A LIFE’S WORK

Retired firefighter and cabinetmaker Chris Berry has spent the last three decades collecting firefighting memorabilia and displaying it in the Coolamon Fire Museum. Equally impressive is Chris’ own knowledge of each item in his formidable collection. 

The collection began when Chris discovered a brass firefighting helmet whilst fitting out a retired fire fighter’s kitchen. He has since amassed over 2000 items – from a 100-year-old (rather scary-looking) breathing apparatus to a leather hose – with the help of his wife, who, thankfully, shares his obsession. 

“I got the bug,” he chuckles. “I couldn’t’ stand to see the fire brigade throwing things out so I’d take them home with me. After I retired, my wife and I started going to swap meets and finding things there. She’s as bad as me; she never misses a thing.” 

When Chris got wind that the old fire station might be knocked down or turned into public toilets, he approached Council with the idea of housing his collection in the station. The Coolamon Fire Museum opened in 2015 and Chris has been there almost everyday since. 

“People have an emotional attachment to some of these items,” he says, pointing to an old switchboard. 

“I often get ladies who see this and say, ‘I know we’re showing our age but we used to work on one of those.’ I also get lots of ex-firies in here who tell me their whole life story, starting from the day they were born!” 

Chris’ contribution to Coolamon doesn’t stop at the museum. Every two years he organises the Coolamon Fire Engine Muster in October, where the town’s main street closes for a parade of historic fire engines led by a marching band. 

For Chris, the opportunity to bring joy to visitors and celebrate firefighting history makes all the hard work worthwhile. 

“I think people appreciate what I do,” he says. “I’ve recorded every single person who has come in here and there’s been over 20,000 people from all over the world. It’s a lot of fun.