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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 information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the centenary of Tumut Fire Station. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable. Establishment of a Fire Brigade in Tumut Discussions for the establishment of a fire brigade in Tumut occurred after a premises owned by Mrs T. Downing

The Formation of the Community Fire Unit Following the devastating January 1994 bushfires residents were left feeling frustrated as they wanted to help protect their community but didn’t know how to. They watched, helpless, as their homes were destroyed by fire often only being armed with a garden hose ad buckets of water. This was the catalyst for Terry Munsey of the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB, now Fire and Rescue NSW; FRNSW) to upgrade former hose posts to Community Fire Unit

This year marks 140 years of continual service to the community by Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW). In highlighting this milestone, let’s go back in time to one of its first leaders. In 1884 FRNSW was known as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and whilst it was governed by a board, the chief firefighter in charge was known as the Superintendent and the first Superintendent was William Bear (1884-1898). Let’s take a look back at his history and his pivotal leadership which has s

This blog was written for History Week 2020 which looked at the oldest still in use fire station outside of Sydney. The Museum of Fire's Heritage Team would like to thank Orange Fire Brigade and the local community for their support of History Week 2020. It was in December 1868 that steps were taken by Orange Council to establish a local Fire Brigade. The records are sketchy but by February 1869 a Brigade had been formed as they wrote to Council seeking financial assistance t

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the history of Warrawong Fire Brigade. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable. The Establishment of a Fire Brigade in Port Kembla/Warrawong The present-day area of Port Kembla and Warrawong historically remained largely un-develo

The Black Saturday Bushfires of 2009 remain one of the most devastating emergency incidents in Australian history. A number of large bushfires across the state of Victoria caused devastation to communities and wildlife, with emergency services from across the country providing aid both during and after the event. Lives, houses, whole towns, and wildlife were lost in the tragedy, however, the strong Australian camaraderie, mateship and resilience never wavered. Australia had b

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the history of Singleton Fire Station. Should you wish to use any of the information and pictures provided we ask that you please reference the Museum correctly and contact the Museum for permission where applicable. The Singleton Volunteer Fire Brigade On Friday 16 April 1886, a public meeting was held at the Singleton Municipal Council Chambers to discuss taking

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