Some of the Parkes Antique Motor Club’s Executive are pictured at the handing over of the keys of the former Parkes Fire Station from Scott Tucker, of the NSW Dept of Planning and Environment, and Craig Gibson, Captain of Parkes Fire and Rescue. Behind them, and in the old Station’s driveway, is the Club’s 1926 Garford; the same as the first motorised Fire Appliance to be stationed in Parkes, when the former Station was opened in 1924.
The NSW Government is giving the old Parkes Fire Station building a new lease on life as a fire brigade museum, appointing the Parkes Antique Motor Club as Crown Land Managers.
The Parkes Antique Motor Club plans to revive the site as a museum to be opened to the community on special occasions, and on request of visiting tourist groups.
The Parkes Fire Brigade dates back to 1878 when it was first formed with a board of control headed by the town mayor, with a shed building erected in 1879 at the rear of the local courthouse to store fire brigade equipment.
The town’s first fire brigade station was built on land owned by the justice department and then a new, larger station was completed in 1924 at a cost of £1,564 at the corner of Court and Hill Streets.
In 2017 it was announced Parkes would get a new state-of-the-art fire station with two engine bays, which was completed in 2020 behind the former station that will now serve as a museum.
Crown Lands in the Department of Planning and Environment has appointed the motor club as the Crown Land Manager for the Want Street reserve.
Parkes Antique Car Club President Phil Dixon said “The old fire station is a beautiful building and all of our members are very enthusiastic and happy to be able to showcase our historic equipment there to do something positive for the town.”