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It is with a great sense of sadness that I begin by reporting on the passing of Leslie (Liz) White on 3 September 2025. Liz was the wife of our late President and CEO, Mark White AFSM OAM. The White family’s association with the Museum dates from the Association’s beginning, and Liz’s long service to our Museum as a full-time employee was exceptional. This proud family legacy continues through Liz’s son, Cameron White, who remains a valued employee of the Museum. On behalf of

The name of our museum often turns heads and prompts a curious “Oh?” from visitors. It’s not uncommon for people to ask, “The Museum of Fire? That sounds cool, but what is it actually about?”  Some even refer to us simply as “the fire museum,” but few realise the rich history behind our name and what it has come to represent. Our Humble Beginnings The Museum of Fire wasn’t always known by its current name. Our story began in 1968 when Brian Blunt and Bob Winch purchased a Den

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

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

Did you know that it has been a decade since the Hon. Robyn Parker, Minister for the Environment and heritage attended the Museum to announce the listing of several of the Museum’s collection items onto the NSW State Heritage Register.   What is the heritage register? The NSW State Heritage Register was created to identify places and objects that are of significance to the state of New South Wales. These places and objects help provide us with insight to previous generations

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

We focus so much on telling other people’s stories in this blog that we thought we would take the time to tell you our story, and how the Museum of Fire came to be.   The Museum’s history begins with the establishment of the Historic Fire Engine Association of Australia (HFEAA; now known as the Historic Fire Engine Association). In 1968 Brian Blunt and Bob Winch purchased a Dennis Big 4 fire engine from the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (now Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW),

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