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In the last year 28,000 people have read the Museum blog online, which is just a phenomenal response to our weekly publication! Since we launched the blog in July 2020 almost 72,000 people have read out stories! Thank you to those who have subscribed and join us weekly. If you haven’t yet subscribed be sure to, so you don’t miss an issue! You can also follow the Museum on Facebook and Instagram to receive updates. For those who have been regular readers you’ll have your own f

This year, 2025, marks 50 years since the first lot of hydraulic powered rescue equipment (known as the Jaws of Life) was introduced in the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB, now Fire and Rescue NSW). The first three kits of Jaws of Life were known as the Enerpac Rescue Sets, with these sets originally installed at Blacktown, Hornsby, and Miranda Fire Stations. The Jaws of Life were intended to be used at an accident before the arrival of other rescue squads, which at the time were th

It was 30 years ago that the first K9 entered the services of the NSW Fire Brigade (NSWFB, today Fire and Rescue NSW). Known as Sabre , they made their debut at the Firefighter Championships held in Armidale on 16 September 1995. A pure-breed German Shepherd, Sabre joined the NSWFB aged just 7-months and began training as an accelerant’s detector dog with handler and Rescue/Bushfire Officer Graham McCarthy. Sabre was officially gifted to the NSWFB at the Graduation event held

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

The first 4.5 months of the year have been incredibly busy for the museum’s small team, but they’ve been incredibly rewarding as well. To celebrate International Museum’s Day and National Volunteer Week our CEO reflects on the year so far. Museums have a responsibility to not just the histories that they present,but to the wider community that supports their existence. Winning cool Aunty points because I know the PAW Patrol gang, FRNSW Open Day 2025 On Sunday, 18 May, Interna

Ideas for the establishment of a brigade in the Ulladulla area were first proposed in July 1969. This was intended to provide fire protection not only to Ulladulla, but also to Milton and Mollymook. Action was promptly undertaken to acquire a suitable site for the construction of a fire station. Lot 14 Nurrawalle Street was determined to be the most suitable of the suggested sites owing to its relatively level land and its position within the proposed fire district. With land

Early calls for the formation of a fire brigade within Merrylands were made to the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) by the Prospect and Sherwood Council (now Cumberland City Council) in April 1922. Requests for a dedicated brigade would also be made by and maintained by the Loftus Park Progress Association in May 1923. The BoFC, in agreement with the concerns of the Council and the Progress Association, would acquire land on Merrylands Road in 1923, with the intentio

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

On 14 January 1975, in the heart of Sydney CBD, the former Angus and Robertson building on Castlereagh Street, opposite David Jones, was gutted by fire. Firefighters described it as the most difficult and hazardous commercial property fire they had fought in many years. The four-storey historic building had been occupied by various commercial businesses since Angus and Robertson vacated the premises in 1972. It contained a labyrinth of basement cellars and was crammed with so