Don's Adventures with the Rainbow Electricians and Fire Brigade in the 1960s.
Last updated: 20-Dec, 2025, 05:29 PM AEST
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The Rainbow Electricians in the 1960s.
Discover how Don and his team brought 240VAC power to Rainbow in the 1960s, transforming homes and farms.
The 1960s story of the Rainbow Electricians.
This seems like a good spot to slot in this little story before it gets lost.
The State Electricity Commission (SEC) was coming to town. A new power supply system was being installed right across Australia. Rainbow was in line to get the new 240VAC 50Hz which has so many advantages over the old DC system.
Edison Verses Tesla. The current wars. I knew the theory and the history very well. As I was part of the local history, I guess I should be qualified to tell this local tale.
The 1960s story of the sparkies when the SEC (State Electricity Commission) 240VAC electricity supply came to Rainbow.
Gordon Hallett was the sole Rainbow resident electrician when the SEC was about to be installed around town. There was massive amounts of work that had to be done. Basically every house, business, and farming property needed the new electricity supply installed to bring them into a new era. It would be called a viral development today.
Don Hope moved into Yurunga and set up shop there. He imported Brian Woodhall and Geoff Chapple, two A grade electricians, that he had working for him.
At the time, I was working for Dad and Uncle Colin McKenzie, and one of my many jobs was constructing TV antennas, and electricity poles for farming properties. These were for overhead cable runs to machinery and shearing sheds, etc. The electricity poles were manufactured from galvanized plumbers pipe, in a tripod shape. Rocker (Frank) Owen taught me welding when I worked for Uncle Joe McKenzie, the first time around.
Don Hope figured if he employed me directly, he would cut out the middle men, and make these poles cheaper. He knew I had a Radio and Electronics background with the PMG (now Telstra) and I would be able to assist in house and farm electrical wiring.
My dilemma was working for Dad and Colin, and being offered more money by Don Hope. I was just married. Dad told me to grab the money, it was a better life choice for my new family.
After a few months, Brian and Geoff decided to branch out on their own, and wanted me to join them. We became McKenzie, Woodhall and Chapple.
After a few years Geoff wanted out, as he had other interests, so we became McKenzie and Woodhall.
Eventually work was starting to run out for us. We were already chasing work as far as Netherby and Nhill, and driving backwards and forwards on a daily basis.
Uncle Joe wanted to get into domestic white goods sales, and he needed a qualified electrician to install stoves, hot water services etc, so he made us an offer for the business.
The plan was he would buy us out, and employ both of us, but needed Brian to guarantee that he would work for him for 2 years I think it was. So we moved into Joe's camp. (again) ''
The drought of 1967 came along, and as my income was dramatically decreased, I decided to move back to Melbourne and seek further life adventures.
Don Hope, Brian, and Geoff, also moved on, and eventually it was left to Gordon Hallett, once again being the sole electrician of Rainbow.
Sadly, some years later Gordon was killed in a car accident on the Rainbow Jeparit road.
PUBLIC SERVICES NOTICES:
The State Electricity Commission took over the power supply to Rainbow on 29th November, 1962. Dawson's had supplied Rainbow with electrical power for 52 years.
Another date to NOTE:
Sewerage works started at Rainbow in May 1974. The Dimboola Shire Council bought two shops owned by J. Wishart, and the sewerage Authority moved into the office in February 1978.
The Rainbow Fire Brigade in the 1960s.
Join Don's memories of the Rainbow Fire Brigade, from training to the 2010 centenary celebration.
From the publication: Rainbow Of Today 1910
Members of the Fire Brigade which, though but recently formed, is already a distinct credit to the town and district.
Rainbow Fire Brigade Station 1911 Postcard.
Victorian Annual State Fire Brigade Demo, Ballarat 1953
Image: Karen Schoff
Standing: Jimmy Klemm, Fred Friebel, Col McKenzie, Len Rogasch, Des Manning, John Pascoe
Front: 'Doc' Rogasch, 'Monty' Max Chaplin
22-June-1960: RAINBOW FIRE BRIGADE
Back: Don Newton, Evan Davies, Roger Bullen, Ivan Sleep, Denis Rogasch, Laurie Dunn
Centre: Col McKenzie, Michael Sluggett, David Ough, Trevor Schulz, Frank Owen, Des Manning
Front: Les Murphy, L. Rogasch, John Pasco, Fred Friebel
Rainbow Fire Brigade Track Team. Approx 1965.
Courtesy of Gavin Brain. - Here is the original scanned image.
