and slab poured for Workshop extension to better house the FCV.

Workshop extension completed along with modular shelving to improve storage. New LED Community Information Board installed in the front of the Station providing messages on the current Fire Danger as well as local information. CFA permanently allocates a Light Pumper that was officially handed over to the Brigade by Maree Edwards MLA in November.

In our 20^th year, Foundation Member Brian Perry becomes our first Life Member. Members' amenity area completed at rear of station and a Stronger Communities Grant helps fund Incident Information System to improve turnouts, along with a large screen TV and dishwasher.

New Captain, Peter Dole, takes on the leadership of our Brigade at start of July. It is somewhat of a generational change as the previous two Captains, David Mustey and Andrew Howlett, were both in their forties when elected. However Peter, like Andrew and David, is a foundation member of the brigade being a junior firefighter back in 1998. Holly Franchina joins the new leadership team as our first female Lieutenant. Three firefighters competed in the Firefighters Stair Climb in Melbourne raising funds for emergency worker mental health. In December, new state of the art MSA Breathing Apparatus sets were introduced as part of a Statewide program.

Significant safety and security improvements to the Fire Station were made including a full height roller shutter covering two of the bays at the rear, a powered security gate and new fencing at the side of the station. An Australian Government Grant provided much of the cost of 6.6 kW of solar panels and a battery that has significantly reduced the Brigade’s carbon footprint as well as dramatically cutting the power bill. It also gives back-up power for when there is an outage.

As in 2020, COVID-19 had an impact on the way the Brigade trained and many meetings were held online. We were able to hold our elections with Captain Peter Dole continuing the leadership of the Brigade. Several new faces joined our Management Team. We made great strides in upgrading our IT capability replacing computers, and weather station along with CFA’s Connected Brigades that gave us NBN and internet connectivity. The noticeable changes were in the front of the station with an extra flagpole carrying to CFA flag, over 20 natives planted along with our pet watering station and Street Library. These last two additions have proved very popular with the community.

Covid restrictions ease allowing full training and community activities to resume. New purpose built Field Command Vehicle is commissioned, a Blitz ground monitor purchased, and security cameras installed at the Station. Inaugural Captain, Andrew Howlett AFSM becomes our second Life Member.

We celebrated our Silver Anniversary. Junior Brigade reformed. Villawood Properties assist with the purchase of additional BA Cylinders and a Fosterville Gold Mine grant helps us purchase a pump for a replica truck stand that we are building for training.