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The Leyland Crane with a Ford D400 at Five Dock Workshops, c.1970s [Museum of Fire Collection] This month marks ten years since the restoration of the Museum’s 1938 Leyland Crane. The Crane was purchased by the Museum of Fire in June 2010 and took just over six years to restore, with the Museum receiving a highly commended award at the National Trust Heritage Award. During the mid-1930s, recovering damaged or broken-down vehicles was a major logistical issue for fire brigades

If you've ever driven through regional Australia in summer, chances are you've seen one - a roadside sign with a needle pointing to a colour-coded scale ranging from low to catastrophic. The Fire Danger Meter is one of Australia's most recognisable pieces of public safety infrastructure. But behind that simple roadside sign lies a remarkably rich history of science, tragedy, and ongoing adaptation. A general view showing Greta Bushfire Brigade Station in the background, and a

Firefighters attack the fire [Photograph by Michael Connaughton, courtesy of Fire and Rescue NSW] In the early hours of Friday, 24 June 2016, firefighters were called to furniture factory in Greenacre that was well alight. The factory contained a spray booth and a large quantity of paints and thinners. A large explosion in the factory resulted in flames and a severe weakening of the building’s structure. A number of 000 calls were reported at 2:47am and the crews from Banksto

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