Blog

Every time I write a CEO blog, I use the same phrases about being busier than we ever have been before and I think I’m starting to sound like a broken record. While this is still 100% true, and our last month since I last wrote a CEO Blog has been one of our busiest on record, I decided to ask all of our senior staff to come to our senior team meeting last week prepared with one sentence to describe the previous month. They didn’t know that this was purely so I could garner i

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 year for 2024 our Vehicle of the Year is the 1984 Centenary Vehicle, an International 1810C pumper more colloquially and favourably known as the ‘White Knight’. As the name suggests this fire engine was originally commissioned and installed in 1984 to celebrate the centenary of the Fire Brigade (known as the New South Wales Fire Brigade, NSWFB, now better known as Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW). This pumper stood out for one major reason, that being its colour! The White Kn

A major role of our emergency services is the rescuing of those in need, whether that be in a one-off incident or in a major disaster, the ability of firefighters, with the aid and sometimes guidance of other agencies to undertake rescue procedures is an essential part of what they do. For the theme of our 2023 art competition, we wanted to pay tribute to this role firefighters undertake, emphasising the latter half of our state’s fire service name “Fire AND Rescue NSW”. Stat

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

In the last twelve months the world has returned to some sort of normalcy, following what seemed like a never-ending series of lockdowns. While this is a good thing, we were unsure how it would impact visitation to the Museum. Despite the difficulties the pandemic created, it also aided in the growth of visitation to the Museum with many families and individuals looking for activities close to home. With the option to now travel further afield we were unsure how this would im

Considering the turbulent environmental issues experienced over the previous two Financial Years (FY), it is pleasing to report that this 2022-2023 FY we were blessed with some clear air and were able to get on with building, technological and collection improvements. This is not to say that challenges didn’t arise, but our staff and volunteers guided by our CEO Belinda McMartin we were able to efficiently and effectively deal with them. I think all that have visited the Muse

Our Halloween Rocks scavenger hunt is now entering its third year and it has been so popular in the past that we have extended it from Saturday 28th until Tuesday 31st October where the Museum will remain open until 7pm with fire engine rides running throughout the day until 6pm ( see website for details ). The best part is that ALL children who come in costume get in for FREE! So, get your kids Halloween costume ready & come join the team for a spookily fun adventure! *Terms

Last year for Ask a Museum Day 2022 we introduced you to the Heritage Team which at the time had some fresh additions to the team, Ben as the new curator (that’s me) and Ella as the Assistant Curator. A year has passed, and we still get questions each and everyday from people asking us about what it is we exactly get up to in our jobs, so we wanted to take the opportunity this year now that we have been in our roles for a little while to answer some of those questions! Interv

When it comes to operating a museum about firefighting, it may seem ironic that one of the greatest threats to a museum, is fire, or it may be the perfect opportunity to practice what we preach when it comes to fire safety. You may have noticed a few planned and sudden un-planned closures for the Museum this year and at the heart of all these closures has been our desire to ensure the Museum is protected when it comes to fire safety and the integrity of the building. Five ye