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Coronation Street Fire, 1911
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Date6th March 1911
DescriptionOn the evening of 6th March 1911, a small fire broke out in a pile of empty wooden packing cases at the rear of McDonald’s grocery store located on the southern side near the Railway Hotel of what was then Burdett Street (renamed three months later to Coronation Street to commemorate the coronation of King George V).
Quickly the fire took hold and soon the roof of the store was ablaze when the alarm was raised. Senior Constable Wade who was on duty near the Railway Hotel soon realised he had no hope of saving the store so he turned his attention to the adjoining building occupied by the Bank of North Queensland.
Upstairs he found the bank clerk overcome by fumes and rescued him. Nearby shops and houses were evacuated and willing helpers carted out furniture into the street away from the fire.
The Willoughby Fire Brigade was called but they refused to attend claiming that Hornsby was out of their area. For three hours residents toiled with buckets of water but it was a losing battle. Finally a fire hose was brought from the Railway Station and tapped into the Council water main.
A large crowd gathered nearby and scattered when the walls of the grocery shop gave way. By 1 a.m. the fire was under control.
The grocery shop and bank were destroyed excepting the bank’s safe. Other adjoining shops were damaged. The dressmaker lost her sewing machines as well as one dress that was going to be worn at the coronation of King George V.
Estimated damage was between £4,000 to £5,000.
Physical FormatHornsbyDimensionsRobert Green Collection
DescriptionOn the evening of 6th March 1911, a small fire broke out in a pile of empty wooden packing cases at the rear of McDonald’s grocery store located on the southern side near the Railway Hotel of what was then Burdett Street (renamed three months later to Coronation Street to commemorate the coronation of King George V). Quickly the fire took hold and soon the roof of the store was ablaze when the alarm was raised. Senior Constable Wade who was on duty near the Railway Hotel soon realised he had no hope of saving the store so he turned his attention to the adjoining building occupied by the Bank of North Queensland.
Upstairs he found the bank clerk overcome by fumes and rescued him. Nearby shops and houses were evacuated and willing helpers carted out furniture into the street away from the fire.
The Willoughby Fire Brigade was called but they refused to attend claiming that Hornsby was out of their area. For three hours residents toiled with buckets of water but it was a losing battle. Finally a fire hose was brought from the Railway Station and tapped into the Council water main.
A large crowd gathered nearby and scattered when the walls of the grocery shop gave way. By 1 a.m. the fire was under control.
The grocery shop and bank were destroyed excepting the bank’s safe. Other adjoining shops were damaged. The dressmaker lost her sewing machines as well as one dress that was going to be worn at the coronation of King George V.
Estimated damage was between £4,000 to £5,000.
Physical FormatHornsbyDimensionsRobert Green CollectionLocation
Building NameCoronation StreetFiresStreet:StreetView:&enabled=1&fov=90&heading=0&pitch=0&zoom=20
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Coronation Street Fire, 1911 (6th March 1911). Hornsby Shire, accessed 16/04/2026, https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/2499