Five Years of the Museum of Fire Blog - a Look Back at the Last Year

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 favourites but which stories from the last year have been the most popular? Here are the top 10 blogs of the last year:

10. “Breaking Barriers Battling Blazes: The History of Women Firefighters” (Published 7 March 2025)

In 2025 the Museum has been proud to officially open our latest exhibition which pays tribute to the role women have played within firefighting in NSW. This exhibition has been produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of women being permitted to join the NSW Fire Brigade (NSWFB, today Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) as firefighters.

This is the first time that an exhibition has showcased this largely forgotten part of history from the start of the twentieth century to the modern day. From the little-known Armidale Amazons to the importance of the Women’s Fire Auxiliary (WFA) during World War Two, women have not been a silent contributor to the fire safety of the communities across NSW.

In 1982, Dr Kristine Klugman became the first woman to be appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners of NSW and she laid the groundwork for women to be permitted to be Firefighters.

These are the stories the exhibition shares. To learn more you can visit the exhibition at the Museum until November 2025 or click here for a sneak peek.

L to R: Todd Carney Mayor of Penrith, CEO Belinda McMartin, Dr Kristine Kulgman, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Services Charishma Kaliyanda and Commissioner FRNSW Jeremy Fewtrell at the exhibition launch for Breaking Barriers, Battling Blazes at the Museum of Fire, 6 March 2025

9. “History in Our Own Backyard – A Brief Look at Penrith Power Station” (Published 25 November 2024)

The Museum of Fire is an iconic staple of the Penrith landscape and that is mostly due to the wonderful building that we are housed in today. The large grey building that we call home was once upon a time Penrith Power Station and has an intriguing history of its own, so let’s take a look at what is so special about our building!

Click this link to read the blog.

Penrith Power Station [Museum of Fire Collection]

8. “A Brief History of Helmets” (Published 25 February 2025)

Helmets have always been an ideal form of protection used across many different industries from war to construction, and most importantly to us, for firefighting. Helmets that were designed for the purposes of firefighting appear to have become a common aspect of uniform from the 1820s. During this time, two distinct approaches took place with helmets, the first being the American style and the second being the European or UK style.

To read all about the development of the helmet read the blog by clicking here.

Helmet collection showcasing the original brass helmets, the polycarbonate helmets and the war-era helmets [Museum of Fire Collection]

7. “Winners Announced for the Museum of Fire 2024 Art Competition” (Published 17 January 2025)

On Thursday 16 January 2025, we hosted the awards ceremony for our 2024 Art Competition. At the Museum of Fire, we feel it is essential to pay tribute to our firefighters each and every day. Without their heroic efforts, there would be no stories to share, nor any history to preserve. As the official heritage partner to Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) it is our responsibility to ensure that future generations understand the great depth of history within the organisation. To celebrate the 140th birthday of FRNSW our theme for 2024 asked children to create a work representing this history.

To see the winners click here.

L to R: Councillor Todd Carney, Mayor of Penrith, Karen McKeown, Member for Penrith, Federal Member for Macquarie and Special Envoy to the Arts Susan Templeman, 1st Place Grand Prize winner Niamh Davison, and FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell, 16 January 2025.

6. “On the Fire Front – the Development of the Fire Command Vehicle” (Published on 3 December 2024)

Command vehicles, also known as Fire Control vehicles or Incident Command vehicles, serve a unique purpose within the fleet of firefighting appliances. Command vehicles have not always been a staple however, as the concept was only truly introduced 1972 as the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB; now Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) began exploring the opportunities and possibilities of what a Command vehicle might look like.

Originally the concept envisioned by the brigade involved the usage of an International CM1500 walk-through van. At this point in time, International was the fire brigade's manufacturer of choice when it came to vehicle selection. This original concept of a Command vehicle was devised to be a command/breathing apparatus appliance, serving the dual purpose of providing a transportable and moveable base of operations for large-scale coordination efforts, as well as being a prime vehicle for the movement, delivery, and supply of breathing apparatus equipment.

To read more about the development of the command vehicle click here.

Toyota Coaster Fire Command Vehicle [Museum of Fire Collection]

5. “From Horses to Snorkels: What was happening 100 and 50 years ago in the History of the NSWFBs” (Published 21 August 2024)

It may seem that after spending the better part of the last half-century serving the public by sharing history the Museum has no more stories to share BUT this is hardly the case! There is always more history to uncover and as Truman states, the only new thing you’ll discover is the history you don’t yet know!

This blog focused on the history of the NSW Fire Brigades (today known as Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) in the years 1924 and 1974.

To read the blog click here.

West Wyalong Fire Station, 1924 [Museum of Fire Collection]

4. “Looking Back Across Three Decades of Fire and Rescue NSW” (Published 22 October 2024)

While celebrating 140 years of Fire and Rescue NSW in 2024 our team shared a series of blogs focusing on the history of the organisation. In this blog our team took a look at what was occurring within the organisation in 1994, 2004 and 2014.

To read this popular blog click here.

3. “The Bowler’s Club Fire 1994” (Published 4 September 2024)

On 7 September 1994 at 2:30pm an automatic alarm alerted brigades to a fire at the Sydney Bowlers Club at 95-99 York Street, Sydney.

Ultimately, due to the courageousness of the firefighters, over 15 citations were awarded for the Bowlers Club Fire. Firefighter Darren Moore received a Medal for Conspicuous Bravery, the highest award that can be bestowed upon a firefighter by Fire & Rescue NSW. In addition, individual commendations for Courageous Action were awarded to Robert Boyd, Bruce Storey and David Triggs; together with seven individual commendations for Meritorious Service and two-unit Commendations.

To read the blog click here.

*Readers are advised that some of the images contained in this blog may be confronting and cause distress*

Firefighters evacuating trapped persons from the Bowlers Club Fire, 1994 [Museum of Fire Collection]

2. “One of Sydney’s Largest Fires of the 1960s – the Pulpit Point Mobil Oil Fire” (Published 29 October 2024)

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 the 1950s to 1960s the company renamed to Mobil Oil which may be a much more familiar name today as this is what we know as ExxonMobil.

The history of the site changed on 27 October 1964 when a major fire occurred at the depot. To read the story click here.

Overview of the Pulpit Point Fire 27 October 1964 [Museum of Fire Collection]

People watch on at the fire in the old Angus and Robertson Building on Castlereagh Street, Sydney, 14 January 1975 [Museum of Fire Collection; courtesy of Bauer Media]

1. Chaos in the Sydney CBD as a historic building goes up in flames - 14 January 1975 (Published 7 January 2025)

On 14 January 1975, in the heart of Sydney CBD, the former Angus and Robertson building on Castlereagh Street, opposite David Jones, was gutted by fire. Firefighters described it as the most difficult and hazardous commercial property fire they had fought in many years.

To read about this incredible firefighting effort click here.

But Wait There’s More!

The most common blogs shared by the Museum are histories of local brigades. Over the last twelve months the most popular one shared by the Museum was about No. 267 Coraki Fire Brigade. In 2024 the Museum’s heritage team helped the brigade celebrate 100 years of service to the community. Thank you to the community of Coraki for their support in making this the most popular station blog of the last year!

To read the blog click here.

Coraki Fire Brigade with their second appliance, c. 1920s [Courtesy of the Mid-Richmond Historical Society]

-Story by the Museum of Fire Team