Heritage Report: The National Railway Heritage Conference

Abstract

The 101 delegates who attended the National Railway Heritage Conference at Tamworth held 28-30 September 2005 included representatives of museums, heritage groups, tourism agencies, universities (Australian and overseas), trade unions, transport authorities, a Labor Senator (Kerry O'Brien), and Tim Fischer, a former Leader of the National Party of Australia. It was evident from the attendance and the papers offered that 'rail heritage' appeals to a wide range of people and covers many different topics. The conference was divided into two streams: the more 'technical' stream offered sessions on 'Operating Rail Heritage', Railways as a vital part of economic and social development, and rail monuments, while the more 'cultural' stream included sessions on 'Preserving and Valuing Railway Heritage', globalisation and heritage, the political and social culture of rail, and the history of rail. New South Wales was the most strongly represented, with almost three-quarters of the delegates representing that state, no doubt an indication of the regional variations in railway heritage, as well as a result of the location. Delegates from the 'peripheral' states, however, may have felt that some of the presentations were a little parochial, lacking the depth gained by drawing comparisons or contrasts to situations in other states and overseas. In this regard, it was pleasing that delegates from Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland presented papers relating to, respectively, the Midland, Launceston and Ipswich Railway Workshops. By the end of the conference, participants were well aware of the preservation work going on in the west, the north and the south, as well as the east.