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Manual Fire Engines  Today, fire engines are a sight to behold, their bright red colour, flashing lights, and loud sirens herald their arrival. Equipped with a variety of equipment, they are truly prepared for any emergency. However, if we take a step back in time to the origins of organised firefighting in Sydney, we find a vastly different scene.   The early 19th century marked a major advancement in firefighting technology with the rise of the manual fire engine, an evolut

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

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

As the year draws to a close, we always spend time reflecting on what stories and photographs were popular on our socials. Our team enjoy sharing historic incidents and anniversaries, just as much as we take pride in sharing the various updates we’ve made around the Museum and the various activities we’ve been taking part in. In what will be one of the last blogs for 2024 we’ve taken a look at the most popular images we’ve shared on Instagram. It is said that a picture speaks

The Museum of Fire is an iconic staple of the Penrith landscape and that is mostly due to the wonderful building that we are housed in today. The large grey building that we call home was once upon a time Penrith Power Station and has an intriguing history of its own, so let’s take a look at what is so special about our building! Firstly, lets step back in time and make it clear as to when the Museum of Fire got involved. We come into the picture in 1985, where after the buil

"Women's work is never done so a woman directors work is really never done" – Jahnavi Phalkey, Bengaluru Science Gallery The Australian Museum and Galleries Association (AMaGA) national conference was held in Ballarat, Victoria recently with the central theme for 2024 promoted as “(un)common ground: collisions, convergence and conversations”. As has become the norm, climate change and underrepresented voices were the topic that was woven through most sessions and conversation

Throughout the month of May the Museum team has been kept very busy with lots of events and more projects throughout the Museum to update several exhibitions and displays. We also opened our temporary exhibit “The Longest Serving Regional Brigades in NSW”, which you may have seen if you visited the Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) display at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.   This year marks 140 years since the creation of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB), which today is known as

When it comes to operating a museum about firefighting, it may seem ironic that one of the greatest threats to a museum, is fire, or it may be the perfect opportunity to practice what we preach when it comes to fire safety. You may have noticed a few planned and sudden un-planned closures for the Museum this year and at the heart of all these closures has been our desire to ensure the Museum is protected when it comes to fire safety and the integrity of the building. Five ye

For the last three years the Museum team has worked tirelessly to re-build the organisation in the face of adversity. While keeping a...

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