AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY MONUMENT AND RAIL JOURNEYS MUSEUM, WERRIS CREEK

Page: 16

Mr PETER DRAPER (Tamworth) [11.26 a.m.]: Today I will speak about the success of the Australian Railway Monument and the Rail Journeys Museum at Werris Creek, and in particular the contributions of its dedicated volunteers, capably marshalled by Chris Holley, who pursued a dream into the wonderful reality the facility has become today.

The monument and museum, run by ARM Management Inc, has now been in operation for just over 12 months. It has already attracted many thousands of visitors, and won a number of industry awards. The museum is fast becoming an educational icon in the north-west, as it enjoys a strong ongoing relationship with academic staff from the University of New England at Armidale. The Minister for Transport, John Watkins, was extremely impressed with the quality of this facility, having officially opened it in September last year.

The Australian Railway Monument was built as a tribute to the railway industry and its employees for their contribution to Australia's development through rail. It includes six stainless steel figures depicting various aspects of railway work, plus an honour board of over 2,000 names commemorating the workers killed on the railways since the 1850s. Museum staff capably answer the many inquiries regarding the monument, and also arrange for the placement of names on the monument.

In the historic Werris Creek railway station, the Rail Journeys Museum exhibition hosts a series of graphic displays detailing the history of rail in the area and across Australia. The themes cover selected topics relating to the history and operations of rail. Visitors to the museum step back in time to a display of fascinating railway-related artefacts and photographs that provide a glimpse into the past that shaped the nation we live in today. The display depicts the history of Werris Creek as the first railway town in Australia, from the age of steam through to the modern day diesels and electric trains. The railway station building itself is a unique structure built in the late 1880s and designed by famed New South Wales railway engineer John Whitton.

The museum is open seven days a week from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and is manned by a small group of local volunteers who offer visitors a friendly welcome and an informative insight into the history of rail in the Werris Creek area. These volunteers are a unique band of mainly former railway workers and their spouses, who are always willing to go that extra mile to get the job done. They are always on the lookout for opportunities, and when a volunteer recently spotted a large procession of motor homes heading towards town, he grabbed his CB radio and broadcast a welcome to these travellers, urging them to stop for an hour to visit the monument and the museum. I am told these visitors were very impressed by the facility, and very grateful that the volunteer had offered his kind and timely invitation. All the volunteers are equally enthusiastic about their roles at the museum. With many being former rail workers now in retirement, they are rarely away from the museum, finding excuses to stay back and continually working for the benefit of the facility and their town.

During the past 12 months the operation has exceeded all expectations in terms of visitor numbers and awards. Earlier this year the organisation received a Highly Commended award from the National Trust, and the New South Wales Local Government Award 2006. Over 1,000 visitors a month experience the facility's attractions, which injects significant economic benefits into the small railway town of some 1,500 people, with all visitors speaking highly of the professionalism and depth of the displays.

I recently accompanied the New South Wales Governor, Professor Marie Bashir, and her husband, Sir Nicholas Shehadie, to view the monument and look at the museum. The Governor was very impressed with what she saw and urged the museum to "keep going, keep moving and get the Government to assist you". The facility has received contributions from a number of government sources, including State Rail Authority and RailCorp. ARM Management Inc. is hopeful that the newly formed Office of Rail Heritage will play an important role in the future of rail-related activities at Werris Creek. Other help has come from a number of grants, including a Department of Transport and Regional Services grant for an introductory audiovisual, plus a National Library of Australia Community Heritage grant to undertake a needs assessment. I am informed that ARM Management Inc. is currently negotiating with the Office of Rail Heritage for a liaison officer to facilitate the acquisition of names of deceased railway workers and assist in the indexing of artefacts, heritage items, rare documents and maps to be incorporated into the Rail Journeys Museum. To achieve this end, rooms upstairs at the Werris Creek Railway Station are in urgent need of a fit-out.

The Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum enjoys the ongoing support of Liverpool Plains Shire Council, which has been extremely proactive. This shire council, which is based in the nearby town of Quirindi, is one of the smallest in New South Wales, with a population base of about 8,000. The original concept of the Australian Railway Monument was that it would have national significance. Unfortunately, Queensland and Victoria are somewhat reluctant to co-operate and provide the names of railway workers killed on the job in those States. The Werris Creek Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum is a facility unique to rural New South Wales, indeed Australia. I congratulate Chris Holly, who had the vision for this project, and his marvellous team of volunteers for making the centre a friendly and welcoming attraction in the local community. I look forward to assisting the volunteers in their efforts to ensure the museum continues to maintain its very high standards and provides a wonderful facility for tourists and visitors when they are in the local area.

Mr BRYCE GAUDRY (Newcastle—Parliamentary Secretary) [11.31 a.m.]: This museum is a fantastic facility for Werris Creek and New South Wales, particularly as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the role of rail in the development and ongoing growth of this State and its economy. The honourable member for Tamworth reflected on the importance of the museum to the local community and the State. He spoke of the volunteer who saw an opportunity to attract people to the area to visit the wonderful monument and museum. I am pleased that on 30 March next year we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Great North Railway. Its first journey, from Honeysuckle station to East Maitland, took place on 30 March 1857. Within one year of the start of railways in New South Wales, the Great North Railway linked the harbour of Newcastle to the Maitland area. From that time on, the burgeoning growth of railway has been an important part of the development of New South Wales. I am pleased that the role of rail and its importance in the development of New South Wales are being recognised at Werris Creek, which was the first inland terminus in the State. In particular, the museum will recognise the contribution of railway workers to the development of New South Wales with a memorial to the workers who were killed in railway operations. The monument and museum are a great tribute to Werris Creek and to all those involved in the establishment of this facility.