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At 7:58am on Boxing Day 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake occurred on the ocean floor 60 kilometres off the west coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia. This earthquake caused a large volume of water to form gigantic waves that moved in all directions, initially at speeds of 700 km/h and reaching heights of 15 metres. What ultimately resulted in a tsunami, tragically claimed the lives of 230,000 people in a matter of hours, destroyed 141,000 homes and devastated the local fish

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

Establishing a Brigade in Dee Why The expansion of the Warringah Fire District in 1923 saw the suburb of Dee Why brought under the protection of the Fire Brigades Act. Recommendations were put forward for the establishment of a brigade with a strength of two permanent and six partially paid firefighters. This accounted for the number of surrounding fire stations that could provide aid during an incident, and the prevalence of weatherboard houses in the area. A site on Fish Ro

Establishment of a Fire Brigade in Coraki Established in 1849 before becoming a bustling riverside port in the 1880s, Coraki looked to establish their own fire brigade under the Fire Brigades Act at the start of the twentieth century. The town was then successful in achieving incorporation under the Fire Brigades Act in the year 1912. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication between the Coraki Council and the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW (BoFC) the Council missed out on

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

History of Pulpit Point and the Mobil Oil Depot Pulpit Point, located in the suburb of Hunters Hill in Sydney, was the home of one of Sydney’s most integral oil depots since the city’s early history. Situated along Pulpit Point to Fern Bay, sailing ships and cargo vessels delivered oil related goods as early as 1895, unloading stock such as kerosene, petrol, and lubricating oil. In 1907 the oil depot become known as and operated under the name of the Vacuum Oil Company which

It’s time for another look back at what was happening in the world of the NSW Fire Brigade (NSWFB, today known as Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) thirty years ago, twenty years ago and ten years ago! Here is a quick spin through thirty years of history! Thirty Years Ago - 1994 Thirty years ago, in 1994, there were a lot of legislative changes being enacted by the NSW Government that directly affected the NSWFB, specifically through amendments to the Fire Brigades Act (1989). The

Establishing a Brigade in Mullumbimby In 1911 recommendations were put forward for the extension of the Fire Brigades Act 1909 to include Mullumbimby. In November of that same year, Inspecting Officer Thomas Nance (later Chief Officer of the New South Wales Fire Brigade, NSWFB, Today FRNSW) was dispatched to determine the suitability of Mullumbimby for the establishment of a dedicated fire brigade. The application of the Fire Brigades Act was proclaimed in the Government Gaz

On Sunday 8th September 2024 the Museum hosted our annual History Week Keynote Presentation with this years theme being "Marking Time". As the official heritage partner to Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) the Museum is in the habit of commemorating and remembering the role of firefighters and the history of firefighting each and every day. This year marks 140 years since the establishment of FRNSW with the passing of the Fire Brigades Act 1884. We remember this milestone with spec

“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know” – Harry S Truman (American President 1945-1953) At the Museum of Fire our Heritage Team are kept busy every day digging through historical documents on a mission to understand what transpired in the past. Whether they are assisting the public with an inquiry, conducting research for the many projects we undertake for Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW); or working to update the displays in the Museum our team are