Australian Railway Historical Society

Society preserving Australian railway operations

37°51′15″S 144°52′53″E﻿ / ﻿37.8542719°S 144.8814227°E﻿ / -37.8542719; 144.8814227

The Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS) has been a railway organisation concerned with history and preservation of railway heritage at a national level.

It has had divisions in every state and the Australian Capital Territory, although the ACT division was wound up in 2016, along with the Victorian division in 2020. Since 1967, when each division incorporated, the state divisions operated as separate entities. Each still trades under the ARHS brand, except in Western Australia, where the division is called Rail Heritage WA. Individual membership exceeds 2,500.[citation needed]

## Background

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The ARHS was founded in Sydney in 1933 as The Railway Circle,[1] becoming the Australasian Railway and Locomotive Historical Society shortly afterwards. The society's name was changed to the present form in 1952.[2]

Divisions were later formed in other states, most of which established a railway museum:

* ACT – Canberra Railway Museum, Kingston
* Queensland – Rosewood Railway Museum[3]
* South Australia – operated the Mile End Railway Museum from 1964 to 1988, when the exhibits were moved to Port Adelaide, becoming, in 1999, the National Railway Museum. Meanwhile, the Division had set up a train-operating arm, SteamRanger Heritage Railway, which operates the Victor Harbor line as a working museum.
* Victoria – Australian Railway Historical Society Museum, Williamstown North
* Western Australia – Western Australian Rail Transport Museum, Bassendean

In February 2015, the ACT division commenced operating scrap metal services from Fyshwick to Port Botany through its commercial division, Espee Railroad Services, with locomotives and wagons leased from CFCL Australia.[4][5][6] In November 2016, the Canberra Railway Museum was suddenly closed after the commercial division, which had been started to subsidise popular but expensive heritage train trips, collapsed with more than $700,000 of debt.[7] That led to the ACT Division of the ARHS being placed into liquidation.[8]

In July 2020, the Victorian Division was wound up, as the result of a number of civil claims made against it by those who, as children, were abused by ARHS volunteers.[9][10]

Both the Canberra Railway Museum (Capital Region Heritage Rail) and Newport Railway Museum are now run by organisations separate from the ARHS.[11]

## Railway Resource Centre

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Located at the Alexandria premises of the New South Wales Division, the Railway Resource Centre is a collection of historical material pertaining to Australian railways, managed by the Society and volunteers. Access to the collection is available to members and to the general public for private research only. It houses thousands of documents, books, periodicals, photographs and slides which the Society has acquired over many years. It is constantly being added to by acquisitions through donations and bequests from Australian Railway Historical Society members and others.[12]

## Publications

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### Books

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1210 at the Canberra Railway Museum in April 2011 H220 at the Australian Railway Historical Society Museum in October 2006 P508 at the Western Australian Rail Transport Museum in April 2006

Each division has published and supported publishing of books and pamphlets about the history of regional railways. Significantly divisions have been the main resource of expertise in creating centenary and other anniversary publications regarding rail history.

The New South Wales Division operates a shop in Alexandria.[13] The NSW division also maintains the Railway Resource Centre. The centre houses the thousands of documents, books, periodicals, photographs and slides that the society has acquired over many years.[1]

### Magazines

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Some divisions publishes magazines at various frequencies. The state and divisions of the society publish magazines that vary in content and depth, but which provide items of local information about state railway history and activities.

#### Australian Railway History

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In October 1937, Australasian Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin was launched by the New South Wales Division.[14] In May 1950, it was relaunched as the Australian Railway History Society Bulletin.[15][16] In January 2004, it was renamed Australian Railway History, and is published monthly.[17]

Australian Railway Historyincludes historical material from all states and territories.[18]

#### Newsrail

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In November 1957, the Victorian Division launched Divisional Diary.[19] From 1958 until 1965, it was also the publication of the Tasmanian division.[20] In January 1973, Divisional Diary was replaced by Newsrail.[21][22] It is published monthly.[23] Since the winding-up of the Victorian Division in mid-2020, the magazine has been published by Victorian Rail Publishing Inc.[24]

#### Railway Digest

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In March 1963, the New South Wales division launched Railway Digest.[25] It is published monthly.[26][27]

#### Sunshine Express

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After publishing a supplement within the Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin for 16 issues, in February 1966, the Queensland division launched Sunshine Express.[28] In 1968, annual publication was increased from six issues to eight.[29] As of 2023, it is published bimonthly.[30]

#### Tasmanian Rail News

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From 1958 until 1965, the Victorian Division publication, Divisional Diary, also served as the Tasmanian Division's publication.[20] In August 1965, Rail News was launched, which was renamed Tasmanian Rail News in July 1968.[31][32]

#### The Recorder

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In October 1963, the South Australian division launched The Recorder.[33][34] In May 1992, The Recorder ceased publication with the ARHS deciding to pool resources with the National Railway Museum's Catch Point.[35][36][37] The arrangement ceased in December 2008.[38]

