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Station Focus: 269 Corrimal Fire Brigade 1925-2025
The Beginning of a Brigade in Corrimal Movement for the creation of a fire brigade at Corrimal began in 1924 with Divisional Inspector G. Grimmond visiting the area to discuss the region’s fire protection with the mayor. It was determined that a volunteer brigade would be established in the area, which at that time was known as North Illawarra, and was managed by North Illawarra Council. The Brigade was therefore to be known as the North Illawarra Brigade and would consist of

Museum of Fire Heritage Team
Feb 4, 20253 min read


Chaos in the Sydney CBD as a historic building goes up in flames - 14 January 1975
On 14 January 1975, in the heart of Sydney CBD, the former Angus and Robertson building on Castlereagh Street, opposite David Jones, was gutted by fire. Firefighters described it as the most difficult and hazardous commercial property fire they had fought in many years. The four-storey historic building had been occupied by various commercial businesses since Angus and Robertson vacated the premises in 1972. It contained a labyrinth of basement cellars and was crammed with so

Museum of Fire Heritage Team
Jan 7, 20253 min read


Looking to the Future & 150 years into the Past.
150 years Ago - the year 1875 - at least 9 fire brigades were formed in NSW. Though not a

CEO
Jan 2, 20255 min read


The recovery efforts of USAR during the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami
At 7:58am on Boxing Day 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake occurred on the ocean floor 60 kilometres off the west coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia. This earthquake caused a large volume of water to form gigantic waves that moved in all directions, initially at speeds of 700 km/h and reaching heights of 15 metres. What ultimately resulted in a tsunami, tragically claimed the lives of 230,000 people in a matter of hours, destroyed 141,000 homes and devastated the local fish

Museum of Fire Heritage Team
Dec 27, 20245 min read


Station Focus: 069 Dee Why Fire Brigade 1924-2024
Establishing a Brigade in Dee Why The expansion of the Warringah Fire District in 1923 saw the suburb of Dee Why brought under the protection of the Fire Brigades Act. Recommendations were put forward for the establishment of a brigade with a strength of two permanent and six partially paid firefighters. This accounted for the number of surrounding fire stations that could provide aid during an incident, and the prevalence of weatherboard houses in the area. A site on Fish Ro

Museum of Fire Heritage Team
Dec 12, 20242 min read


On the Fire Front – the Development of the Fire Command Vehicle
Command vehicles, also known as Fire Control vehicles or Incident Command vehicles, serve a unique purpose within the fleet of firefighting appliances. Command vehicles have not always been a staple however, as the concept was only truly introduced 1972 as the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB; now Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) began exploring the opportunities and possibilities of what a Command vehicle might look like. Originally the concept envisioned by the brigade involved the usag

Curator
Dec 3, 20244 min read


Station Focus: 267 Coraki Fire Brigade 1921-2024
Establishment of a Fire Brigade in Coraki Established in 1849 before becoming a bustling riverside port in the 1880s, Coraki looked to establish their own fire brigade under the Fire Brigades Act at the start of the twentieth century. The town was then successful in achieving incorporation under the Fire Brigades Act in the year 1912. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication between the Coraki Council and the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) the Council missed out on

Museum of Fire Heritage Team
Nov 19, 20243 min read


Of State Significance – The Museum of Fire’s Collection Items Listed on the State Heritage Register
Did you know that it has been a decade since the Hon. Robyn Parker, Minister for the Environment and heritage attended the Museum to announce the listing of several of the Museum’s collection items onto the NSW State Heritage Register. What is the heritage register? The NSW State Heritage Register was created to identify places and objects that are of significance to the state of New South Wales. These places and objects help provide us with insight to previous generations

Museum of Fire Heritage Team
Nov 12, 20245 min read


One of Sydney’s largest fires of the 1960’s - The Pulpit Point Mobil Oil Fire
History of Pulpit Point and the Mobil Oil Depot Pulpit Point, located in the suburb of Hunters Hill in Sydney, was the home of one of Sydney’s most integral oil depots since the city’s early history. Situated along Pulpit Point to Fern Bay, sailing ships and cargo vessels delivered oil related goods as early as 1895, unloading stock such as kerosene, petrol, and lubricating oil. In 1907 the oil depot become known as and operated under the name of the Vacuum Oil Company which

Curator
Oct 29, 20244 min read


Looking Back Across Three Decades of Fire and Rescue NSW
It’s time for another look back at what was happening in the world of the NSW Fire Brigade (NSWFB, today known as Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) thirty years ago, twenty years ago and ten years ago! Here is a quick spin through thirty years of history! Thirty Years Ago - 1994 Thirty years ago, in 1994, there were a lot of legislative changes being enacted by the NSW Government that directly affected the NSWFB, specifically through amendments to the Fire Brigades Act (1989). The

Museum of Fire Heritage Team
Oct 22, 20245 min read
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