Back: Des Manning, Bobbie Greenwood, Kevin Brooks, Les Greenwood, Monk Wilson.
Front: Clyve Friebel, Ron Baird, Don McKenzie.
Deso said: "You are the fastest man in the team Don, so you can run hydrant." It will be fun he said. The idea was I had to beat the rest of the team down the length of the track, plug in the hydrant, and get the water going at the exact time when the hose was connected to it. Well, the shiny chunk of brass fitting weighed about 20 house bricks, and I not only had to run down the track with it, but I lugged it around and was now responsible for it during the course of the events.
But he was right. It was fun. ''
Rainbow Fire Brigade Track Team. Approx 1965.
The identities in the picture
Left to right: Kevin Brooks, Bobbie Greenwood, Don McKenzie (hydrant), Gavin Brain.
A hard day at the office for the boys 1985.
Merv Mark Sluggett
Pretty sure it would have to be no later than November 1985 because of some of the people in the picture and no disrespect to them or their families but I remember that time in local history well.. looking at the photo from the left to right is Ed Clugston..Brian Bastin behind Les Sleep. Joe Gould. Bob Bastin in overalls in front of Chris McMillan..Graham Unger in shorts. John Smith also in shorts..Errol McMillan. Des Manning. Ron Ismay. Kevin Clugston.Trevor Huff and the big bloke in shorts on the far end is Lionel Roll.. there is a couple more who's faces are hiding ..at least 4 of these local men are no longer with us and we miss every one of them.. growing up in a rural town it's part of the culture to be involved in the fire brigade or other emergency services.
Rainbow Fire Brigade Centenary 12-June-2010. The McKenzies.
As a previous member, I was invited back to the 100 year anniversary of the R.F.B in 2010. Was special to catch up with everyone. Office bearers in my day were Captain John Pascoe, Lieutenant Des Manning, Secretary Colin McKenzie, Foreman Don McKenzie (me).
Some of the best memories of my life and will remain with me forever. Don...
Colin, Cath (Mellington), Don (Jnr), Cheryl (Brinkley), Bill (Brian, Poddy) Bradley, Doreen (Morison), Cindy.
Don McKenzie 27, November, 2025
Hey, I'm gutted I didn't get the chance to properly organise that group photo of current and past Fire Brigade members. I think I might've been talking to the wrong people, and I wish I'd pushed a bit harder now. At least I insisted on getting the McKenzies all together, that's something! The photo I have is super low-res - I grabbed it off Facebook, and it's postage stamp size. If anyone's got a better quality version, especially if you're a McKenzie, I'd love to see it!
The FB comments on the Rainbow Fire Brigade Centenary 12-June-2010
The missing Rainbow Fire Brigade concrete tablet!
One day, a few years ago now, when Cheryl's Aunty Lena Saul was still alive and living out her final years at the nursing home units just off Railway Street, south of Sanders Street, we paid her a visit.
She instantly dragged me across Railway Street to the side of the railway line, and said "Your name is in concrete here somewhere" We finally found the concrete, and the memories came rushing back. We did our Rainbow Fire Brigade training (Hose and Reel events) along there, and had a shed with a dirt floor that we decided to have a working bee, and concrete the shed in, as we had not only valuable equipment, but also the training reel stored in this shed.
There was a working bee list, scribbled in concrete, that contained the following names:
John Pascoe (Captain), Des Manning (Lieutenant), Colin McKenzie (my uncle and Secretary), Don McKenzie (Jnr, me Foreman), Frank Orris, Monty Chaplin, and Little Firpo. Some one will have to remind me who "Little Firpo" was.
Years later, I decided I better get a picture of the floor before this history disappears, but alas, it had vanished. Bugger. I was invited back to the 100 year anniversary celebrations of the brigade in June 2010, and mentioned the concrete floor and the list of names.
It is here at the hall was the reply. Where' Just outside, to the left of the main doors. I never got the story on who went to the trouble of saving this little piece of Rainbow Fire Brigade history, but I was thrilled to see it after what was possibly 50 years.
Don...
Don McKenzie 27, November, 2025
We found out later that "Little Firpo" was actually John Pascoe's son John, who mentioned it in the FB comments below.
From memory, the running track shed was near the corner of Sanders and Railway Street.
The FB comments on the missing tablet.
