Railway Museum (Western Australia)

The Railway Museum, also known as the Rail Transport Museum, is situated in Bassendean, Western Australia. It is run by Rail Heritage WA, the Western Australian division of the Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS).

Railway Museum

P508 on display at Bassendean in April 2006
The museum is located in Bassendean, Western Australia on Railway Parade between Ashfield Station and Bassendean Station on the Midland Line.
Established	1974; 51 years ago (1974)
Location	Railway Parade, Bassendean Western Australia
Coordinates	31°54′35″S 115°56′20″E
Type	Railway museum
Website	www.railheritagewa.org.au

In the early days of operation it was at times known as the Western Australian Rail Transport Museum.^[1] On the internet and social media it has been referred to by diverse names variant on its location, such as Bassendean Railway Museum^[2][3] and Rail Heritage Museum Bassendean.^[4] The predominant name currently is Railway Museum.^[5][6]

Collection

The museum has the most comprehensive collection of heritage steam locomotives and rolling stock in Western Australia.^[7][8][9] Originally developed in 1969 and officially opened in November 1974 by the Western Australian Minister for Transport Ray O'Connor,^[10] its collection comprises:

• Diesel Locomotives
• Steam Locomotives – include representatives of most classes that operated in the WAGR
• Passenger carriages
• Other rolling stock

Archive

The onsite museum building houses an archive that includes an online photograph collection covering most of Western Australian railway history.^{[11][full citation needed]}

Events

Various annual events have been held over time:

• Steamfest^[12]
• Railfest, which has included active steam and diesel displays^[13]
• Annual open days

The museum is also the location of the West Australian Model Railway Club.^[14]

A related museum called South-West Rail and Heritage Centre is situated in Boyanup.

References

1. "ABN Lookup". abr.business.gov.au. 1 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
2. "Bassendean Railway Museum Western Australia. Bassendean Photos by Mingor". Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
3. "Bassendean Railway Museum - Attraction - Tourism Western Australia". Western Australia. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
4. "Rail Heritage Museum Bassendean". 11 May 2014. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
5. "ASIC Registration". connectonline.asic.gov.au. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
6. "Rail Heritage WA Museums". www.railheritagewa.org.au. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
7. Australian Railway Historical Society. Western Australian Division (1977), A Guide to the Rail Transport Museum at Bassendean, Western Australia (4th ed.), The Division, archived from the original on 4 March 2016, retrieved 11 November 2012
8. Gray, Bill (2010), Guide to the collection : The Railway Museum, Western Australia, Rail Heritage WA, ISBN 978-0-9803922-3-4
9. "Rail Heritage WA Exhibits". Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
10. Bassendean Archived 27 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Rail Heritage WA
11. Rail Heritage WA Archive Photo Gallery
12. Western Australian Government Railways Commission (1988), Westrail news : a monthly publication for staff, Westrail, Public Affairs, ISSN 1032-4852 16th ed., Aug. 1990 - re Steamfest at Bassendean, noting that in the same era Yarloop had steam events as well
13. "Bassendean Railway Museum". Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
14. "Home". wamrc.org.au. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.

External links

• Official website