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Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum

The Museum reopens on Monday, July Sixth with restricted Opening times.

Werris Creek is the first and last railway town in NSW and is located on a major railway junction. The Werris Creek railway station is the third largest in NSW. It houses the Werris Creek Rail Journeys Museum, which brings this town's railway past back to life.

The stunning displays are a credit to the tireless volunteers who made this museum happen. Constant upgrades and new displays will make the visitor come back again and again. The latest addition is a model railway showing Werris Creek in its railway heydays. The entry donations go towards upgrading and maintaining the museum.

The Australian Railway Monument commemorates railway men and women who have lost their lives in railway accidents since 1850. The landscaped monument area features six three metre stainless steel sculptures of railway workers created by Australian Artist Dominique Sutton, an amphitheatre for public concerts and over 2,400 names on walls of remembrance.

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The Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum

On 1 October 2005 the Australian Railway Monument in Werris Creek (NSW) was opened by the NSW Minister for Transport (and on that day Acting Premier) Hon John Watkins as part of the celebrations of 150 years of rail in NSW. The monument comprises a number of large sculptures set around the Monument amphitheatre. The centre of the amphitheatre has three lines crossing it representing the three railway lines that form the junction there. Around half of that space is a stone faced mound which contains two concrete faced cuttings. On the opening day most of one wall of a cutting, known as a Wall of Remembrance, contains panels inscribed with the names of over 2,000 NSW railway personnel who were killed on duty or as a result of injuries sustained on duty. At each radial point of the three lines are the metal figurative sculptures, semi-abstract, but recognisable interpretations of workers on the rail network. Other figures are located in the precinct. Workers represented include a signalman, gatekeeper, driver, guard, shunter, station-mistress and others.

So why is it called the Australian Railway Monument, rather than just the NSW railway monument? Simply that this striking display is an opportunity for all states to pay tribute to all the railway men and women of Australia who lost their lives on duty or as a result of injuries sustained on duty and at the same time, represent the railway industry and all its employees and their contribution to Australia’s development. 

Why Werris Creek?

Werris Creek Railway Station precinct is of great heritage significance to NSW and also has some national significance. With the reduced use of the station by Rail Corp (though it is still a passenger stop), the challenge was to provide a future use that supported both the heritage of the buildings but also of the rail community in this town.

Werris Creek is termed ‘the first railway town in Australia’ as it began in 1885 as a railway station in a paddock to begin the branch line rail network. There was no town and the nearby towns were not interested in becoming a junction, so a new town was born – a true railway town. It became a major rural rail complex with traffic and mechanical operations, in NSW it was reputedly the largest outside Sydney. Architecturally it is most unusual with triangular platform and similarly shaped main building.

Associated with the Australian Railway Monument is the Rail Journeys Museum. The first room is open but there are plans for more in the former two-storey Werris Creek Refreshment Rooms (NSW RRR included accommodation for travellers). The intention of the combination railway theme was to create a regional tourist attraction that would have broad appeal. Inside the Rail Journeys Museum the focus is on telling rail stories through the workers’ eyes and words. Apart from the various themed panels along the timeline, there are artefacts and stories related to the various operational personnel, for example, the shunter, the station master and the fettler. The professional presentation is impressive.

The opening of the Monument was accompanied by a weekend-long fair and festival of rail with a wide range of modern and vintage passenger trains, a market, and many and varied performers in several venues around the town. It was an appropriate ending to the four-day National Railway Heritage Conference. 

< [email protected] >Figure 1 Signalman statue with amphitheatre behind and female ASM (assistance station master) statue on the horizon

The couple in the photo of the Signalman are Trevor Horman and Judy Richardson, the key drivers of the Friends of the Northern Australia Railway at Adelaide River in the Northern Territory who attended the Rail Heritage Conference and the ARM opening, which meant there were delegates from every state and territory at the Conference.

Photo: Courtesy Bob McKillop

</ [email protected] >

Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum

New South Wales

In Werris Creek, 45km southwest from Tamworth, you'll find this touching memorial to Australian rail-workers who've lost their lives on the job. Next door, in a beautifully-preserved station-house dating to 1885 (when the town was a major rail junction) you'll find a great volunteer-run railway museum. Pride of place in the evolving collection is a model of the town's railway network in its glory years.

Werris Creek Station, Single St

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Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum

Single Street, New South Wales 2341 Australia

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“the first and last railway town in NSW”

Werris Creek is the first and last railway town in NSW and is located on a major railway junction. The Werris Creek railway station is the third largest in NSW. It houses the Werris Creek Rail Journeys Museum, which brings this town's railway past back to life. The stunning displays are a credit to the tireless volu...

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The National Railway Museum Werris... - Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum

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• Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum

This is a really interesting museum with fabulous people staffing it. A big thanks to Ken for... read more

This is an outstanding museum on two floors with wonderful displays that tell the stories of Werris... read more

The National Railway Museum Werris Creek.

