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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S Truman (American President 1945-1953) At the Museum of Fire our Heritage Team are kept busy every day digging through historical documents on a mission to understand what transpired in the past.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

*This information is an extract from the colour-book produced by the Museum of Fire's Heritage Team to celebrate the opening of the brand new Busby 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. Establishing a Brigade in Busby (Green Valley) In 1960 the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) began investigating opportunities for new fire stations

A fire brigade was first established in Coledale in January 1930, with the first station premises being a garage-type building consisting of a single room and made of weatherboard, concrete floors and an iron roof. The Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW leased this building from Mr. E. Meades for an original tenancy of five years, although this would remain the brigade’s home for over 26 years. Initially, five volunteers called this rented premises home and were equipped with

*DISCLAIMER - The following incident contains the mention of deceased persons and showcases photographs from the horrific incident of the collapsed structure, reader discretion is advised. On the evening of Saturday 9 June 1979, a disastrous fire occurred at Luna Park, which tragically took the lives of seven people. At 10:14pm Headquarters Control received the first call to a fire burning in the Ghost Train ride at Luna Park. Crews from Crows Nest and Neutral Bay were first

The development of the hydraulic platform: the Snorkel The hydraulic powered ‘elevating work platform’ (EWP) was first developed in the...

To understand who the Director-General is, it is worthwhile taking a trip back in time to see how the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB; now Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) operated in the past. In 1884 the Fire Brigades Act was first inaugurated which saw the volunteer and insurance brigades, which had provided fire protection across metropolitan Sydney, join under a new singular entity. This new entity was to be administered and managed by a Fire Brigades Board which was made up of six

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 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