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As we enter a new year there is much to look forward to at the Museum. These school holidays are already very busy with extra weekday fire engine rides available thanks to the dedication of our volunteers. The 2023 Art Competition Exhibit has also opened and will remain on show throughout the summer. The 2023 theme was “rescue”, and the caliber of entries was very high which has made the judging process very difficult. The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held la

This week marks thirty years since what has become known as the 1994 Eastern Seaboard Fires. At the time these were the most ferocious fires NSW had seen in approximately 20 years. Please note that the terminology used in this brief recap of the 1994 bushfire emergency is reflective of the vernacular used at the time of the incident. In some places modern language has been adapted, however for the most part the terms use reflects what was colloquial in 1994. Fire in Bungoona

As we reflect on the last twelve months and all that we’ve achieved at the Museum we thought we’d take one last walk down memory lane for 2023 and throw it back ten years to 2013. In 2013 four Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) fire brigades saw the completion of building works and the commencement of operations out of new stations. These were: Jerilderie (officially opened 5 November, the brigade dates back to 1898) Coolamon (officially opened 6 November, the brigade dates back to

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to commemorate the opening of South West Rocks Fire Station at a ceremony held on Thursday 13 June 2019. 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 Establishment of a Fire Brigade in South West Rocks In February 1974 the Macleay Council wrot

*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 Ryde Fire Station on 24 November 2023. The following is dedicated to the station's continuing history. 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 Ryde Like many other districts, the e

On the 20 November 1973 at 3:42pm, control received the call to a fire which had engulfed the multistorey Woolworths located at Warringah Mall in Brookvale in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Dee Why was the first to respond on site with Manly’s motor and ladder unit closely following by and arriving as the second on scene. The severity of the blaze was not to be underestimated and the building was tremendously consumed by the fire with the unfortunate situation of two women trappe

*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 Nyngan Fire Station in 2017. The following is dedicated to the station's continuing history. 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 First Nyngan Fire Brigade (1928) As early as 1917 local businessmen i

The approval of The Fire Brigades Act by the Parliament of NSW, established the Sydney Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB), giving it the responsibility for providing fire protection to the Greater Sydney area. In time there came the need to recognize Long Service and Good Conduct of its members, in a manner fitting for a uniformed service. The London Metropolitan Fire Brigade (LFB), from which much of the early training, techniques and traditions had been sourced for the Sydney

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the brand new station opening for Muswellbrook in 2023. The following is dedicated to the station's continuing history celebrating now at the time of writing in 2023, 129 years of history. 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 earliest use of ladders for firefighting appears to have been for the accessing and removing of thatched roofs of buildings, with suggestions the practice dates back to the Roman Empire. As buildings grew taller, their use for saving life became apparent, and following the invention of fire hoses the opportunities for gaining access to upper stories for firefighting also increased. The early pumping engines were too small to carry ladders on board, so they were carried by