EVELEIGH - STILL THE BEST LOCATION FOR SECURITY

Heritage items are being distributed but little seems to be done to secure these items. It has been stated that most of the core collection will go to the Rail Transport Museum at Thirlmere with other items going to various selected railway museums or associations across the State. This is not acceptable when you look at securing these valuable items, then there is a major problem. These railway museums or associations do not have the money to employ sufficient guards or install adequate alarm systems to protect the State’s irreplaceable rail heritage items under their care.

Recently a large amount of bronze and brass, being bearings and other spare parts have been removed in an overnight raid on the Thirlmere base of the Rail Transport Museum. It has also been reported that copper piping for the 57 Class locomotive at the Rail Transport Museum’s Valley Heights Depot was taken in a later raid. This Depot has an alarm system but the thieves found a way to evade setting off the alarms. One pipe was reported to be over 3 meters in length - no doubt a truck would have been needed.

Again the dreaded word Eveleigh comes up. You cannot get a safer and more secure site than Eveleigh and its Large Erecting Shed for Rail Heritage items. 24 hour guards, well lit, no taking a truck in here and taking away a load of scrap metal in the middle of the night.

It’s about time that the Government and Minister John Watkins had an objective look at this option instead of handing over the birthplace of the New South Wales Railway to Frank Sartor. A walk around the “Carriage Works” site will show you why you should never hand anything over to the Redfern Waterloo Authority.

Yes Morris Iemma and yes John Watkins it’s time to stand up and be counted as someone who appreciates our Colonial History - save something that is important to a lot of true blue Australians. Eveleigh was the political birthplace of 1 Governor General of Australia, 3 Prime Ministers and 25 parliamentarians and the inaugural Secretary of the Nurses Association and was a significant place for Aboriginal people of Redfern as it was one of the first places that offered employment, training and employment transfers from regional NSW to the city.

This is the place for a working railway museum where heritage items can be stored safely and with easy access to the people and visitors to Sydney.

EVELEIGH - STILL THE BEST LOCATION FOR SYDNEY S RAILWAY MUSEUM

This media release is part three media releases from FOE. For a 685 Kb PDF with the photos referred to download the PDF on this link - Friends of Eveleigh Media Release 11th June 2007

Media Release Produced by the Friends of Eveleigh – Contact: The Secretary, FOE, PO Box 381, Belrose West NSW 2085.