The DFES Education and Heritage Centre offers a fun, interactive and free experience in the heart of Perth.
The Centre is located in the fully restored Perth Central Fire Station (established in 1900) and showcases the history and heritage of the WA Fire Brigades. During your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about natural hazards through our interactive and educational displays.
The Centre is also the custodian of the DFES Heritage Collection and Vintage Fleet. Research and care are carried out with the valuable assistance of the Education and Heritage Volunteer and Emergency Services Unit.
DFES acknowledges the Aboriginal peoples throughout the state of Western Australia as the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, work and volunteer. We recognise Aboriginal peoples’ continued connection to land, waters, and community, and pay our respects to Elders both past and present.
Perth Central Fire Station is situated within Boorloo (Perth) the traditional land of the Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar nation.
The Whadjuk Noongar have very strong katitjin (knowledge) connections between karla and boodjar (country).
Only Whadjuk Nooongar with responsibility for boodjar can burn it. This burning, known as fire-stick farming, took place during Birak (December–January). It removed the build-up of undergrowth and ensured that there was new growth for humans and animals (particularly kangaroos) to use and eat. Fire was used during hunting to flush out kangaroos and other game, making them easy targets.
Although the cultural setting has changed since European settlement, fire remains a dominant force on the natural landscape and a real threat to our community.
Organised fire brigades were introduced in Western Australia in the late 1890s to protect its people, towns, cities and landscape. Records show that aboriginal people living in local townships often joined volunteer fire brigades to help keep their people safe.
The Bushfire Centre of Excellence has established a Cultural Fire Program to consider how we can better link contemporary fire management with traditional fire practices.
No fire station would be complete without fire trucks.
Our 1921 Dennis Light Pumper, which was in service from 1923 to 1969, is on permanent display. We also have a regular rotation of other appliances from the DFES Vintage Fleet.
For a fun photo opportunity available to all ages, you can even dress up in a firefighter uniform and sit at the wheel of a real fire truck, our Scania Medium Pumper.
Immerse yourself in the history of WA’s fire service and see how appliances, equipment and uniforms have changed over the years.
Follow the stainless steel plaques around the Centre and imagine what it would have been like to work and live in WA’s first purpose built fire station, which operated between 1901 and 1979.
Learn about the various hazards that affect our State, including home fires, bushfires, tsunamis, cyclones, storms and floods.
Sit down with the kids and read from one of our books relating to emergency services. There is also a colour-in station, plus puzzles and jigsaws to play with.
The DFES Education and Heritage Centre welcomes visitors of all abilities and ages. We aim to provide an inclusive, accessible and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Please use the information below to help plan your visit and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.
The centre is located at 25 Murray Street in Perth’s East End.
Our neighbours are Hibernian Place and Royal Perth Hospital Heritage Precinct and Museum.
When travelling to the Centre, we encourage the use of public transport.
Train: The Centre is within close walking distance from Perth, Perth Underground and McIver train stations.
Bus: It is a slightly longer walk from the Wellington Street and Elizabeth Quay bus stations to the Centre. A free transit zone operates within the City of Perth boundaries, allowing free travel on any bus within the City of Perth.
We can also be reached via the free Red CAT bus. Disembark at the Royal Perth Hospital (Stop 26) which is a stop after you pass the Centre on your right.
To plan your journey, please visit the Transperth website.
Transperth Education can assist schools in planning their public transport journey.
There is no car parking available at the Centre.
The closest public car parking is available at the City of Perth Fire Station and Pier Street car parks.
The Pier Street car park currently offers 3-hours of free parking on weekends.
For more information, including ACROD parking, head to the Visit Perth website.
There are no dedicated parking spaces, however there is a drop-off and pick-up zone located on Murray St, just after the Pier St intersection (look for the Red CAT bus stop). From this zone, it is a short 2-3 minute walk to the Centre.
Mini buses may find parking at the Terrace Road Car Park
We will be closed from Tuesday 12th December and will reopen Tuesday 9th January. From the Centre Volunteers and Staff, we wish you a safe and happy festive season.
