Historic Forrest Fire Station · 14 Empire Circuit

Canberra Fire Museum

Fire Brigade Historical Society of the ACT

The Society preserves artefacts of historical significance relating to firefighting services in the Canberra region. Formed in 1979, it collates and displays the history of fire services provided to the ACT community since 1913.

Visit the museum View the projects

WhenEvery Saturday, 10am–2pm

CostGold coin donation appreciated

Where14 Empire Circuit, Forrest ACT

The museum

Canberra and regional fire services, preserved

The Society aims to preserve a representative ACT fire vehicle from each decade back to 1913, showing how firefighting technology, uniforms, equipment and working conditions changed over time.

Based in the historic Forrest Fire Station, built in 1939 and closed as an operational station in 1983, the museum shares the fire-service story of Canberra and surrounding NSW communities.

Other vehicles are in storage or undergoing restoration as space allows. The Society also accepts invitations and arranged visits by appointment.

Restoration projects

Historic trucks and restoration work

Selected service histories and restoration notes from the museum collection.

Represents Canberra's first motorised fire truck

1913 Hotchkiss

Canberra's first motorised fire truck was a Hotchkiss. The vehicle displayed represents that first vehicle, whose whereabouts are unknown.

1913: Canberra's first motorised fire truck was a Hotchkiss.
Original: The location of the original vehicle is not known.
NMA: The rear section of the original is held by the National Museum of Australia.
Display: The representative vehicle has timber-spoked wheels, gas headlights and period ladder equipment.

Restoration

Museum volunteers are preserving the Hotchkiss story so visitors can see the equipment used when Canberra moved from horse-era firefighting to motor vehicles.

Canberra's second motorised fire truck

1923 Albion

The Albion was Canberra Fire Brigade's second motorised fire truck. Its later roof and water tank show how the vehicle was adapted for grass fire work.

1923: Entered service as Canberra Fire Brigade's second motorised fire truck, with steel wheels and electric headlights.
1930s: A roof and 450-litre water tank were added, and the Albion became a grass fire tanker.
1959: Retired from service at Jervis Bay.
c. 2005: Acquired by John Ahearn, restored and presented to the museum.
Today: Displayed at Forrest as part of the museum's early motorised firefighting story.

Restoration

The restoration keeps the roof, tank, ladder, electric headlights and early fittings visible, showing both its original city role and later tanker work.

Flagship museum display vehicle

1928 Dennis 250

This Dennis 250 did not serve in Canberra, but became a key display vehicle for the establishment of the Canberra Fire Museum.

1928: Built as a Dennis 250 fire truck.
Service: Served with the NSW Fire Brigades in the Sydney area and later at Coolamon in country NSW.
Museum: Purchased by Commissioner Kerr as a flagship display vehicle for the Canberra Fire Museum.
Purchase: The vehicle had been completely restored at the time of purchase.
Today: Displayed as a restored example of late-1920s motorised firefighting equipment.

Restoration

Because it was already restored when purchased, the museum uses the Dennis 250 to show open crew travel, ladder equipment and rear pump fittings from the period.

Canberra service from 1935 to 1970

1934 Dennis Ace

The Dennis Ace was mass-produced by Dennis Brothers in the UK and used by most Australian brigades.

1934: Built as a Dennis Ace fire truck by Dennis Brothers, UK.
Mar 1935: Commenced service with Canberra Fire Brigade.
Design: Known for a good turning circle and hydraulic brakes.
1970: Remained in Canberra Fire Brigade service until 1970.
Restore: Volunteer members of the ACT Fire Brigade Historical Society restored the vehicle over seven years.

Restoration

The restoration returned the truck to display condition while keeping the open crew layout, ladder equipment and compact Dennis design visible.

Restored by museum volunteers

1941 International Harvester KB6

Purchased in the United States for Canberra’s wartime firefighting fleet, the KB6 served the ACT for almost three decades before continuing its service in regional New South Wales.

1941/43: Purchased from the United States during wartime and entered service after its firefighting bodywork was completed in Sydney.
1970s: Retired from ACT service and later served with the NSW Bush Fire Service at The Rock.
2014: Returned to Canberra for restoration and museum display.
Today: Restored and displayed at the Canberra Fire Museum, with the before-and-after images showing the scale of the work.

