This month marks the tenth anniversary of the fire that claimed the iconic building that housed the Dimboola Hotel and Dimboola Cafe.

Believed to have originated in the office area of the hotel, which was on the ground floor on the Lloyd Street side of the building, the fire caused an estimated $2 million worth of damage.

No lives were lost and physical injuries were minor, but the impact of the blaze was felt across the whole district.

Simon Mibus was celebrating his 21st birthday with family and friends in the hotel's old bar on Saturday October 25.

The party had wound up and guests had made their way home, or to Horsham, and some upstairs to bed. The hotel had been booked out with party guests, but most had decided to continue on elsewhere.

Simon and then-girlfriend Kellie were staying at the hotel, along with Kellies parents. The publicans and their four children, and long-term resident Baden Wilday were all upstairs when the fire broke out. Dimboola Cafe owners Harvey and Raelene McKinnon were asleep next door.

"We had gone to bed, but weren't asleep yet when we heard smoke detectors going off downstairs. I wasn't too worried about it, but went to investigate. I thought it was just someone smoking" Simon said.

"I went downstairs to the main foyer, and met up with the publican at the bottom of the main staircase before going on to the old bar to investigate together. We walked in the door off the foyer, past the pool table and around the bar. We got to where the band stuff was set up before we felt the heat radiating off the wall."



Local band 'Grey Nurse' lost equipment that was housed in the old bar where they played regular gigs. Some speakers and stands are visible; the hotel foyer and Marilyn Room are to the right of the photo.

"The publican said to get everyone out, so we both went upstairs and went separate ways. I got everyone out that I knew of, and knocked on all the other doors to make sure everyone was out. Kellie and her parents went down the fire escape. I went back towards the publican's residence because I could hear the kids screaming, but couldn't get past the thick smoke coming up the stairs. I went back and went out the fire escape.

"The four of us got out and down to the ground, but the other seven people were stuck on the balcony. Someone rang the local power company bloke at home so he could use the ladder truck to get them down. We helped get them down, then rang mum to bring blankets and clothes for us. We hung around just watching the firefighters for another couple of hours before going home to sleep.

"We lost all our clothes except what we were wearing, and my car keys. I had to get the RACV to break into my car; I had tradeschool the next day. I lost most of my birthday gifts; mum had taken some home with her, but most were gone."





Raelene and Harvey McKinnon ran the Dimboola Cafe, which was part of the Dimboola Hotel building, and lived in the residence above the Lloyd Street shopfront, pictured here.


They were doing their second stint as cafe owners, buying it from Peter Walsgott, whom they had sold to a few years before.

"Im a very light sleeper," Raelene said, "I heard the crackling of the fire through the wall before the fire siren sounded."

"I didn't think it was going to go up. Then someone told me to stand out on the street and look - I could see the fire going across the roof to our place.

"I ran upstairs. They were yelling at me to get out.

"I grabbed the portraits Mum had painted of the kids just as the fire burst in through the bathroom.

"I saved my wedding dress, Harvs suit and Kates deb dress. I had some washing downstairs still, so we had a few things left to wear. I still have a pair of shorts, theyre a bit ratty now, but hold sentimental value for me.

"A lot of antique furniture that Id bought from Jean King that was lost. I don't worry about things like that now, its not important."

Raelene and Harvey moved in with their son Allistair and his new wife Lauren, who had just returned from their honeymoon to their new home in Dimboola. They, along with daughter Kate when home during university holidays, stayed with the newlyweds until their new cafe was opened across the road from the old one the following March. They ran the business for another five years.




Dimboola Urban Fire Brigade Firefighter and Second Lieutenant Len Marsh was one of the first on the scene to extinguish the fire.
Len is seen here (right) being assisted with his breathing aparatus by Horsham Fire Brigade member John Davies (left).


"I was one of the two brigade breathing apparatus operators that went into the hotel that night," Len said.

"We hit it from the double doors and the stairwell. We went through two BA bottles then had a rest before we went on to the top of the cafe."

"We worked all day trying to contain the fire, before monitoring it and then cleaning up.

"Relatively speaking, it wasn't a big fire, but it was difficult because of the restricted space.

"Only the top storey of the building was burnt. Its unbelievable that the ground floor wasn't touched."


The grand staircase was a feature of the 1930-built hotel.



Fellow firefighter and First Lieutenant Wayne Hartwich was the other breathing aparatus (BA) operator that day.

"We had been to Melbourne for an appointment and got home quite late," Wayne said.

"I got the pager message and thought it was a joke. I drove to the station and parked across the road, in front of the cafe. I saw no signs of smoke or flames.

"We pulled the tanker around to the main doors in Lochiel Street and our crew of four set up. There was myself, Len, Captain Bert Pilmore, and Richard Carll. Initially only six volunteers turned out. We were quickly joined by more firefighters from Dimboola with the pumper, then the Antwerp, Gerang and Horsham brigades.

"Pete Pilmore was there when we got there with the electricity companys truck, getting people off the balcony with the long ladder.

"When we approached the hotel we could see smoke and the occasional flicker of flames near the ticket window, between the staircase and the office.

"We proceeded in and tried to knock it down, but it just erupted.

"We moved on to asset protection, and tried to look after the cafe. It took four hours to control the blaze, followed by a massive clean-up."

Wayne and Len used 22 breathing apparatus cylinders in the fight to save the building.

"More BA sets were brought from Horsham, and the BA bus was sent from Ballarat."

During the incident Wayne was hit by a falling roof tile, leaving a lasting neck and shoulder injury.

"I still have my old turnout coat, which is covered in melted lead that dripped down from the roof."

Wayne, now brigade captain, said that along with the Cordners Garage fire, the fire that claimed the hotel and the cafe was one that had the biggest impact on the community.

"Its an experience I never want to go through again.

"I really thought we would nail it."



As we saw in the more recent flood event, the community comes together in times of crisis.

Dimboola Cafe owner Harvey McKinnon was humbled by the generosity of the community through donations of clothing, in man-hours to clean up the old shop, and the assistance to set up the new.

"So many people helped us in so many ways, especially Denis Elliott, who was a bloke we weren't even close to before the fire. He helped us get back on track through numerous working bees, like many others, but he was always there."

"The day of the fire, Raelene and I went down to the beer garden to investigate. I stubbed my toe, Raelene was worried I'd bleed all over the new carpet. That didn't matter in the end.

"Al had a saying throughout, he said he knew he'd have to look after us one day, but he didn't think it would be so soon. It would have been tough on Al and Lauren, they were only married a couple of weeks when we moved in.

"Every time I drive past, I think, that fire cost us our lifestyle. But when you fall off the bike you get back on it. We have moved on. We could have walked away, but that was our home and our livelihood.

"A lot of good people supported us, many of whom weren't regular customers. Local tradesmen helped in fitting out the new shop, the school had fundraisers, and people donated clothing.

"I still wear some of the items that were given to us. I cherish those clothes. Theyre as thin as anything but they represent something special.

"Theyre my pride and joy."

The cause of the blaze is still unknown, but the case remains open.





Police Peter Taylor and Scott Bastow speak with Dimboola Urban Fire Brigade Captain and Incident Controller Bert Pilmore, while firefighters continue to black out.



The following video is raw footage of what took place during fire fighting efforts to control the hotel fire. The video has been made available by the cameraman who filmed the event, Lynton Brown. It includes interviews near the end with fire fighters, a local, police, and the publican.



If you are unable to view the video, click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc30uawlM5A