Tea and Sugar Train at the National Railway Museum: Ron learns about some of our Railway History in the Adelaide Coast region of South Australia
Back in 1912 the state's of Western Australia and South Australia engaged in some old fashioned "nation building" with the construction of a railway line to rival anything the world. It would be called the Trans Australia Railway and it would push the resources of men and governments to the limit.
But by October 1917 it was finished, completing the rail connection across our vast continent, from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. But building the railway line was one thing, maintaining it and servicing the communities along this ribbon of steel was quite another --- and that's where the famous "Tea and Sugar Train" came in.
John Evans, National Railway Museum: “The Tea and Sugar Train ran from 1915 to 1996 so nigh on 80 years from Port Augusta across to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. It serviced all 56 sidings.”
With names like Chifley, Barton, Watson, Deakin and Cook the railway sidings pay homage to ex Prime Ministers - not that many would have stopped in what are some of the remotest communities on the planet. But out here, across the underbelly of Australia lived maintenance crews and their families - and they, like the rest of us, needed their weekly supplies.
John Evans: “They'd come with wheelbarrows to the side of the train and load up and of course go back to their homes at settlements along the way. It serviced the fettlers and pastoralist and other people who lived close to the line. Until you got to the Nullarbor Plain itself and virtually there was nobody out there except the rail people. We need to bear in mind, there were no roads - the railway line was the lifeline for all these communities.”
Step inside the "Tea and Sugar Train" at the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide and you step into a time capsule complete with Vesta curry packs, Anzac biscuits and Nana's Rhubarb and Apple Pie Mix. They were vital creature comforts for people who must have felt exceptionally isolated.
John Evans: “It was very hard to attract people out to these places. Often it was a question for the authorities that there would be no questions asked so to speak. And they were glad to have someone. It was reported that in one year the turn-over of staff was something like 3,000 people.”
Designed by students from Carnegie Mellon University in Adelaide, the interactive display gives children an understanding of what was on offer to the families of those who worked the line.
It was certainly remote and it was also the longest stretch of straight railway track in the world extending 297 miles or 478 kilometres from the eastern fringe of the Nullarbor in South Australia all the way to a tiny settlement called Nurina in WA.
Called the "Tea and Sugar Train" it could so easily have been summed up by anyone of a number of catchy combos. "Milk and Bread" perhaps or more to the point "Grog and Meat".
Many a railway fettler's wheelbarrow would be loaded to the brim with beer to last the week.. until the "Tea and Sugar" returned with much needed supplies including those prepared in transit by the railway butcher.
The "Tea and Sugar Train" – complete with a travelling butcher - is just one of many exhibits on show at the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide which celebrates its 20th birthday next weekend. It's open daily. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Tea and Sugar Train
National Railway Museum
Lipson Street South
Port Adelaide
$29 per family $5 children $9 concession $12 adults
Open daily from 10 am to 5pmPublished 24th May 2009
