Melbourne Cash Fire

The large Gisborne departmental store of Melbourne Cash Ltd was swept by fire in the early hours of a recent Tuesday morning, resulting in damage in excess of $75,000 to the building and stock.

The combined efforts of five appliances and 35 firemen from Gisborne and district fire brigades confined the blaze to the single-storey portion of the building, leaving one third of the store unscathed.

The most extensive damage occurred in the wool department, the fabric showroom, where the fire is thought to have started, and the main office, located above at the rear. Adjacent departments, men's wear and children's, suffered water, smoke, and minor fire damage.

The destruction of the main office and its contents, including all the firm's records and the "business end" of the Lamson cash transmission system, was perhaps the most serious loss caused by the blaze.

Quick to recover, however, the staff cheerfully opened the doors of the unaffected departments for a "normal" day's trading.