Maitland Rail Museum Open Day
Go back in time to the early days of the South Maitland Railways. Get a glimpse of what it was like on the Maitland-Cessnock coalfields and how the South Maitland Railways helped to shape the history of both the Hunter Valley and the early Colony. Our members will be there to explain and guide you.
The South Maitland Railway can fairly claim to be one of Australia’s great pioneering enterprises and had a significant role in our nation’s industrial and social developments. It was one of the most intensively operated private railways in Australia and one of the few that provided both passenger and goods services to the public.
At its peak in the 1920’s, it handled some 45% of the NSW coal production. It was headquartered at East Greta Junction and was the centerpiece of the Maitland Community. There was hardly a street in the town without a connection to the SMR. In a wider context the SMR was a microcosm of the boldness and foresight of private enterprise that underpinned Australia’s early development.
The last day of steam freight haulage was on 10 June 1983 and resulting nostalgia led to the organising of the first Maitland Steamfest in 1986 as a means of commemorating the closure. This proved to be very popular and Steamfest has continued to grow as an important festival.