2026 Vehicle of the Year - The 1926 ME 88 Garford Hale

In commemoration of its 100^th birthday, the Museum of Fire is pleased to announce the 1926 ME 88 Garford Hale as the 2026 Vehicle of the Year. This small but mighty appliance served for over 40 years in a number of fire stations across regional New South Wales, an exemplar of early firefighting history in our state.

Museum of Fire 2026 Vehicle of the Year the 1926 ME 88 Garford Hale fire engine, 2026 [Museum of Fire collection]

The Garford Motor Truck Company and its Role in NSW Firefighting

Before World War I, the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB now Fire and Rescue NSW) relied almost exclusively on English-built fire appliances. When the war created shortages of suitable British chassis, the Brigade turned to American suppliers, with The Garford Motor Company standing out. Already known for producing armoured trucks and other wartime machinery, Garford offered robust, reliable platforms at a time when they were urgently needed.

Garford Hale pump at Randwick Fire Station c. 1945 [Museum of Fire collection]

Garford appliances were first trialled in NSW in 1916, but it wasn’t until 1922 that the Brigade adopted the Type 15 “Express” model. The first chassis arrived in August that year and was fitted at the Brigade Workshop in Sydney with a Hale Rotary Gear Pump mounted beneath the driver’s seat. This compact, efficient setup, which was powered by the transfer box, proved so successful that later units were shipped with the pump factory‑installed. The combination became known as the “Garford Hale,” and between 1922 and 1969 the NSWFB operated 49 of these pumpers.

The Garford Hale quickly became a favourite in regional NSW. Its simplicity, reliability, and pumping capacity of around 250 gallons (1,100 litres) per minute made it ideal for country towns, which had previously relied on appliances designed for metropolitan conditions. Its introduction coincided with broader advances in fire pump technology. In the United States, the Hale Pump Co. had just released the compact Type B rotary gear pump, suited to lightweight chassis like the Ford Model T. Meanwhile, Garford’s new 1.5‑tonne Type 15 chassis provided a sturdy, adaptable platform. When the NSWFB paired the two, the result was a lightweight, practical appliance with improved equipment storage thanks to the pump’s placement under the front seat.

Demonstration of the Garford Hale at Fire Prevention Week in Hyde Park, 1975 [Museum of Fire collection]

Many Garford Hales remained in service for nearly four decades. Their top speed of about 45 km/h was modest, but perfectly adequate for small towns where fire stations were close to incident locations. Originally fitted with solid tyres, they were upgraded to pneumatic tyres in the late 1930s. A 4‑cylinder petrol engine and 3‑speed gearbox provided simple, dependable performance that made the Garford Hale a mainstay of the Brigade’s fleet.

The ME 88 Garford Hale: A Long Journey

One particularly well‑travelled example, the ME 88 Garford Hale, began service in 1926 at Mullumbimby. Over the next 39 years it served at Warren, Cobar, and Blayney before returning to Warren, where it completed its career. Its movements reflect the long, adaptable life many of these appliances enjoyed:

• 1926 – No. 388 Mullumbimby

• 1939 – No. 491 Warren

• 1944 – No. 256 Cobar

• 1947 – No. 227 Blayney

• 1967 – No. 491 Warren

• 1968 – Withdrawn

The 1926 ME 88 Garford Hale at Alexandria Training College, c. 1970s [Museum of Fire collection]

The Garford Hale remains an important part of NSW firefighting history. Its longevity, practicality, and widespread use made it one of the most influential appliances of its era, and a testament to the ingenuity of early 20th‑century fire equipment manufacturers.

-Story by Museum of Fire Heritage Team