Restoration

After the KB6 returned to Canberra, volunteers repaired flood-damaged timber and repainted the weathered truck, preserving an important wartime civil-defence vehicle.

Restored by museum volunteers

1957 Dennis F12

The Dennis F12 was the ACT's first aerial fire truck and the first Canberra fire truck where the crew rode inside, sheltered from the weather.

1957: Commenced service with Canberra Fire Brigade.
Aerial: Carried a 50-foot wheeled escape ladder, effective to five storeys.
Storage: Retired to Dairy Flat Road for storage.
2005: Reacquired; the original Bailey ladder was missing and a replacement ladder was donated.
2013: Restoration completed by museum volunteers.

Restoration

Volunteers restored the truck for museum display and refitted ladder equipment after its return from storage.

Volunteer restoration project

1963 Thornycroft Nubian airport fire truck

A 6 x 6 airport fire truck from Canberra Airport, now being restored by museum volunteers.

1963: Acquired by the Commonwealth Government for firefighting at Canberra Airport.
Service: Operated at Canberra Airport until the mid-1990s.
Engine: Fitted with a 6.6L Rolls-Royce B81 petrol engine and high-volume foam/water pumping equipment.
Today: Being prepared by volunteers for specialist painting and display.

Restoration

Volunteers have worked on body panels, cab access and surface preparation, with ACT Heritage Grants supporting specialist work.

Returned c. 2008

1969 Dennis Jaguar

A Canberra front-line pump truck of the 1970s, later kept as a spare before leaving the ACT fleet.

1970s: Used by Canberra firefighters as a front-line pump truck.
c. 1983: Continued as a spare pump truck.
Later: Retired to Barmedman, NSW, as the town fire truck.
c. 2008: Returned to the ACT and the ACT Fire Brigade Historical Society.

Restoration

Volunteers maintain the vehicle for museum display, preserving its enclosed cab, brigade fittings and later Dennis-era layout.

Preserved ACT pump truck

1972 International Acco

Introduced while the ACT Fire Brigade was under NSW Fire Brigades control, the International Acco brought automatic transmission into the fleet.

1972: Introduced to the ACT fleet while Canberra fire services were administered by NSW Fire Brigades.
Automatic: First fleet vehicle fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Crew: The crew cabin was separated from the main driving cabin.
Body: The rear firefighting body was designed so it could be removed when the vehicle was sold after service.
Today: Preserved with the separate crew cabin, pump deck and brigade markings visible.

Restoration

The museum preserves the Acco as a practical ACT pump truck from the early 1970s fleet.

Preserved light bush fire truck

1974 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

A compact bushfire response vehicle later converted for brigade utility work.

1974: Entered the Canberra fleet as a light bush fire truck.
Equipment: Fitted with a small pump and 100-gallon water tank.
1978: Used operationally until 1978, known by crews as the TLC.
c. 1988: Retired after later utility service and replaced by a Holden Commodore utility.

Restoration

The museum preserves the vehicle as a small bushfire and utility truck from the 1970s fleet.

Returned to the museum in 2012

1974 Volvo F86

The Volvo F86 records the transition from traditional red fire trucks to diesel equipment and the trial of yellow safety colouring.

1974: Entered service as a traditional red fire truck.
First: Became the first diesel-engined truck in the ACT Fire Brigade fleet.
1984: Used at Belconnen in the trial of yellow safety colouring.
1989: Retired and loaned to NSW RFS Gunning as a town pump truck.
2012: Returned to the Canberra Fire Museum.

Restoration

The truck is displayed in its yellow Fire Rescue form, preserving a later chapter in ACT firefighting vehicle design and visibility.

Visit the museum

Open Saturdays

When: Every Saturday from 10am–2pm
Where: Historic Forrest Fire Station
14 Empire Circuit, Forrest ACT
Cost: Gold coin donation is appreciated
Bus: Bus number 58 will get you a short walk from the museum.

Open map Check Facebook

Appointments and updates

Follow or enquire

The museum is a strong stop for heavy vehicle enthusiasts, fire-service history followers and families.

For invitations, arranged visits, group visits or historical enquiries, call the Museum on (02) 6207 8652 (you may need to leave a message), or message the museum through Facebook.

Message on Facebook