Our general opening hours are:
Please refer to Activities and events for additional opening times.
We are closed on all public holidays, including Easter Saturday.
In 2024, we are open on the following Saturdays:
Tickets are not required for general entry, but may be required for special events. Bookings are essential for groups.
If you enjoyed your visit, please consider making a donation to your local volunteer emergency service.
All general public entry points have universal access. The first floor can be accessed via stairs or the lift.
Assistance animals trained to assist people with disabilities are welcome
Changing facilities are available in the universal access toilet.
We do not have a cloaking facility. Please leave large bags or items at home.
For the latest COVID-19 information, please visit wa.gov.au
If you require assistance while at the Centre, please ask one of our volunteers to request a trained first aid officer. There is also a defibrillator on site.
Food and drink (excluding bottled water) are not permitted inside the Centre. There is no onsite café but there are several nearby.
You are welcome to picnic in nearby Hibernian Place.
A guide to the galleries can be collected from the Information Desk or downloaded.
Located at the main entry.
Located at the Information Desk.
Allowed unless otherwise stated. Photography and filming for commercial purposes (including weddings) must have written approval from DFES.
Due to space limitations, we encourage prams to be parked at the entry. Please note, prams are parked at the owner's own risk.
The Centre tends to be quieter after 1pm (excluding school holidays).
There is seating available in the gallery spaces.
There is no shop at the Centre. Please ask at the Information Desk for your free sticker and a copy of our souvenir book 120 Years of Fire Service History.
The Centre and the neighbouring Hibernian Place are both non-smoking sites.
Toilet facilities are available at the Centre, including universal access.
Public Wi-Fi is available. Please ask at the Information Desk for the password.
Join a volunteer Gallery Guide as they take you on a 30-minute walk around our heritage-listed building. Together you will explore the history of the building’s former life as a fire station. No two walks are ever the same.
Ask at the Information Desk for availability.
At 1pm each day, the balcony doors are opened so that our visitors can check out the area where firefighters relaxed and slept.
Tip: While you’re out there, ask a volunteer about the old fig tree. They might share a story or two that may be more legend than truth!
Join us for a big-book reading of Aaron’s Promise followed by a child-friendly conversation about the dangers of playing with lighters and matches.
Subject to volunteer availability.
Choose your own adventure with Historic Heart walks by installing the free interactive app or downloading a PDF map. The Centre is included as a heritage stop in two walks.
Architecture walk: Explores some of Perth’s most iconic architectural buildings dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Small museums walk: Showcases the museums and historic buildings in Perth’s east end and allows you to explore the history of the city within these spaces.
Dates: 3 Feb, 2 Mar, 4 May, 1 Jun, 6 Jul, 3 Aug, 7 Sep, 5 Oct, 2 Nov, 7 Dec
Time: 9:30am – 10:30am
Cost: Free
On the first Saturday of the month we host an early access session to support children with sensory needs and their families to explore and enjoy the DFES Education & Heritage Centre.
What you can expect:
Bookings:
Dates: Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 April 2024
Time: 10am - 2pm
Cost: Free
Each year we are part of the Australian Heritage Festival and Boorloo Heritage Festival where we explore the stories behind the heritage-listed Central Fire Station.
Save the date and check back here in March for an updated program of activities!
The DFES Education & Heritage Centre is a fun place to visit for the whole family during the school holidays.
Dates: 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 20, 23, 24 and 25 January
This summer school holidays we challenge you to explore the Heritage Gallery in fun and exciting ways!
How many challenge cards can you complete with your family and friends?
We welcome vacation care groups to visit the Centre during the school holidays.
These visits are free of charge, self-guided and generally last an hour.
It is essential that all groups book using our online booking request form.
We thank the students from Mercedes College who assist us during the school holidays as part of he the College’s Mercy Service program.
