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The 1820s in Sydney Before we begin an exploration of Sydney’s fire protection in the 1820s, let’s set the scene. The year was 1821, 200 years ago, when the first steps were made to ensure Sydney’s protection against fire. Two appliances were purchased by the authorities and by the end of 1821, they had arrived in the colony. The year, like most before it, brought great change to the colony. Amongst other things, the Australian Magazine made its debut, Australia’s greatest ex

By Guest Writer Ian Grimwood This blog is a modified extract from Ian’s recent History Week presentation. To view the recording please visit https://www.museumoffire.net/copy-of-history-week-2021 In this piece, I will highlight the close association that the Australian Military Forces and the Fire Brigade in NSW have had since the nineteenth century, up to contemporary times. If we start with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) back in 1884 a portion of the senior leadership

What are we up to now and what was happening then? It is very timely to be writing this blog as we near the end of another month in lockdown. Being the end of the month, I am in the usual process of signing off on our financials and other projects, so it is a great time for reflection. With the Museum closed until further notice we have had to adapt our public offerings and this has meant that we are heavily focusing upon digital content. A few weeks ago, we hosted our first

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the opening of the new Wallsend Fire Station at an event held in 2018. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable. The Formation of the Wallsend and Plattsburg Fire Brigade The town of Wallsend developed after the Wallsend Coal Compa

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the opening of the new Batlow Fire Station at an event held in 2018. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable. Before there was a formalised Fire Brigade Before the Fire Brigades Act was even extended to Batlow there was a local “t

In the lead up to this year’s Olympic Games, we are excited to be able to share some fantastic fire-related content with you. So, you might be thinking – how could there possibly be a link between an international multi-sport event, such as the Olympic Games, and fire? Well, the emergency services have their own version of this major biennial sporting event: the World Police and Fire Games. A World First: The 1985 World Police and Fire Games at San Jose, California While perh

-Story by Bill Rowlings OAM Deputy President, c. 1984 It was all the doing of the first female to take on a senior role in fire brigade management in NSW. In 1982, the NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Peter Anderson, appointed Kristine Klugman BA (History) MA (Community Studies) as the first female to serve on the then 98-year-old Board of Fire Commissioners, and made her Deputy President. At the time, she was also the President of the Australian Museum Trust,

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the centenary of Blayney Fire Brigade at an event held during FRNSW Open Day on 15 May 2021. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable. Over the years, Blayney residents learnt of the devastating effects of fire. Calls for the estab

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the opening of the new Abermain Fire Station back in 2017. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable. A Brief History of Abermain Fire Brigade The first account of fire in Abermain was on Sunday 24 July 1904 when a two-room family h

For this week's blog, Championship Historian John Hand takes a look back at the first annual Fire Brigades "Demo" held by the Victorian Brigades in 1896, 125 years ago. Competition between Fire Brigades in Australia began in the latter half of the 19th Century. In colonial Sydney, there was fervent competition between the Insurance Fire Brigades and the Volunteer Fire Brigades which resultantly saw the emergence of 'Demonstrations' being conducted to showcase the firefighting