Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
Lindenow Captain Lee Bruse and Eastey co-founder Brett Eastwood
A 1980s Godiva trailer-mounted Quick Fill has returned to its former home at Lindenow Fire Brigade for its 80th anniversary open day, following a full restoration by Eastey Fire Trucks.
Its appearance gave brigade members and the local community a chance to reconnect with a piece of operational history.
Popular across CFA in the late 1970s and 1980s, the Godiva-driven Quick Fill was vital equipment, particularly for rural brigades, enabling rapid drafting and refilling of tankers at incidents.
While advances in technology have seen it superseded by specialist high-capacity pumps such as purpose-built Big Fills, Quick Fills remain in use in some rural brigades and are regarded as a durable part of CFA history.
For more than 40 years, the unit served as a valuable asset to the Bairnsdale (Mitchell) Group and was based at Lindenow Fire Station until early 2023, when it was identified for preservation and donated for restoration.
Lindenow Captain Lee Bruse said the Quick Fill had played an important role over many years supporting crews and the community.
“It’s held a special place in our brigade because of its service to the community and District 11,” Lee said.
“Despite not being in active use for around a decade, it has remained a valuable asset across both rural and urban settings – until its decommissioning in 2022, it was used at local structural fires. It’s been at incidents where it helped save lives.
“I had seen Eastey’s Facebook posts and knew it would be in good hands. Within minutes of messaging the team, they called back with a big ‘yes please’.”
The restoration was carried out by Eastey Fire Trucks, a volunteer-run team that has been restoring CFA vehicles since 2020 and now has four restored appliances in its collection.
Eastey co-founder, former CFA member Brett Eastwood said the team was excited to take on the project.
“In the 1970s and early to mid-1980s, the Godiva Quick Fill trailer pumps were a great asset to CFA,” Brett said.
“I hadn’t ever come across a Quick Fill personally, not being from a rural brigade, so I didn’t know much about them.”
The restoration process included a full service and inspection to return the pump and engine to working order, followed by bodywork and equipment refurbishment. Brass fittings, including the branch, jerry can and knapsack were polished, and a cane strainer, toolbox and hub caps were added.
A final repaint in pillbox red and the addition of the CFA crest completed the year-long restoration.
“This was a great project and quite different from restoring a truck,” Brett said. “We’re grateful to Lee and the brigade for the donation.
“We don’t know how many Quick Fills are still in service, but none look like this one. It’s a great addition to the Eastey fleet.”
The restored unit then made its way back to Lindenow for display during their recent open day and 80th anniversary celebrations.
“From the moment we arrived, every member made us feel incredibly welcome. It was a fantastic experience,” Brett said.
“It was great to see people sharing photos and stories of the Quick Fill from its time at Lindenow.”
Lee said the restoration exceeded expectations.
“We were so excited to see it in person, and it’s pleasing to see it restored so beautifully. It makes me glad we were able to donate it,” he said.
“Preserving our history matters, particularly firefighting appliances and equipment, because they show how communities were once protected, the challenges faced, and how improvements have made firefighting safer and more effective over time.”
| Submitted by | Shaunnagh O’Loughlin |
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