HERITAGE NEWSLETTER OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE ORGANISATIONS INC. JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2014 ISSUE No. 31 Governor to open Locomotive Depot museum at Valley Heights by John Leary, OAM LONG GONE is the excitement of the steam train, like a great steel monster white steam gushing from its nostrils, as it pulls out of Sydney Central, quickly passing the back yards of another generation’s dwellings of the western suburbs, then racing at what in those days was considered a break-neck speed across the Cumberland Plains much of it then still farmland until the noisy loco and its train reached Penrith, then a small country town soon to develop as the hub of a satellite city with new suburbs housing a considerable population. At Emu Plains the speed slowed Engine 5183 is turned at Valley Heights. Photograph - Australian Railway with the loco chugging along as it History Society (NSW RRC) 060615 NJ Simons Collection. wound its way around the lower Blue Mountains until it reached the needed power to pull the Heights Locomotive Heritage Valley Heights. carriages up the mountains to Museum has organised a year-long Katoomba. centenary celebration of events. At Valley Heights a pilot engine which had been waiting steamed up The Valley Heights Locomotive On January 31, the Governor of ready to do its work was hooked to Depot was officially opened in NSW, Her Excellency Professor the front of the main loco adding to January 1914 and the Valley Marie Bashir AC, CVO will officially open the Valley Heights Locomotive Heritage Museum. (The opening is by invitation only). Some 47 years earlier, on July 11, 1867, the first official journey by train was made between Penrith and Weatherboard (Wentworth Falls) where the line terminated. The depot’s locomotives assisted up to 30 trains a day from Valley Heights to Katoomba. Located on the steeply graded line to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, the depot served the railways for 75 years. However, its days became numbered when more efficient and powerful electric locomotives were introduced - eventually resulting in Engine 3827 and standard good pilot ready for departure the closure of the depot, marking a from Valley Heights. major milestone in the state’s Photograph: Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW RRC) 004024. railway history. Continued page 3 HERITAGE 1 January - February 2014 Contents......... An opinion from the editor....... HERITAGE January - February 2014 What is cultural heritage? ...Is it all *P1 Governor to open Locomotive Depot about the past? Museum at Valley Heights by John Leary I am frequently asked: What is in the future some historian or *P2 Opinion - What is cultural cultural heritage? ...Is it all about musical researcher may find in heritage? by John Leary the past? Australia the instruments given to *P3 Another year for BMACHO me and return them to their native *P4 ‘For the cricket tragics’ by Definitions of cultural heritage are country to see a revival in the John Leary highly varied. tradition. *P5 An alternative crossing: The definition perhaps I find to be He recently passed away, but Bells Line of Roads pt 2 the simplest and most decisive is, before he did, I told him that while I 1823 - 1872 …cultural heritage is the legacy of had kept the shakuhachi, the other *P7 Heritage churches subject physical artefacts and intangible two instruments, the koto and for BM history conference attributes of a group or society that shamishan had been gifted to two *P8 Heritage pear tree are inherited from past separate institutions with the hope remnant of Woodford generations, maintained in the that a wider distribution of the Academy orchard bears present and bestowed for the artefacts might make possible the fruit by John Leary benefit of future generations. enactment of his vision. The definition embraces simply the The shakuhachi flute has been ‘physical’ and ‘intangible’ and has traced back as far as ancient Egypt a timeline of the past, present and and is thought to have migrated future. through India and China before being brought back to Japan by I often think of the precise nature monks who were studying abroad in of that statement when I ponder a China during the 6th century. *P9 100 years of wedding trust that was placed in me some dresses 20 years ago by a very influential Is this cultural heritage? I believe it *P9 Jazz in the artist’s gardens Japanese friend when he as the is — it certainly fits the definition, *P10 Wendy Hawkes to talk mayor of a large city and I, were that I most like, albeit the about the Cooks directing efforts of a sister cities experience is more in the nature of *P10 Yvonne Jenkins memorial relationship which has endured Japan’s cultural heritage and the award from the 1980s to the present. vision of a far thinking and *P10 HMSBounty cannonball on generous man. display He had