Table of Contents

Firefighters and Fire Fighting: An Historical Overview
The British traditionBrisbane’s great fire and a system of fire brigadesThe slow march towards professionalism

Queensland Firefighters and the AWU, 1917-1962
Joining the ‘fighting’ AWU: early achievement, 1917-1937Disillusionment: the first breakaway attempt, 1937-1951Renewing the battle: the second breakaway attemptUFU Branch established, 1960-1962

Leaving the AWU, 1962-1970
The UFU: a real alternativeMaintaining support, 1967-1968The battle for industrial recognition, 1968-1969Firefighters and officers part ways, 1969-1970

The Rockhampton dispute and state registration, 1970-1976
The situation in RockhamptonThe dismissal of Rockhampton’s UFU firefightersTo the courtsAn old Chev: Rockhampton 1970-1974Industrial gains, 1971-1975Victory in Rockhampton, 1973-1975Registration and final hurdles, 1974-1976

New challenges and old legacies, 1976-1987
New challenges‘We’re still basically amateurs’New divisions and old legaciesReformationAmalgamation

Achievement and division, 1987-1996
A new fire service: Better equipped and safer?New wages system, 1987-1991Internal rifts and union restructuring, 1988-1992Final battle with the AWU, 1993-1994Workplace reform and new leaderships, 1994-1996

New directions and challenges, 1996-2008
Transformation of the fire serviceEnterprise bargainingUnion stability and renewal‘A festering sore’: the battle for safe crewingAuxiliary firefightersInternational solidarity and the campaign for firefighter safety

Conclusion
Appendix A -
List of Sacked UFU Firefighters at Rockhampton, 1970-1974Notes on SourcesIndex