A new home is needed for the Dunedin Fire Brigade Restoration Society.
Building subcommittee member Wayne Campbell said the society had been very grateful for the generosity of Dunedin businessman and city councillor Doug Hall, who had provided storage and workshop space at Burnside rent free since 2011.
However, those premises had now been sold and the society was at present paying commercial rates for the space.
The society was investigating other options to house its collection of 18 fire trucks, Mr Campbell said.
It was speaking to one local group that might be able to help, but it was early days in the discussions.
As well as fire appliances restored by the group, the society was home to a Model TT Ford delivery truck from the former Cadbury factory collection, as well as display cabinets and a puppet show that used to be part of the Cadbury tour.
The society was hoping to open a space that would be more than just a fire truck museum, Mr Campbell said.
Some of the ideas included incorporating community rooms for smaller clubs.
The society was also discussing having space for other classic car or motorbike collections that could operate on a revolving basis, highlighting the collections of local groups which might not have their own space.
"Our idea for that is we will have two months of, say the Zodiac club, two months of the Chevrolet club and then overall we may have a collection of motorbikes and that’ll be open to the public on the weekends.
"So we’re going to encourage people to come along and have a look at our collection and other people’s collection of cars as well."
In the meantime, the society was busy with a number of restoration projects and the collection at 52 Main South Rd in Burnside was open to members of the public to look through on Mondays from 9am to 3pm.
"Members of the public are welcome to come along and have a look at our collection and have a talk and reminisce on what we’ve got.
"I’m sure there’s lots of people who have volunteer firefighters in the family or extended families that may be interested in bringing their children along and we’re quite happy to take children for a ride if they come along as well."
The collection of appliances ranged in age from a 1916 Dennis fire engine with solid rubber tyres through to a 1987 International fire appliance.
Other trucks had been offered to the society over the years but it had stuck to Dunedin-only trucks which had seen service locally, Mr Campbell said.
Most of the members of the society were former firefighters.
"I was a firefighter for a number of years, retired and finished my working career as an ambulance officer in Mosgiel."
The society worked to promote fire safety in Dunedin and had set up a mobile museum in a former 1970s Fire Service command unit.
"So when we go to an outing we can take the command unit with us and invite people to come and have a look through.
"Just so people can see what sort of things that the fire service do."
-- Simon Henderson