What did you do to the FJ Holden'
Got my first car, a 1924 Rugby tourer, donated by a neighbour in Niddrie, Vic. Needed a crank handle to start it. Not bad for an 11-year-old kid. Managed to take half a brick out of the house chimney during my first adventures. By 13, I was driving to school, and by 16, driving to work in my second year at the PMG school in West Melbourne.
I had a total of 16 cars by the time I got my FJ. These included A, T, and B Model Fords and a few Chevs that I was always working on. The Morris Minor, the Goggomobile Sedan, and the FJ were actually registered, and I had a license. I migrated to Rainbow in the early 1960s, driving the FJ. I married Cheryl in Rainbow in 1964, and it became our family car. It then became the workhorse for C&D McKenzie (Dad and Uncle Colin), Builders of Rainbow and ventured to places like Wyperfeld National Park.
I kept changing occupations for no particular reason, and it became the workhouse for McKenzie, Woodhall, and Chapple, Electrical Contractors of Rainbow. We decided that the FJ wasn't a good match for our game, so we grabbed a VW Kombi Van and decked it out with a decent roof rack and all the equipment we really needed for the task. The image shown here isn't the actual van; it is simply to show the body type and colour.
The roof rack was massive, similar in structure to the FJ Holden roof rack, and was able to accommodate our 20-foot-long aerial pole AC distribution systems for farmers' shearing sheds, and three-phase large motors.
AI Generated similar VW Kombi Van.
Eventually, we found that the Kombi wasn't a good match either. The body shape was fine, but we kept burning out motors. We even installed new motors and had the same problem. The weight of the big drums of aerial cables and lengthy poles we secured to the super-sized roof rack was simply too much of a load for the 4-cylinder motor.
AI Generated Mini HXO-999
The FJ was getting hammered - the bonnet was flapping in the breeze, and the brackets were crying out for a weld.
Thought we'd downgrade to a Mini for the family of four. Yeah, I wasn't exactly making the wisest decisions back then ''.
Plan B was to chop the roof off the FJ and go rabbit shooting. Big mistake. The chassis broke, so we welded the doors shut to add some strength. Who needs doors, right'
The Kombi Van's motor issues weren't going away, so someone had the bright idea to chuck the FJ motor into the back of the Kombi.
I met two legends at Essendon Tech - Keith Elliott and Geoff Hawkey. We were all about cars back then, and we'd drive anywhere, anytime.
They followed me to Rainbow with their families in tow, looking for adventure. Keith worked for Reg Farrell Motors, and I did a write-up on him a while back about his work with the Rainbow Movie house.
Meet my friend who Screened the Films at the Rainbow (Vic) Picture Theatre in the 1960s
Geoff, on the other hand, was the genius who came up with the adapter plate to mate the Holden motor to the VW gearbox. He was a turner and fitter at John Davis Motors.
We had some wild times before migrating to Rainbow. We were possibly only about 15 and one night we decided to do laps of the pedestrian underpass at Essendon railway station in Geoff's Morris Minor. It was a tight squeeze, but he made it through with inches to spare.
The cops weren't impressed, of course. They chased us, but Geoff nipped into the tunnel, and their car was too big to follow. We got away apparently scot-free.
Geoff's solution' He painted the car from undercoat red to blue, pulled the engine, and hoped the cops wouldn't recognize it. Seems to have worked, mate!!
Google Maps - Pedestrian Underpass Essendon Railway Station
Fitting a water-cooled motor into a chassis designed for an air-cooled one wasn't exactly a stroke of genius - and we learned that the hard way.
First, we cut out those nice decorative side vents at the back near the engine and replaced them with oversized scoops. Then we reversed the fan direction, because we now had the radiator hanging off an extra chassis extension out the rear. To cover the extra length of the engine and radiator, we built a sort of hump with metal panels. It looked... creative.
Even then, the FJ motor still ran too hot, so we decided to mount the radiator at the front of the Kombi and run two long hoses the full length of the vehicle underneath. That didn't work either - the poor original water pump couldn't push that much water around. So we replaced it with an industrial-strength pump big enough to irrigate a small paddock.
By this stage, we were starting to realise that buying a more suitable vehicle might have been easier. We'd already lost about two weeks of work on this "engineering masterpiece."
But on we went. We drove it to places like Nhill and Nertherby, each trip an adventure that deserves its own chapter.
I wished I could've added some snaps to wrap it up, but we were flat out. Ended up relying on AI-generated images for this story - a first for me. When used sparingly, they can help flesh out the tale.
BTW I would love to know where the Kombi Van ended up. We sold it along with the business to Joe McKenzie.
And the FJ? To heaven of course.
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