At the Museum of Fire, visitors are often drawn to the fire engines themselves. From hand-drawn hose carts to large modern appliances, the collection spans more than a century of firefighting history. But behind every one of these vehicles is something rarely seen by the public. Before any engine is built, it begins as a drawing. Our latest exhibition, Illustrating Change: Designing Fire Engines for New Challenges , brings these hidden stories to life. Featuring a selection of rarely...

In 1985 when women were formally permitted to become firefighters in the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB, today Fire and Rescue NSW), they faced a lot of pushback in an organisation that had been male dominated since their formation in 1884. Although there are many aspects of this to be discussed at length about the challenges women have faced in the organisation and all the barriers they have broken, today we are looking at one aspect: why were women firefighters given a handbag as part of their...

On 25 April 1968, one of Sydney’s most unforgettable fires lit up Darlinghurst, capturing the attention of thousands of city residents and leaving a lasting mark on the city’s history. The fire destroyed Buckingham’s Department Store, an iconic building on the corner of Oxford and Riley Streets, which had been a familiar presence in Sydney since it was established at the start of the twentieth century by Ashley James Buckingham. The store had earned a loyal following among the “respectable...