From students, Scouts and vacation care to seniors and community organisations, a group visit at the DFES Education and Heritage Centre promises to be a fun and educational experience for visitors of all ages and abilities.
We welcome visits from preschools, kindergartens, childcare centres and playgroups with children at least three years old.
Children will be welcomed by one of our friendly volunteers and encouraged to dress up as an emergency helper, sit in a real fire truck and play with puzzles in the Kids’ Corner. The Kids’ Corner is also available for group leaders to read to the group.
These visits are free of charge, self-guided and last approximately one hour.
We welcome students from all year groups for a free self-guided excursion.
Self-guided excursions are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during term time.
These visits generally last an hour and are available at 10am, 11am, 12pm or 1pm.
Self-guided visits include an introductory welcome from our volunteers. Students can also participate in the volunteer demonstrations around the Centre that have been scheduled that day.
The Centre has discontinued the educator-led Emergency Helpers and Home Fire Safety excursions. Educational resources are available for teachers to use in the classroom on these themes.
Excursion Management Plan
The Excursion Management Plan provides further information to help you plan your excursion to the Centre.
Excursion Management Plan – PDF (250kb)
Public Liability Certificate of Currency – PDF (36kb)
Bookings are essential.
We welcome bookings from all other groups in the community.
Small group bookings can request a volunteer-led walkthrough, which can often be tailored to suit the interests of the group.
You may like to extend your stay in the city by visiting the Royal Perth Hospital Museum or take the Historic Heart of Perth’s Architecture or Small museums walk.
Vacation care and youth groups are welcome to visit the Centre on Saturdays and Tuesday to Thursday during the school holidays.
Spend the day in the city and visit another cultural attraction or let the kids play outside at Koolangka Koolangka Waabiny (Wellington Square Playground).
These visits are free of charge, self-guided and last approximately one hour.
Bookings are essential for all groups that wish to visit the Centre.
Group bookings can be made online using the booking request form.
The booking request form contains the available dates and the standard booking slot times. We allow modifications to the start time, as long as the adjacent slot isn’t already booked. Please note this request in the special considerations box.
If you have any questions, special requests or need to make a modification to an existing booking please email educationandheritage@dfes.wa.gov.au
Excursion Management Plan
The Excursion Management Plan was developed to assist schools in preparing for an excursion, but it provides useful information for all groups in planning a visit to the Centre.
Excursion Management Plan – PDF (250kb)
Public Liability Certificate of Currency – PDF (36kb)
Do you have a passion for WA history and Perth’s much-loved heritage-listed buildings? Perhaps you’re technological minded and would like to share your knowledge on our historic and modern fire appliances and firefighting equipment? Or maybe you just want to drive an old fire truck?
If one or more of the above sounds like you might like to become involved with one of our volunteer programs! See below for current opportunities.
Our volunteers are proud members of the registered Education and Heritage Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services (VFES) unit.
Our front-of-house volunteers are the enthusiastic and friendly faces that welcome visitors when they first arrive at the Centre.
You’ll also find them in the galleries delivering amazing tours and demonstrations and sharing stories of our little piece of history in the historic East End.
Front-of-house volunteering is offered one day a week or fortnight, with a commitment of 12 months or more.
New volunteers are recruited every 6 – 12 months.
Click here to find out more or submit an expression of interest.
Volunteering behind-the-scenes is a rare opportunity to work with the DFES Heritage Collection.
Volunteers may assist with sorting, data entry, cataloguing, labelling, cross-checking, shelving or helping with research.
Front-of-house volunteering is offered one or more days a week or fortnight, with a commitment of 12 months or more.
Some knowledge of the WA fire service or computing skills may be an advantage but not essential. Good communication skills and attention to detail are important.
Behind-the-scenes volunteers are recruited as needed to fill skill gaps within the team.
Click here to find out more or submit an expression of interest.
Ever wanted to drive a vintage fire truck? Join the DFES Vintage Fleet Team and that dream might come true!
