Following a system already established in England and Europe, Insurance companies in Melbourne organised Insurance Fire Brigades to protect the property of their Insurees.

These insurance Fire Brigades only protected their customers properties. They did not protect general public property or properties that were not insured.

If they arrived at the fire and found that the property was not insured with their Insurance company they would go back to their station allowing the property to burn.

Some properties insured with several companies to make sure that at least one of the arriving brigades would save their investment.

Sometimes several Insurance Fire Brigades would arrive at a fire at the same time, then they had who establish if the property had an Insurance Policy with their company.

To assist Brigades to quickly establish that the property was insured with their company the Insurance companies devised metal signs, displaying their company emblem, to fix to the front of the each insured property. There signs become known as "Firemarks".

The first Firemarks were made of lead, and until 1708 had the Insurance Policy Number stamped on them. As the cost of lead increased, later marks were made of copper, zinc and tin, most were brightly painted and were frequently quite artistic in design.