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The Origins of Firefighting in Maroubra The history of Maroubra Fire Station reflects the community spirit that has made it a beloved institution. Beyond housing a fire brigade, it has been used as a community hub, embodying the values that unite its residents. Blue prints for Maroubra Fire Station, November 1923 [Museum of Fire Collection] Beginning in 1912, the Randwick Municipal Council recognised the need for a new fire brigade and station to protect the rapidly developin

The history of Bowral Fire Brigade, its formation and growth, reflect the grit and resilience that has long defined country towns and those who reside in them. As early as 1886, residents of Bowral began expressing their concern over the lack of a fire brigade in town. They feared that the town was ill-prepared for a large fire, especially since they had no reticulated water supply and relied solely on wells and tanks. This fear came to fruition when a disastrous fire swept t

The Glen Innes Volunteer Fire Brigade In 1872, when Glen Innes was proclaimed a municipality, it was recognised that a fire brigade was needed. During a meeting of the Glen Innes Fire Brigade Board on 24 November 1886, it was approved, and subsequently agreed upon that John Sully be appointed Captain of the Brigade. Over the coming years, funds were raised for a manual pumper, and in February 1888, it was decided that one would be ordered. The appliance cost £250 (approximate

Community Roots The history of organised fire protection in the Dungog district is long and varied. Beginning as early as 1912, attempts to form a brigade began shortly after a house fire on 26 June, where the absence of a brigade meant bystanders banded together to extinguish the flames. Soon after in July, the editor of the Dungog Chronicle had written to the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) to enquire about the requirements for establishing a fire brigade in the a

Volunteer Origins Several discussions were held in the early 1900s to form a fire brigade in the West Wyalong district. By March 1907, a grant of £25 (approximately $4,600 today) was received from the state government to be used for the formation of a fire brigade. A few months later in June, meetings were held to enrol members with over 50 signing up, along with the election of a Captain, J. Stephenson. This brigade, however, quickly dissolved and by January 1908 there was r

Attempts to Form a Brigade   Consideration regarding fire protection in the North Illawarra District began to be explored by the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) as early as October 1922. Local interest in forming a brigade was expressed in June-July 1924 when the School of Arts wrote to the BoFC to enquire about the possibility of a fire brigade in the Balgownie area. Similar sentiments were expressed in the neighbouring town of Corrimal, and it was in October that

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

Formation of Riverstone Fire Brigade   Interest in the fire protection of Riverstone was brought to the foreground in 1923. At this time, Riverstone was located within the Windsor Fire District and received protection from Windsor Fire Brigade, however, the brigade was unable to provide adequate fire protection to Riverstone due to the great distance between the two towns and Riverstone’s lack of a reticulated water supply. This meant Riverstone was at risk of being removed f

Cootamundra’s First Attempts to Establish Interest in forming a fire brigade in Cootamundra began in early 1882, after a fire broke out in the milliner’s shop in February of that year. A kerosene lamp had been left unattended, and the fire spread to some of the dresses hanging above the counter, engulfing the shop in seconds. The residence of Cootamundra quickly got to work forming a bucket brigade, passing buckets between the shop and a nearby well. They were successfully ab

Out of the many displays at the Museum of Fire, one that often captures visitors’ attention is the large set of shelves filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of identical books. These aren’t just any old books, and their uniform size and shape hint at a shared purpose. And indeed, they do share something very special: they are occurrence books . Members of the Museum of Fire install the occurrence book display at the Museum in the 1990s [Museum of Fire Collection] Occurrenc