expressed to me a concern *P11 Lesser known accounts of that young people in Japan were Is it all about the past? No.It has a early and mid19th Century no longer interested in traditional timeline embracingof the past, journeys over the Blue music, but instead followed blindly present and future. Mountains by Peter the American trends. Rickwood Another reputable definition is that These trends have built-in … cultural heritage is an expression obsolecence that was gradually of the ways of living developed by a seeing the emergence of community and passed on from everything without an apparent generation to generation, including use, being placed on the customs, practices, places, objects, scrapheap of oblivion when its artistic expressions and values. *P17 Honour for Andrew Tink used-by date is reached.. *P18 Joan Smith retires to Cultural heritage is often expressed Melbourne My friend, Shimamura sensei as either intangible or tangible *P18 Retro 2014 asked if I would accept three cultural heritage (ICOMOS, 2002). *P18 The railway to the west instruments as personal gifts to be John Leary, OAM - *P19 Sydney’s hard rock story kept and passed down through President, Blue Mountains ... the cultural heritage of generations of the Leary family to Association of Cultural Heritage trachyte which I hesitatingly agreed to Organisations Inc. *P20 Wasteland, Wilderness, accept, being mindful of the ‘The care of our own Wonderland obligation being place on me. *P20 Accolades for HERITAGE historical memory *P21 The kangaroo that could His vision was that if and when the reveals the degree of rewrite history traditional musical arts and craft civilization and were lost to Japan, that some time morality of a country.’ HERITAGE 2 January - February 2014 “The Fish” and “The Chips” Continued from page 1 Although the depot has been on its Valley Heights site since 1914, February 2, 1957 saw the end of steam operations from Valley Heights. On this day No. 27 passenger train was hauled by steam locomotive 3662 and on arrival at Valley Heights electric locomotives 4611 and 4617 backed out of the depot and assisted the train to Katoomba. From that train all steam hauled trains, both freight and passenger were electrically assisted to Katoomba, until complete electrification saw steam removed A 53 class engine assisting a 35 class out of Valley Heights - from the scene. Photograph Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW RCC) 012376 The depot in latter years was But for commuters in the Blue The era of steam trains which basically a very efficient freight Mountains trains like the “The Fish” fascinated travellers around the wagon and electric locomotive and “The Chips” were a way of life. world, may be long gone, but for repair workshop, the electric those who enjoy a stroll along engines receiving minor repairs and “The Fish” is still the name of one of ‘memory lane’ the Valley Heights complete overhauls at the depot. the peak hour train services Locomotive Heritage Museum will between Sydney and Lithgow. go a long way towards bringing The demise of Valley Heights depot back that enchantment with steam began when the 85 class electric For about fourteen years this train travel. locomotives were introduced in service was regularly driven by a Mr 1979 and through working of freight John Heron who, being a big man, For details of centenary activities trains commenced. gained the nick name “The Big www.infobluemountains.net.au/ Fish” which eventually transferred to locodepot/centenary.shtml The demise was accelerated with the train itself. the introduction of the 86 class References: locomotives in early 1983. From the The original engine pulling “The Valley Heights Locomotive Depot mid 1980s the number of trains Fish” survived about 20 years. Heritage Museum http:// requiring piloting from Valley www.infobluemountains.net.au/ Heights had been reduced to a locodepot/history.shtml handful each day, until the depot <Accessed January 13, 2014> closed in 1988. The site is now home to the Locomotive Depot Heritage Another year for BMACHO --- Museum which provides interactive annual general meeting exhibits of engines and carriages, along with other unique displays of ANOTHER YEAR has come A guest speaker soon to be railway memorabilia. around as BMACHO goes into its finalised will be announced on 9th year of operations. Facebook and by e-mail to Rail travel for more than150 years members. in Australia has been popular, The association’s annual general despite the sometimes meeting will be held at the Members of the association and uncomfortable conditions with the Woodford Academy on Saturday, their representatives at the odd coal cinder in the eye when one March 22, 2014 commencing at meeting will also be given the opened the windows and today, 2pm. opportunity to look through this cramped and dirty commuter rail building the property being the The business including services.