Acting CEO Ben Dickson [Photo Courtesy of the ABC] I stepped into the role of Acting Chief Executive Officer in July 2025, taking the reins from our substantive CEO, Belinda McMartin, while she was on maternity leave. The past year has been one of the most enlightening of my professional life, and the Museum of Fire has continued to grow throughout it. I am proud to have been part of that journey. As my time as Acting CEO draws to a close alongside my departure from the Museu

The history and formation of Bellbird Fire Brigade is inseparable from the area’s coal mining history. The establishment of mines in the area began in the early 1900s, and with that brought the establishment of a nearby village in 1908. The looming threat of fire and the destruction it wrought, was soon made apparent after the Bellbird Mine disaster of 1923. Explosions at the Bellbird Colliery, one of the busiest coalfields in the region, on 3 September 1923 caused a number o

In the early hours of 26 May 1976, one of Sydney’s most iconic buildings was lit up with flames that left it in ruins. Built in 1891, the Strand Arcade is Sydney's last remaining Victorian shopping arcade dating to the late 19th Century. The arcade had been a thriving hub within Sydney in the early 20th Century, providing shoppers and pedestrians with a quiet respite from the increasingly crowded and bustling streets. As one of the first places in the city with electrical ill