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140 years ago, on 24 June 1884 the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) Board was gazette with the first MFB crew appointed and becoming operational on 1 July 1884. These twenty men were led by the newly appointed Superintendent William Douglas Bear, who originally hailed from the old Insurance Company Fire brigade, No. 1 Volunteer Company and the London Fire brigade. To read more about Chief Superintendent Bear check out this blog about him . The records reveal unique and interes

A fire brigade was first established in Coledale in January 1930, with the first station premises being a garage-type building consisting of a single room and made of weatherboard, concrete floors and an iron roof. The Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW leased this building from Mr. E. Meades for an original tenancy of five years, although this would remain the brigade’s home for over 26 years. Initially, five volunteers called this rented premises home and were equipped with

*DISCLAIMER - The following incident contains the mention of deceased persons and showcases photographs from the horrific incident of the collapsed structure, reader discretion is advised. On the evening of Saturday 9 June 1979, a disastrous fire occurred at Luna Park, which tragically took the lives of seven people. At 10:14pm Headquarters Control received the first call to a fire burning in the Ghost Train ride at Luna Park. Crews from Crows Nest and Neutral Bay were first

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the centenary the re-opening of Alexandria Fire Station (previously Waterloo). 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. No. 013 Waterloo 1877-1975 The first brigade to form in the suburb of Waterloo was in 1877 and operated under

To understand who the Director-General is, it is worthwhile taking a trip back in time to see how the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB; now Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) operated in the past. In 1884 the Fire Brigades Act was first inaugurated which saw the volunteer and insurance brigades, which had provided fire protection across metropolitan Sydney, join under a new singular entity. This new entity was to be administered and managed by a Fire Brigades Board which was made up of six

Kevin Fletcher was one of Australia’s highest decorated firefighters receiving many medals throughout his career including the Star of Courage, the National Medal, Conspicuous Bravery Medal, the Bravery Medal, and the Bronze Medal from the Royal Humane Society, all on display at the Museum. Fletcher is said to have been a humble man, stating on numerous occasions that there were plenty of other firefighters that deserved recognition as much as he did. Kevin Fletcher joined th

Amendments to the Fire Brigades Act in 1909 saw the expansion of legislated fire protection to statewide coverage and the consequent establishment on 16 February 1910, of the New South Wales Fire Brigades (NSWFB, now Fire and Rescue NSW) which replaced the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB).   By 26 June 1912, all but one of the MFB medals had been awarded and with the name change to New South Wales Fire Brigades, new dies for the medal were necessary. The Board meeting of the s

At the Museum of Fire we feel it is essential to pay tribute to our firefighters each and every day. Without their heroic efforts there would be no stories to share, nor any history to preserve. We acknowledge the proud history of Fire and Rescue NSW, formerly New South Wales Fire Brigade (NSWFB) and Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB); especially in this 140-birthday year of the organisation and note how much the organisation has changed and developed in that time. Despite havin

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the centenary of Tumut Fire Station. 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. Establishment of a Fire Brigade in Tumut Discussions for the establishment of a fire brigade in Tumut occurred after a premises owned by Mrs T. Downing

The Formation of the Community Fire Unit Following the devastating January 1994 bushfires residents were left feeling frustrated as they wanted to help protect their community but didn’t know how to. They watched, helpless, as their homes were destroyed by fire often only being armed with a garden hose ad buckets of water. This was the catalyst for Terry Munsey of the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB, now Fire and Rescue NSW; FRNSW) to upgrade former hose posts to Community Fire Unit