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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

Manly Fire Station watchroom, c. 1920 [Museum of Fire Collection] One of our most well-loved displays here at the Museum of Fire is the watchroom. All communications were channelled through the watchroom and may have come from public phone lines, direct lines from other stations, connection to street fire alarm pillar boxes, public buildings - such as theatres and other high-risk locations - fire detection systems, and to the ‘call out’ bells in the homes of volunteer firefig

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

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

Dr Kristine Klugman, Deputy President of the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW, 1984 [Museum of Fire Collection] When Dr Kristine Klugman was appointed Deputy President of the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW in 1982, she became the first woman to take on a senior leadership role in the then 98-year-old organisation. Her appointment not only made history—it also set in motion a chain of reforms that would ultimately lead to the inclusion of women in active firefighting rol

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

Fifty years ago, 1975, was an incredibly busy year for the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB; today Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) with technological changes in firefighting equipment and one of the largest ever building programs underway in the history of the NSWFB. In June 1975 the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (the governing body of the NSWFB) five-year term of service (1970-1975), as outlined by the Fire Brigades Act , was terminated and a new board was constituted, meeting fo

The 1927 Essex Hose Carriage, a symbol of firefighting innovation, stands proudly as a reminder of NSW’s transformative shift from hand-drawn and horse-drawn carts to motorised fire appliances. Pictured outside the Fire Services Museum, c.1982 [Museum of Fire collection] Before the introduction of motorised fire appliances in the early twentieth century, fire brigades in New South Wales (NSW) relied on horse-drawn or even hand-drawn carts and reels to transport their equipmen