Apart from the amazing effort put into this Museum collection, the artistic sculptors are quite good interpretations of the various areas within the history of the Railway Workers. The Memorial is also dedicated to the workers through paving bricks on the footpath into the Memorial. Most importantly, though, the Volunteers we met on the day could not have been more helpful, as we were researching details for a family tree. The amassed Archives for this Rail Line is amazing. One of the best cataloging processes we have seen for historical data. Definitely worth the visit regardless of whether one has an interest in Railways just from the historical past of an incredibly productive area.

This little museum at Werris Creek has lots to interest rail enthusiasts. If however you are really only interested in rolling stock it may not be for you. This museum focusses on equipment and memorabilia. We particularly liked the 3801 live steam model which took six years to build as well as the electric staff exchange equipment. The catering stories were particularly interesting. There is a beautiful memorial garden outside the museum. It takes it shape from a rail roundhouse.

A visit to my old place of work was very rewarding as it has been turned into the Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum. There is an extensive display of railwaybilia and the Monument is very well set out. Staff were helpful and admission is only by donation.

The Rail Journeys Museum at Werris Creek, located within the old and historic Werris Creek Railway Station is a must to visit when you are in the New England area. Werris Creek was one of NSW major rail hubs in years gone by and a hugely busy rail centre so much so that the entire township grew up around the rail. The modernization of trains and the rail network generally changed the dynamics of rail travel and maintenance over the decades. Fortunately a number of individuals, all former rail workers, had the foresight to set up this centre with a vast array of memorabilia, photos, documents which could will have been lost without their vision and enthusiasm to preserve a bygone era. It really is one of the better Museums to visit and in many ways worth a special trip to Werris Creek to see and explore. It is currently expanding and within a short time will have the 2nd stage ready for opening. There are wonderful video presentations and for anyone who likes trains, travel, steam and history this is a must. It is only a short half hour drive from the nearby major centre of Tamworth. A small shop sells memorabilia and great DVDs of rail travel within Australia. Entry is free but a small donation is appreciated to help the ongoing work all by enthusiastic local volunteers. You will not be disappointed - it was incidentally where the recent Angelina Jolie directed film, 'Unbroken', was made.

had a wonderful time here. The volunteers are so knowledgable coming from their years working for the railway. My dads first posting in the country was as a shunter at werris creek. I had no idea it was such a large station with 700 staff at the time dad was there in 1942 with a new wife and baby. So much to see and so many memories of travelling as a small child. They even found dads name, years of service there and where he went after. Again, can't thank the volunteers for all their hard work and the time they spent with my husband and I. We will return. Donation - make it a big one!

Lovely local people keeping an important part of our history alive and interesting. Used for Angelina Jolie's film "Unbroken', there are displays and memorabilia for everyone.

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AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY MONUMENT AND RAIL JOURNEYS MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• (0.10 km) Coffee Corner at Werris Creek Pharmacy
• (0.33 km) Commercial Hotel Motel
• (0.13 km) Cafe On Single
• (12.41 km) Currabubula Pub & Cafe
• (0.58 km) Steam Bistro - Werris Creek

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10 main stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway

The Trans-Siberian Railway is more than 9,200 km long. Running from Moscow to Vladivostok, it connects the large cities of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. By taking this train, you can see almost all of Russia. There is an added bonus in that a ticket for the Trans-Siberian allows you to get off at any station and then continue the journey on any other train on the route, provided it has free seats. Here are the cities we recommend exploring on the way.

1. Yaroslavl 

The Assumption Cathedral at the arrow of the Volga and Kotorosl rivers in Yaroslavl

The train departs from Moscow’s Yaroslavsky railway station, and one of the first stops is the wonderful city of Yaroslavl. This ancient city was founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1010.

Yaroslavl is the unofficial capital of the famous tourist route, the Golden Ring, and boasts hundreds of churches and monasteries. Be sure to visit the Yaroslavl Museum hidden behind the massive walls of the former Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior. Explore its main cathedral and visit Masha the bear, the living embodiment of the Yaroslavl coat of arms.

Click here to find out more about the history of Yaroslavl, places to visit and things to do there.

2. Perm 

The Perm Regional Museum

Perm is both a large industrial city and a cultural center of the Urals. It has a renowned opera and ballet company and a large drama theater with the unexpected name, Theater. It also has its own (a rarity in Russia) museum of contemporary art, PERMM, which opened in 2009 in a former river terminal building.

A must for any visitor to the city is to take a boat trip on the Kama River and to take a picture on the embankment with the city's calling card - a large land-art object by Boris Matrosov called “Happiness is not far off” - in the background.

Click here to find out more about things to do in Perm and its environs.

