Blog

“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know” – Harry S Truman (American President 1945-1953) At the Museum of Fire our Heritage Team are kept busy every day digging through historical documents on a mission to understand what transpired in the past. Whether they are assisting the public with an inquiry, conducting research for the many projects we undertake for Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW); or working to update the displays in the Museum our team are

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the opening of the brand new Busby 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. Establishing a Brigade in Busby (Green Valley) In 1960 the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) began investigating opportunities for new fire stations

The Olympics has everyone excited, and we were very enthusiastic to share this story that was recently brought to our attention. The Museum is often approached to undertake research to verify tid bits of history and while many times the story being fact checked turns out to not be true, with the Olympic spirit raging through our offices we were asked to confirm if a local Orange Firefighter was indeed the first NSW Firefighter to attend the Olympics AND take home a gold medal

*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. This extract focuses on the now closed No. 008 Alexandria Fire Station, if you would like to read about the cu

The Fire Brigade Championships (as we know them today) began as ‘Demonstrations’ where fire brigades showcased their skills to the local community. Events at the ‘Demo’ are based on real situations that firefighters face daily and are designed to highlight their talent, expertise, and were used as a way to train firefighters. State Firefighting Championships now continue to be one of Fire and Rescue NSW’s (FRNSW; formerly NSW Fire Brigades) most longstanding and proudest trad

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