| Historical notes: | STATEMENT OF COUNTRY
The Premiers and Railways Commissioners Rail Car Collection is a moveable heritage collection, comprising rail carriages constructed on Gadigal land at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops (Carriageworks, 2025). A strong community of Aboriginal people from across NSW were employed at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, with the workshops' union committees involved in early advocacy for Aboriginal rights in the 1930s-50s (Davis, 2012).
The carriages formed part of the Premier and Railway Commissioners trains, intended to provide accommodation to Commissioners, Ministers, the Premier and staff on tours of the rail network. The carriages in the collection were intended to traverse Country and not remain in a fixed location.
Currently the collection is split between storage facilities at Chullora, at the intersection of Darug and Eora land, and at Thirlmere, on Gandangara land (AIATSIS, 1996).
THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONER
In December 1858, the Commissioner for Railways was established to oversee the construction and administration of NSW railways, with a Board of three Commissioners appointed led by the Chief Commissioner. The Commissioner for Railways became an office in the Department of Public Works from 1859, with the Chief Commissioner in charge by 1888. A separate railways department was established and the board of Commissioners replaced with a single NSW Railway Commissioner (DPWS, 2002). While the Commissioner oversaw the maintenance and administration of the rail network, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works was responsible for the establishment of new railways. In October 1888, periodic inspections of the railway lines were described as one of the "most important" duties of the Commissioner (The Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal, 1888).
THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS TRAIN
Each of the carriages in the collection was constructed at the Eveleigh Rail Carriage Workshops, which was built between 1882-1887. The Carriage Workshops were established to construct and maintain the fleet of carriages used throughout the NSW railway network, with special commissions for the construction of the Commissioners and Premiers carriages.
The Railway Commissioner regularly undertook tours of the rail network via train and so the carriages needed to be suitable for this purpose to accommodate not only the Commissioner, but his attendants. In 1930, the President of the Australian Labor Party criticised the extravagance of the Railway Commissioner in using a special train to tour the line to Broken Hill, however it was noted at the time that a special train was expected of governments on such occasions (The Age, 1930). The Railway Commissioners Train continued to be operational until the 1990s.
The following elements of the Railway Commissioners train are included in the collection: AAH 18, AAH 8, AAH 7, AAH 9 and PAM 11.
AAH 19 - COMMISSIONERS' INSPECTION CARRIAGE
AAH 19 was part of the Railway commissioners train from 1917 to 1972.
AAH 19 was designed in 1917 and was purpose built as the new Commissioner's Carriage. It entered service in 1919 under Commissioner James Fraser. The Carriage was designed with the Commissioners privacy in mind, intended to be marshalled at the end of the train, preventing through-carriage traffic. The carriage was upgraded over time, including addition of gas heaters and a shower in the bathroom. It was likely this carriage which was damaged and required repairs in 1949, when the train crashed through a dead-end buffer in Erskineville (The Northern Star, 1949).
AAH 19 remained in operation as AAH 9 until its replacement in 1972, when it was recoded as AAH 19. It continued to be used after AAH 9 entered service due to the Commissioner's preference for it.
AAH 8 - OFFICERS' INSPECTION CARRIAGE
AAH 8 was part of the railway commissioners train from 1933 to the 1990s.
Of the collection, AAH 8 was constructed first, built as CAM1836 in 1913. The carriage was originally a first-class saloon/compartment car in the Brisbane Service, with seats for 30 passengers and 10 sleeping berths. This style was generally unpopular and all six of the carriages built to this specification were converted to full sleeping cars or other uses.
AAH 8 was recoded as BAM and converted for use as the office car on resource tours in 1929 (DPWS, 2002). Such tours were first organised by the Victorian Railway Commissioner, and sought to provide the opportunity to inspect the goods of primary producers across Victoria, branching out to NSW and Queensland. The first 'Reso' train to run in NSW was in March 1929, and was described as "splendidly fitted throughout for comfort in travelling, sleeping and dining" (Countryman, 1929).
In 1933, AAH 8 was recoded and converted for use in the Commissioners Train, under Commissioner Thomas Hartigan. This involved the replacement of saloon seating with kitchens, storage and other rooms for the Officers saloons. The bogies were converted in 1964, and the carriage was air-conditioned and fitted with automatic couplers (DPWS, 2002).
AAH 7 - ATTENDANTS' CARRIAGE
AAH 7 was part of the railway commissioners train from 1934 to the 1990s.
AAH 7 was also constructed as a first class combined saloon/compartment car, MBX 2104, entering service in June 1917. It was converted for other purposes by 1929, and in 1934 (while Hartigan was Commissioner) it was converted to the Attendants Car for the Commissioners train. In the refurbishment for this use, AAH 7 was equipped with a kitchen, mess room and six bunk-style sleeping berth, with the replacement of some interior timbers which were deteriorating. The exterior, apart from two or three windows, is original, including the crown lights above the windows (DPWS, 2002).
In c.1969, automatic couplers and air-conditioning were installed, and by c.1990s the bogies were converted to roller bearings and it became the only car in the Commissioner's Train with six-wheel bogies.
AAH 9 - COMMISSIONERS' CAR (NEW)
AAH 9 was part of the railway commissioners train from 1972 to the 1980s.
The new commissioners Carriage, AAH 9, was constructed at the direction of Commissioner Neil McCusker. It was not delivered until 1972. The delay in delivery was due to the lack of funds for the carriage, which was constructed during 'downtime' across the facilities (DPWS, 2002). McCusker was no longer Commissioner by the time the carriage was constructed, and by the 1980s the new Commissioner, David Hill, reverted to using AAH 19 due to his distaste for the austere design. AAH 9 did, however, go on to be used by the State Governor and for private functions.
PAM 11 - THE PREMIER'S CAR
PAM11 was delivered in 1920. This car was intended to service the Premier, originally brought into service under Premier John Storey, and remaining in use under other notable premiers including John Lang, who used the carriage for many trips such as a visit to flood effected areas in Newcastle in 1927 (The Newcastle Sun, 30 April 1927). The last Premier to use the carriage was Robert Heffron, who left office in 1964, although it continued to be used for Ministers in subsequent years with Minister Milton Morris the last to use it regularly in the mid-1970s (DPWS, 2002). In World War II, General Macarthur used this carriage on his rail travel across the network.
THE COLLECTION
The carriages were brought together as the Premiers and Railway Commissioner Rail Car Collection and listed on the State Heritage Register in September 2002. The collection is under the custodianship of Transport Heritage NSW. The carriages have been stored at various facilities over the years, and at the time of writing are in storage at Thirlmere Rail Museum (PAM 11 and AAH19) and the Chullora Rail Heritage Hub (AAH 7, AAH 8 and AAH 9). |