Moving with the times – events showcase the history of transport in Australia

Last year’s Australian Heritage Festival featured events that celebrated and remembered the difficulties early settlers faced getting people to all corners of a remote, huge, sparsely populated continent.

Railways were established in Australian from the early 1800s and one of the first stations was the Toowoomba railway station on the Western Line from Ipswich. Last year the Sir Charles Fox designed station celebrated its 150 anniversary during the Australian Heritage Festival, with a popular community event. For the first time in years, two working steam trains arrived at the station. Visitors were also given tours of the Railway precinct, including the air raid shelters.

This was just one of many historic railway stations that were open for tours during the Heritage Festival.

In the late 19^th century trams replaced horse drawn transport in most Australian cities. During the Australian Heritage Festival the Launceston Tramway Museum gave visitors tours and rides on a 1940’s tram.

And for those more familiar with catching buses, the Sydney Bus Museum held a vintage bus run throughout Sutherland Shire. Visitors rode the buses like it was 1950 aboard a selection of early Leyland, Regals and Bedford models. 

You can’t honour transportation in this country without talking about the motor car! National Motoring Heritage Day was celebrated in several locations around our car obsessed nation. Clubs across the country came together to showcase collections of vintage vehicles and motoring memorabilia.

The 2018 Australian Heritage Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever! If you are interested in early forms of transport in Australia keep an eye out for related events near you.

If you have an event you would like to register for inclusion in the 2018 Australian Heritage Festival (18 April to 20 May) please register online.