Australia So Much to See

We were greeted with a smile and a piece of cake (sometimes it will be scones and cream) by the duty volunteers. This museum has expensive displays of railway equipment, as well as general museum rooms. The low entry fee of $10 per person with $5 for concession card holders and children 12 – 17 years old, and under 12 free. EFTPOS or cash.

In 1893, the rail line from Perth via Northam was extended to Merredin, then continued eastward, reaching Kalgoorlie in 1897. Merredin Railway Station was originally constructed in 1897, and a signal cabin was added in 1913. By 1915, improvements were made to the Refreshment Rooms including a cellar.

Cummins commissioned several buildings in Merredin, including establishing a branch of Kalgoorlie Brewing in 1929 with his daughter Alice Cummins and managing director. More later about James Cummins and Cummins Theatre, a striking historic building in Merredin.

After he died, his daughter Alice ran the breweries until her death in 1945, with the Merredin ale house producing Kalgoorlie Bitter and Oatmeal Stout as well as its own Merredin Bitter and Westland-Lager. The former brewery buildings in Pollock Avenue were then used as an accommodation hostel in the 1950s for students from outlying areas. The property is now classified by the National Trust and is a well restored private residence, and known locally as Brewery House.

A pathway between the Military Museum and the Railway Museum goes through Pioneer Park, a small picnic area commemorating the Merredin district's past. This park has been upgraded since these photos were taken.

The bronze statues of a Clydesdale horse, a single furrow plough, a farmer and his dog commemorates early farming methods. The paddock was ploughed twice then seeded, and a single ploughing would take more than a day to complete one acre. Modern machinery can direct seed around 700 acres (280 acres) in a day.

The Railway Water Tower, a 45 foot (12 metres) high tower with a tank with a capacity of 40,000 gallons (182,000 litres), was built in 1893. Water was pumped from Railway Dam (Merredin Peak) to the tower where it was used by steam locomotives until the 1960’s.

Why is Kalgoorlie Bitter prominent on the tank? The Kalgoorlie Brewing and Ice Co Commenced in 1896 with James Cummins on the board of directors. In 1904 Cummins, Kalgoorlie’s mayor for two years, became managing director.

Pioneer Park and the Merredin Railway Museum

There was a separate waiting room for women and children (above), while men went to the bar (at left).

A painting of the Merredin Railway Station on display in the ladies waiting room. This was a busy passenger station until 1966, as trains were a regular means of commuting to Perth. With the lines being replaced by standard gauge, these lines were discontinued and a new station built. The Prospector passenger service runs daily between Perth and Kalgoorlie, with the journey taking just under seven hours.

A cut out figure represents the signalman working.

In 1927, new station buildings were constructed using Coolgardie bricks salvaged from the Golden Gate, Hannan Street and Kallaroo Stations on the disused Eastern Goldfields Railway loopline.

In the early 1960s, the addition of buffet cars on passenger trains negated the need for the refreshment rooms, and these were closed.

Climb the steps up into the signal cabin, where a complex set of levers worked signals to direct trains onto right lines for their transit or parking.

This now reconstructed organ (below), donated to the Railway Museum, is a beautiful example from the era.

There are well set out displays throughout the various rooms in the station buildings, showing relevant equipment through its years.

Kegs of beer were loaded down into the cellar through this hatch on the platform.

Inside the bar, kegs were brought up through this hatch.
You can now climb down the steep steps into the cellar.

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From the signal cabin looking across to the Post Office.

Looking west across station buildings, along the standard gauge lines from the signal cabin.

Looking south west across the Great Eastern Highway from the signal cabin.

The platform (above right). Further along the platform there are two locomotives on display. More about that later.

See more of the Merredin Railway Museum on the next page