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In commemoration of its 100 th  birthday, the Museum of Fire is pleased to announce the 1926 ME 88 Garford Hale as the 2026 Vehicle of the Year. This small but mighty appliance served for over 40 years in a number of fire stations across regional New South Wales, an exemplar of early firefighting history in our state. Museum of Fire 2026 Vehicle of the Year the 1926 ME 88 Garford Hale fire engine, 2026 [Museum of Fire collection] The Garford Motor Truck Company and its Role i

Beginnings Turning back the clock, we begin in the 19th century with William Hamilton Brown born in Darlinghurst in 1897. Living most of his life in Wentworthville, which at this point in time, considered the westernmost fringe of the Sydney area. In 1914, Brown joined the 10th Australian Service Corps (ASC), which was a militia unit. Shortly after in 1916 at the bright young age of 18 and 2 months, Brown enlisted into the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) as a part of the A