We are currently seeking volunteers for the following two roles:
The Restoration team meet at the DFES Academy on Mondays and requires a weekly or fortnightly attendance.
The Driver Team has more flexibility, but requires commitment to undertake some in-house driver training and attendance at least 6 events per year.
Click here to find outmore or submit an expression of interest.
The DFES Education and Heritage Centre is located in the state-heritage listed Perth Central Fire Station. The Centre houses the DFES Heritage Collection and is responsible for the DFES Heritage Fleet of historic fire appliances. The ongoing research and care of the Collection and Fleet is carried out with the valuable assistance of volunteers from the Education and Heritage VFES (Volunteer and Fire and Emergency Services) unit.
From 1885 the Fire Brigade operated from the undercroft area of the Perth Town Hall on Barrack Street. With the discovery of gold in the 1890s causing a growth in population there was a need for a new dedicated fire station.
An alternate Perth site was selected on the corner of Murray and Irwin Streets and the station was constructed during 1900. Designed by architects Cavanagh and Cavanagh, the new two-storey building was Romanesque in style, with rusticated limestone walls and a red-tiled roof.
The new technologically advanced station became operational on 1 January 1901. The large engine room had three exits and held two large steamers and two hose carts, which doubled the equipment with which the brigade had previously been working. When a call was received, an officer pressed a button, which set the alarms ringing, flooded the building with electric light, and opened the trap doors in the ceilings to clear the sliding poles.
Over the next 78 years of operation, Perth Central Fire Station undertook major architectural changes to support and accommodate increasing permanent staff numbers as well as technological change in fire appliances.
The Perth Central Fire Station was decommissioned in 1979, but still continues to serve the community of WA through the DFES Education and Heritage Centre.
In 2008, the building was registered permanently on the WA Heritage Register.
In 2020 a booklet documenting the 120 year history of the Perth Central Fire Station was published. A free copy of the booklet can be collected from the Centre or downloaded.
Housed within the Centre is DFES’ Heritage Collection. The Collection was established on behalf of the people of WA and helps to tell the cultural and technological history of the fire and rescue services in our State.
The Collection includes over 3,000 objects consisting of artefacts, fire appliances, artworks, ephemera, books, documents, microfiche, audio-visual records and photographs.
It also holds a significant archive of fire station occurrence books that record the day-to-day running of the station.
Search the Collection
Part of the Collection is now publicly available online via the eHive platform. We invite you to explore and share the objects and photographs. Each record has the option to leave a comment, so please do if you identify a person in a photograph or have an interesting story to share. Explore now.
DFES’ Vintage Fleet consists of an assortment of historic and decommissioned fire appliances that provides a representation of fire appliance technology pertaining to the Fire and Rescue Service of Western Australia.
Appliances in the Vintage Fleet include:
Find out more about our Vintage Fleet appliances on eHive.
The Vintage Fleet can often be seen at DFES ceremonial and education events as well as community events such as the annual Perth Christmas Pageant.
The Vintage Fleet is maintained by the Vintage Fleet Restoration Team. Interested in being part of the Vintage Fleet team? Find out more and submit an expression of interest.
All heritage enquiries, including donation offers and research requests, should be submitted in writing to educationandheritage@dfes.wa.gov.au. Please note that research requests are processed by a small dedicated team of volunteers. Response times may vary depending on the complexity of the request and their current research priorities.
The W.A. Bush Fire Museum and Heritage Group is devoted to the preservation of the history heritage and history of bush fire in Western Australia.
The primary purpose of the group is to collect, preserve and display the oral, pictorial and artefactual history of Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades and other organisations involved in fire prevention and control in WA, such as forestry agencies and land management agencies.
The W.A. Bush Fire Museum and Heritage Group is independent of DFES. We recognise how each organisation's collections tell the broader history of the fire and emergency services in WA. For more information, please visit their website.
The DFES Education and Heritage Centre can be contacted via email educationandheritage@dfes.wa.gov.au or by phone during opening hours on (08) 6381 1110.