The Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops Open Day Sucess

Following initial problems with the ATP management the Day went off with out any problems and included musical entertainment which had been earlier banned by ATP management.

Many former workers took the opportunity to return to the site and took the opportunity to look around the former Eveleigh railyards and reminisce with former workers. One visitor who made the trip alone to see the Blacksmiths Shop was 97 years old.

Organisers were delighted with the turnout and the level of support shown for maintaining operational heritage as part of the site.

At yesterday’s successful Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops Open Day a Public Meeting was held and a motion seeking to resolve the issues across the site was unanimously passed. The full text of the resolution can and details of speakers at the public meeting are provided below.

The Motion includes calls for:

• the RWA / ATP to withdraw the Notice to Quit on the ATP Blacksmiths
• discussions with the NSW Premier Morris Iemma about the protection of heritage on the site
• the consideration of a National Heritage listing
• an interim Green Ban on the Site
• the achievement of a long term process for protecting the former Railyard’s Heritage
• Government and business not to enter into any agreements that would adversely impact on any remaining heritage on the site

A range of heritage issues across the former railway site were raised that the meeting wanted to see addressed. Some of these include:

• The ongoing operation of Wrought Artworks and its ongoing maintenance and use of the heritage equipment
• The State Government, RWA and ATP meeting their heritage obligations for the heritage equipment on the site, especially those provided for the development approval establishing the Technology Park.
• The continued preservation of the Large Erecting Shop as an operating Heritage shop rather than heritage operators being evicted and it being adaptively reused or replaced with the RWA’s zoned 12 story building
• The proposed removal of heritage rolling stock and other heritage equipment from the Paint Shop to get it ready for sale by the RWA without there being more appropriate facilities for the equipment to move to.
• An appropriate use for the Chief Mechanical Engineers building currently proposed to be turned into units
• Any redevelopment of North Eveleigh honouring the sites rail heritage without further degrading the heritage values of the site
• Opposition to the RWA’s plan to adaptively reuse the paint shop by having 4 storey apartment buildings constructed within the existing Paint Shop.

Many Aboriginal people were employed at the Eveleigh Railyards and on the states railways with grown men being paid “boys” wages. The organisers welcomed the support of Aboriginal people for the event and expressed their support for the Aboriginal Housing Company’s struggle with Government in Eveleigh Street.

The details of public meeting speakers are provided below

The public meeting that unanimously passed the above motion was held during the Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops Open Day. The speakers included:

• Richard Green – Welcome to Country
• Guido Gouverneur, Wrought Artworks Blacksmiths
• Clover Moore MP Lord Mayor City of Sydney
• Councillor Chris Harris, Greens Councillor City of Sydney
• Linda Scott on Behalf of Meredith Burgman ALP Lord Mayor Candidate for City of Sydney
• Jack Mundy – Former Union leader and Green Ban Pioneer
• Michael Mundine – CEO Aboriginal Housing Company
• AMWU Representative on behalf of Tim Ayres read the AMWU’s Resolution of Support
• Richard Butcher – Former Eveleigh Worker & Author of the Great Eveleigh Railway Workshops
• Brian Dunnett - Save the Eveleigh Blacksmith Committee
• Geoff Turnbull – Spokesperson for REDWatch
• Dave Fleming - Apprentice Blacksmith Wrought Artworks

More Information on the issues can be found here.

For Further Information Contact:

• Guido Gouverneur or Wendy McCaffrey Wrought Artworks Blacksmiths (02) 9319 6190
• Brian Dunnett - Save the Eveleigh Blacksmith Committee 04 1909 1211
• Geoff Turnbull – REDWatch (02) 9318 0824