#### The Westland

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In July 1972, the Western Australian division launched The Westland Express.[39] It ceased in June 1973 after 12 issues.[40][41] In January 1985, it was revived as The Westland.[42] Publication ceased in 2019 after 287 issues.[43]

## Affiliations

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Other societies and organisations with which the Australian Railway Historical Society is affiliated include:-[44]

* Australian Electric Traction Association
* Canadian Railroad Historical Association
* East Coast Heritage Rail
* Irish Railway Record Society
* Light Railway Research Society of Australia
* Light Rail Transit Association (UK)
* Narrow Gauge Railway Society (UK)
* National Railway Historical Society (USA)
* NSW Rail Museum
* New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society
* Rail Motor Society
* Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (UK)
* Railway Society of Southern Africa
* Royal Australian Historical Society

### Other groups

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Rail heritage is not the exclusive domain of the ARHS in Australia, and at various stages other groups of enthusiasts and individuals have endeavoured to create niches in the publishing and rail heritage businesses.

## See also

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* Railways portal

* List of railroad-related periodicals

## References

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1. ^ a b "Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW)". MGNSW. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
2. ^ The Constitution and the change of the Society's name Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin January 1952 page 10
3. ^ "Rosewood Railway Museum". ARHS Queensland. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
4. ^ Canberra railway freight services to start again after 32 years Access Recycling
5. ^ A new railway plan for Canberra's scrap metal Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Canberra Times 6 March 2015
6. ^ "Rail freight returns to Canberra" Railway Digest March 2015 page 8
7. ^ O'Mallon, Finbar (3 August 2018). "Back on track: Canberra Railway Museum set to reopen". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
8. ^ "Railway Museum runs out of steam – Canberra CityNews". Canberra CityNews. 17 November 2016. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
9. ^ Investigation into child sex offender Robert Whitehead’s involvement with Puffing Billy and other railway bodies Archived 17 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine Victorian Ombudsman June 2018
10. ^ Railways changes should not prevent making abuse claims Archived 15 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Ryan Carlisle Thomas Lawyers 29 July 2020
11. ^ "Newport Railway Museum". Newport Railway Museum Inc. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
12. ^ "Railway Resource Centre". Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
13. ^ Bookshop Archived 14 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Australian Railway Historical Society
14. ^ "Bulletin 1937–1987", Australasian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, issue 600, October 1987, pages 218–220
15. ^ "Celebrating 50 Years of the New Series of Bulletin", Australian Railway History Society Bulletin, issue 751, May 2000, pages 183–185
16. ^ Catalogue entry: Australian Railway History Society Bulletin Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine National Library of Australia
17. ^ Catalogue entry: Australian Railway History Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine National Library of Australia
18. ^ Australian Railway History Archived 15 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine Australian Railway Historical Society
19. ^ "A Note from the President", Divisional Diary, November 1957, page 3
20. ^ a b "DD 186", Divisional Diary, March 1958, page 20
21. ^ "Divisional Diary", Newsrail, January 1988, pages 4–7
22. ^ "1973 – 2023 50 Years", Newsrail, January 2023, pages 6–15
23. ^ Catalogue entry: Newsrail Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine National Library of Australia
24. ^ "Victorian Rail Publishing Inc". 29 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
25. ^ New South Wales Digest – The First Ten Years Railway Digest March 1973 page 3
26. ^ Catalogue entry: Railway Digest Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine National Library of Australia
27. ^ Railway Digest Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine Australian Railway Historical Society
28. ^ Sunshine Express Sunshine Express issue 17 February 1966 page 3
29. ^ Editorial Sunshine Express issue 29 February 1968 page 2
30. ^ Catalogue entry: Sunshine Express Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine National Library of Australia
31. ^ "TRN turns 40", Tasmanian Rail News, issue 229, October 2005, page 19
32. ^ Catalogue entry: Tasmanian Rail News Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine National Library of Australia
33. ^ South Australian Recorder Divisional Diary January 1964 page 15
34. ^ The Recorder Completes its First Ten Years The Recorder October 1973 page 2
35. ^ From the Editor Catch Point issue 88 March 1992 page 3
36. ^ The Future The Recorder April 1992 page 100
37. ^ Catalogue entry: The Recorder Archived 7 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine State Library of South Australia
38. ^ Catch Point celebrates 30 years Catch Point issue 208 March 2012 page 30
39. ^ Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 421 November 1972 page 11
40. ^ Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 432 October 1973 page 11
41. ^ Catalogue entry: The Westland Express Archived 10 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine State Library of Western Australia
42. ^ Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 567 January 1985 page 1
43. ^ Catalogue entry: The Westland Archived 10 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine State Library of Western Australia
44. ^ Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Div. Annual Report 2007–2008

## Further reading

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* Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R. (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 to 2000. Redfern, N.S.W.: Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division. ISBN 0-909650-49-7.

## External links

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* ARHS ACT Division (archived)
* ARHS New South Wales Division. Archived 3 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
* ARHS Queensland Division
* ARHS South Australian Division (SteamRanger)
* ARHS Tasmanian Division
* ARHS Victorian Division
* ARHS Western Australian Division
* Espee Railroad Services (archived)