Australian Railway Monument
The Australian Railway Monument, located at Werris Creek on the north-west tablelands of New South Wales, honours the memory of those who have died working on the railways in Australia. The names of more than 2,000 rail workers are inscribed on the monument’s walls, providing a place for reflection on the contribution and sacrifices of rail workers in Australian history.
The monument
The multi-million-dollar monument was designed by landscape architect Jane Irwin and sculptor Dominique Sutton in consultation with the Werris Creek community.
The monument consists of an amphitheatre criss-crossed with pathways, each reflecting aspects of the railway journey. Above, five 3.5-metre statues represent different categories of rail worker.
Construction began with funding from RailCorp in 2004. The Australian Railway Monument was opened in October 2005 and since then has played host to tens of thousands of visitors.
Werris Creek
Werris Creek is located on the Liverpool Plains, regarded as the richest agricultural area in NSW, supporting everything from olive plantations to rolling fields of sunflowers. Nearby centres include Quirindi and Tamworth.
In 1877, the NSW Parliament voted to build a branch line from the Great Northern Railway at Werris Creek north-west to Gunnedah and beyond. Up until this time, it had generally been policy not to build branch lines before the completion of the Great Northern, Great Western and Great Southern lines.
The decision heralded a boom in railway construction throughout the colony.
A small station building opened in Werris Creek in 1879. The present station, a few hundred metres to the north on a distinctive triangular site, opened in 1885.
Over the course of the next 50 years, the station was progressively extended to cope with growing demand. In the station's heyday, the busy railway refreshment room offered meals and accommodation to weary train travellers 24 hours a day.
The town of Werris Creek sprang up around the new station to service the railway – becoming the first (and indeed last) ‘railway town’ in northern NSW.
The pivotal role played by the town in the history of the NSW railways made it an ideal choice for the monument's location.
Werris Creek Station is also home to the award-winning Rail Journeys Museum, where visitors can view a range of artefacts in the restored railway refreshment room and hear stories of life working on the railway.
More information
- Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum
- Visit NSW - Tamworth and surrounds
- CountryLink’s Armidale/Moree XPLORER departs Sydney for Werris Creek daily.