Blog

As I stepped into the role of Acting Chief Executive Officer at the Museum of Fire in July 2025, I did so with a deep sense of responsibility, pride, and optimism. Having worked closely with our CEO, Belinda McMartin, in my role as Curator of Heritage and Engagement, I was fortunate to already understand the rhythms, challenges, and ambitions of the Museum. Taking on this position during Belinda’s maternity leave has been both a privilege and an opportunity to continue the im

At the Museum of Fire, our mission extends beyond simply housing historic objects. We exist to preserve and share the stories, memories, and moments that define our past, especially those belonging to our emergency first responders. This is particularly important in our role as a history museum, where we document and honour the legacy of firefighting across New South Wales. Our commitment to preservation goes well beyond the museum walls. We work closely with Fire and Rescue

CEO Belinda McMartin, June 2025 It is that time of year again when we reflect on another successful year for the Museum of Fire’s online blog, which I’m incredibly pleased to announce has been read online by 28,000 people in the last twelve months alone! This year, the timing is somewhat ironic as I pay tribute to five years of the blog and five years in the role of CEO, because, at least for an extended period of time, this will be my last blog CEO blog as I embark on my nex

Museum of Fire Senior Staff, 2024. Pictured left to right: Ella Murtagh, Kate Coleman, Belinda McMartin, Cameron Stafford and Ben Dickson As the CEO of the Museum of Fire I am incredibly proud of the quality of service our team is able to provide across all aspects of the business, especially when it comes to the presentation and preservation of history. From incredibly humble beginnings, back in 2020 when I became CEO, with just one staff member employed to oversee this vast

This week, to coincide with the annual celebration of International Women’s Day, the Museum is proud to officially open our latest exhibition which pays tribute to the role women have played within firefighting in NSW. This exhibition has been produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of women being permitted to join the NSW Fire Brigade (NSWFB, today Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) as firefighters. This is the first time that an exhibition has showcased this largely forgotten p

Belinda McMartin, Museum of Fire CEO (November 2024) The Constant Wheels of Change – Is That a Feasible Business Model for the Museum? Growth and development don’t happen overnight. Change takes time and adapting to this isn’t a quick task. Having said that, the global pandemic created the need for rapid adaptation and so between 2020-2022 the Museum was in a constant state of change, growth and development.   In 2023 the Museum switched our focus to consolidation, as we came

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

For the last 46 years (since 1977), International Museum Day has been celebrated by Museum’s all around the world. The theme is selected by the International Council of Museum’s (ICOM) and organisations, no matter what size, are encouraged to engage and share their stories. Ironically, I was so busy talking Museum’s at the #AMAGA2023 conference in Newcastle that the day almost passed me by, and I didn’t get my usual chance to reflect on what the day meant for our small organi