| Historical notes: | The Headquarters switchboard was built and designed by Fireman Edward Smith. Smith was born in the Shetland Islands on 16th September 1863. His personnel record indicates that he joined the Metropolitan Fire Brigade on 7th May 1891, his previous occupation having been that of "seaman". After rising through the lower ranks, Smith was promoted to the rank of Station Officer on 26 September 1902, having served at Headquarters (now City of Sydney), George Street North, George Street West and Paddington brigades.
During this era, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade pursued a policy of having its production, maintenance, and repairs, carried out 'in-house' by its firemen. A feature of the Brigade's in-house approach, was the 'encouragement' of firemen to spend some part of their career serving at the brigade workshops: such service was presented as an opportunity to gain an intimate working knowledge of fire appliances and equipment - and consequently, a means of furthering one's career. Superintendent Alfred Webb stated: 'A member of the Brigade, who attends the Workshops, has more facilities for learning the business of a fireman than one who does not attend. He sees a number of engines taken to pieces and helps in the work, or he is capable of performing special work in connection with telephones, which is useful to the Brigade generally' (A. Webb, memorandum, 13 September 1906).
Edward Smith was one such fireman who took the opportunity that the workshops afforded and on 1 January 1905, he was appointed to the newly created position of 'Principle Electrician'. The creation of this new position was in line with the Board's in-house approach (they also created the position of Principal Mechanic at the same time). Smith's new duties were to be as follows:
- Have charge of the electrical department of the Brigade
- Be responsible for the proper working of the telephones, electric motors, electric light, and electric appliances and material
- Keep an account of the time occupied by the men under him
- Be responsible that the material supplied to him be used economically for the purpose for which it was issued
- Furnish requisitions for materials, stating for what purpose they are required
- Instruct men attending the Workshops for electrical work, in the care and management of telephones, fire alarms, batteries and other electrical appliances
- At fires, as far as possible, attend to the safety of the firemen from electric trolley wires, and electric light cables or wires, or any other electrical installation
- Require the electric current to be shut off from any source, or to cut any wires if necessary without waiting orders
It was during his tenure as Principle Electrician that Edward Smith received a gratuity of (Pounds)25 from the Fire Brigades Board, on 8 February 1909, for his outstanding work 'in connection with the designing and erection, and electrical connections, of [a] new telephone switchboard' (In Orders, 8 September 1909). It was then the practice of the Brigade to offer a gratuity to every member of the Brigade who 'may invent an appliance, or improvement to an existing appliance, which may be adopted in the service' (In Orders, 31 January 1905). Not only might they receive a gratuity, but also 'if approved', then their invention would 'be tested without cost to the inventor' (Ibid.).
Replacing an earlier rudimentary switchboard, the Edward Smith switchboard was installed at Headquarters Fire Station (now City of Sydney) in 1909, and remained in service for the next sixty years. Constructed of Colonial Rosewood, Ceder and Tasmanian Blackwood, it served not only as a telephone switchboard, but also as a Relay Cabinet for Grinnell, May-Oatway and Kirkby Thermostatic fire alarms, as well as Telephone Fire Alarms. Sydney was the first city in the world to install telephone fire alarms: first installed in 1890, the alarms 'were operable by keys given to the police, public bodies and nearby residents, or by breaking a small glass panel'. (Adrian, p. 59). The switchboard was also the means of responding fire engines and crews to emergency calls, by means of illuminating signs within the station, as well as operation of the electrical station bells. It still incorporates a turnout switch for a historically significant fire engine - the 1929 Ahrens Fox, which has been listed on the State Heritage Register.
The switchboard is largely the handiwork of one man: his carpentry and electrical wizardry was commended by the Fire Brigades Board, through the Chief Officer:
I am directed, by the Fire Brigades Board, to request you to convey to the Principal Electrician, Mr Edward Smith, a message of the Board's high commendation of the services which he has rendered in connection with the designing, erection, and the electrical connections of the admirable new telephone switchboard: - an installation which redounds to the credit not only of the Principal Electrician, but also to that of the Brigade' (In orders, 2 February 1909).
Smith was assisted in his work by another fireman of significance: William McNiven, who was awarded a gratuity of (Pounds)5 for his 'valuable assistance in bringing the work to successful completion' (In orders 6 February 1909). At the time, McNiven was a first class fireman and carpenter; however, he would progress to the position of NSWFB Clerk of Works, in 1916; and then, to Officer in Charge of Construction, in 1918. He became the Brigade's first in-house Architect in 1923, going on to design several Fire Stations for the NSWFB before his retirement in 1931. From 1923 - 1928, new stations and quarters were predominantly McNiven's designs.
The ornate woodcarving is the work of Smith's own hand - many believe that a five-leaf clover, carved amongst the other four-leaf clovers adorning the switchboard, was a mistake. Others, however, maintain that Smith intentionally included the clover - it was used for many years as a test of the 'observational powers' of new recruits.
Although withdrawn from service in 1969, the Edward Smith Switchboard remained at Headquarters as a standby facility until 1979, when it was presented to the Museum of Fire. It is now on permanent display at the museum, where it is interpreted in a simulated fire station/watchroom setting.
Smith received the King's Police Medal in 1925. He retired on 16th November 1928, and died two years later, having returned to his homeland (Adrian, p. 63; Personnel Record Books, Vol A, 1884-1900:79) |