Hooves & Horsepower: The Horse-Drawn "Turbine" Pump Engine

Firefighter Robert Lightfoot standing behind the Turbine Engine, c.1923. [Museum of Fire Collection]

Before flashing lights and roaring engines, the race to a fire sounded very different. Instead of sirens, there was the pounding of hooves on dirt or cobblestone. Instead of radios, there were shouted orders, leather reins, and the urgent clang of a station bell. Fires were not only dangerous; they were social events of urgency. Residents often followed the brigade, forming bucket lines, helping run hoses, or simply watching anxiously as firefighters worked to save homes, shops, and livelihoods.

By the early twentieth century, the New South Wales Fire Brigade was beginning to embrace a new era. Motorised firefighting vehicles were proving highly effective, offering greater speed, power, and reliability than horse-drawn appliances. But progress came at a cost and purchasing entirely new motor engines was beyond the reach of many smaller or rural communities.

To bridge this gap, brigades adopted a practical solution: adapting what they already had. Existing hand-drawn or horse-drawn appliances were fitted with motorised pumping units, significantly increasing firefighting capacity at a much lower cost. One such appliance, now preserved in the Museum of Fire’s collection, tells the story of this transitional period in remarkable detail.

Horse-drawn Turbine engine #37, Alstonville, c. 1930 [Museum of Fire Collection]

Standing before the horse-drawn turbine pump today, it is easy to overlook just how innovative it once was. At first glance, it still resembles the manual appliances that came before it: a compact carriage, large spoked wheels, and fittings designed to be hauled quickly by horse through crowded streets. Yet in 1914, this appliance was converted from an earlier manual pump, allowing it to deliver a stronger and more reliable flow of water without the exhausting labour that hand pumping required.

Capable of pumping up to 700 litres of water per minute, it achieved a similar output to earlier manual engines, but without the need for a large team of firefighters working the pump continuously. This freed crews to focus on deploying hoses, controlling the fireground, and protecting nearby buildings proving a significant advantage at a time when brigade numbers were often small.

The turbine pump currently housed at the Museum began service at Auburn in 1914 and was eventually transferred to Ballina before being withdrawn in 1927. Its working life did not end there. Sold in 1931 to the Riverstone Meat Works, it continued providing fire protection well into the mid-1960s, an indication that equipment like this often served far beyond its original purpose, becoming part of the everyday safety of various communities throughout New South Wales.

-Story by Museum of Fire Heritage Team

Horse-drawn Turbine engine #55, Coffs Harbour, c.1919 [Museum of Fire Collection]