3. Yekaterinburg 

The Chekist Town in Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg is an industrial city with a million-plus population, the capital of the Urals and the birthplace of the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin.

Make sure to visit the architectural monument known as the Chekist Town, a neighbourhood of constructivist residential buildings and dormitories built in the 1920s and 1930s. It was intended for the leadership of the NKVD secret police (hence its unofficial name).

Find out more about things to do in the city in summer and in winter .

4. Tyumen 

The Tyumen embankment

Tyumen is considered the center of the Russian oil industry. At the same time, it has more than once come at the top of the list of the country's most liveable cities. Things to check out here include: a walk along the embankment of the Tura River, amusement rides in the Park of Culture and Leisure, as well as a visit to the Holy Trinity Monastery and the Znamensky Cathedral, built in the unusual Siberian Baroque style. By the way, Tyumen has a very progressive university, with many foreigners among both students and the teaching staff.

In two hours' drive from Tyumen (unfortunately, not on the Trans-Siberian route), is the old town of Tobolsk, which in the 17th-18th centuries served as a stronghold in Russia's exploration of Siberia. There is even a stone Kremlin here!

5. Omsk 

The Dormition Cathedral and Omsk city view

Omsk is known all over the world as the place where Fyodor Dostoevsky spent four years in exile. The city's literary museum, which studies the heritage of Siberian writers, is named after him. Omsk is also home to a unique metro, the shortest in the world as it has only one station. Click here to find out more about how it is used.

Make sure to visit a Continental Hockey League game: the local Avangard team is one of the strongest clubs in the country.

6. Novosibirsk 

The Nobosibirsk metro bridge over the Ob River

Novosibirsk is considered the capital of... guess what! That's right - Siberia. The city was founded in the 19th century as a stop on the route of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was being built at the time. And even before the city appeared, a bridge across the Ob River was erected here. It is now part of the Novosibirsk coat of arms.

These days, Novosibirsk is a city with a million-plus population and a variety of leisure activities, from museums and theaters to a large zoo and a circus. You should definitely visit the red-brick Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, the city’s first stone building.

Check out our guide for things to do in Novosibirsk in winter.

7. Krasnoyarsk 

The Krasnoyarsk Pillars

With its long avenues, vast spaces and the great Yenisei River, Krasnoyarsk is a place where you can feel the full might of Siberia. Some of the city's most famous sights are featured on the 10-ruble bill.

Places to visit here include the local history museum as well as the Ploshchad Mira museum center, in which contemporary art is juxtaposed with Soviet art. The two museum buildings are separated by a walk along the Yenisei Embankment, which offers nice views of the bridges across the river.

Not far from the city is a unique natural reserve called Krasnoyarsk Pillars. Click here to read the story of a guide working at the nature reserve and other stories of people overheard onboard the Trans-Siberian.

8. Irkutsk 

Lake Baikal

Here we are, half-way through the journey, and we reach the city where the famous Decembrists, who staged an uprising against the Tsar in 1825 on Senate Square St. Petersburg, spent their time in exile. The city has a museum dedicated to their legacy.

Of course, the city's main attraction is Lake Baikal, whose nearest coastal point is an hour's drive from Irkutsk. Click here to read a first-hand account of how to go to the world’s largest lake in winter and fall in love.

9. Ulan-Ude 

The Ivolginsky Datsan

If you don't have time to stop in Lake Baikal, don't worry: you’ll see it from the train window since between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, the railway runs along the lake shore, with two-minute stops on the way.

Getting off the train in the capital of Buryatia may be your most unusual adventure in Russia. This area on the border with Mongolia is known for its ancient Buddhist traditions. Not far from the city is an important Buddhist center, Ivolginsky Datsan. Even the main Russian Orthodox church in Ulan-Ude, the Odigitrievsky Cathedral, looks more like a Buddhist stupa.

Lenin's head in Ulan-Ude

There is also an unusual monument to Vladimir Lenin in the form of the man's giant head.

Click here to read about an Englishman's adventures in Ulan-Ude.

10. Khabarovsk 

A bridge over the Amur River in Khabarovsk

Some 14 more hours and you’ll be in Vladivostok! In the meantime, welcome to the capital of Khabarovsk Territory and to the Russian Far East. The city is located on the Amur River near the border with China. There is a 3-km bridge across the river, which is popularly known as the “Amur miracle”.

Interestingly, 75 km from Khabarovsk, in a village of the local indigenous Nanai people, a stone carving dating to 12,000 BC was found. Click here to read more about this ancient artefact. 

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Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.10 km) Coffee Corner at Werris Creek Pharmacy
• (0.33 km) Commercial Hotel Motel
• (0.13 km) Cafe On Single
• (12.41 km) Currabubula Pub & Cafe
• (0.58 km) Steam Bistro - Werris Creek