Vintage(ish) Travel - Toodyay
Leaving the car behind, I embarked upon travel the way many people in the past would have done: by train.
A few years ago, I came across a pamphlet within the National Library of Australia’s catalogue. “See Western Australia first,” the heading announced. But that was not what initially caught my attention. It was the heading below it. The Western Australian Government Tourist Bureau was advertising ‘Round Railway Tours.’
In 1929 (the date of the pamphlet), Western Australia had veins of railways snaking across the state. Holidays were not restricted by infrastructure. Examples of round trips included travelling from Perth to Geraldton and then returning to the city via Mullewa and Wongan Hills. If patrons wanted a longer trip, one elaborate example included travelling from Perth to Bunbury, then Busselton, Bridgetown, Donnybrook, Albany via Katanning, Narrogin, York, Northam, and Toodyay, and then returning to Perth.
With most of the railway lines closed, round railway tours are impossible today. Railway holidays are still feasible, though you are limited by destination. I started talking about a small trip by train years ago. My requirements were minimal: travel by train, arrive at a station that would be walkable to the town, and stay in the town for the duration of the trip. I would be without a car, so those factors were important. After looking at the possibilities, I decided on Toodyay.
The Prospector
Toodyay is located about 85 km north-east of Perth. Given its relative closeness to the city, most people would opt to drive. The trip by car takes just under an hour and a half. The journey via rail is similar.
Doing something out of my comfort zone often takes a fair bit of effort. I tend to spend more time talking and conducting research than actually taking action. I am trying my best to act more than think, and once I had decided that I was going, I gave myself little opportunity to back out. I booked my tickets easily via the Transwa website for a little under $40 return.
The bulk of my railway experience consists of commuting to and from work each day. Years ago, I travelled on the Australind to Brunswick Junction, but I have never been on any other Transwa service. Toodyay has two services: the Avon Link and the Prospector. The Prospector’s times were more appropriate for me, so that was the train I opted for.
I arrived at East Perth station at around 6:30 am (well before the sun was up). Boarding involved presenting my electronic ticket and finding my seat (the tickets provide the car and seat number). I was on the left side of the train, and I was thrilled to be by the window.
The Prospector departed at 7:05 am. Its journey from East Perth involved travelling along Transperth’s Midland Railway Line. I looked out the window at familiar and unfamiliar places. I tried guessing each station as we approached them. At one point, I realised we were passing The Railway Museum, the home of many historic trains and carriages that once carried people all over the state.
My only expectation about the journey was that the scenery would be interesting. At the time of writing this, it is July. We are in the midst of winter (Makuru), and Perth and its surrounds have finally received some much-needed rain. I assumed the bush would be green, and it did not disappoint.
Once the Prospector left Midland, it curved north and then east. It reached the Swan River and moved alongside it. The river flowed in one direction, and we travelled in the other. The beauty was impressive. We passed Bells Rapids and moved through the stunning Walyunga National Park. The grass was lush and green, and the trees twinkled and dripped with the recent rain. Mist enveloped the occasional hill, while glimpses of the Avon River through the trees showed it alternately rushing or meandering. It was difficult to capture photos from a moving train with a phone, but video adequately shows all that I saw.
Excited and fascinated by the views outside my window, the journey seemed to be over just as it began. We arrived in Toodyay a little after 8:30 am. I was the only passenger disembarking, so I collected my bag and left the train once it stopped.
Toodyay
Toodyay is a town full of history. For over 45,000 years, it was home to the Ballardong, Yued, and Whadjuk people. Europeans arrived, and the town began to grow in the 1830s. In the 1850s, the government introduced convict labour and established a depot. Originally named Newcastle, officials changed the town’s name to Toodyay in 1910 to avoid confusion with Newcastle in New South Wales. According to the Shire of Toodyay, the name is derived from the Noongar word dudja, meaning mist.
The Newcastle Gaol Museum was at the top of my list of places to visit. It was built in 1865 to replace older lockups and closed in 1907. In the proceeding years, it was a private residence and was turned into a museum in 1962. Entering through the doors, I hovered in the hallway and looked around. There was no one there. I read all the information boards in one of the rooms. I pulled some cash out of my wallet. I read some more boards and decided I had waited long enough. I squeezed my money into a tin on the table and was thankful that I happened to have cash on me.
The old cells are directly opposite the entrance, and museum staff have set each one up with information boards and exhibits relating to different stories. Moondyne Joe’s exhibit was particularly good. I had no idea his walking stick still existed! The last cell was the most emotionally moving. Upon entering, the original leg irons and chains are visible on the floor. A video projected the image of an Aboriginal man onto the back wall. He spoke about his life and what it was like in the gaol. He described the cold, and you could certainly feel it in the darkness.
The Newcastle Gaol Museum precinct also includes historic agricultural machinery at the back and police stables across the road. Everything has been well restored, and the informative exhibits are respectful of the district’s history.
Daniel Connor was an Irish convict who arrived in Western Australia aboard the Phoebe Dunbar in 1853. In 1861, he moved to Toodyay and built a house and store. He constructed a mill nearby in 1870. It was the third steam-powered flour mill in the district.
Connor’s Mill was at risk of being demolished in the 1970s but was saved by the Shire of Toodyay and Toodyay residents. From 1975 to 2000, the building was restored and converted into a working mill museum. Payment at the Toodyay Visitor's Centre enables entry. Once inside, you climb to the top of the stairs and read each exhibit as you work your way down. The rain fell heavily not long after I arrived. It was quite a cosy experience to look outside at the dreary weather while listening to the rain falling on the tin roof.
Toodyay, quite simply, was a joy to walk around. It was inevitable that, as I strolled, my mind would wander to past stories. St Stephen’s Anglican Church always reminds me of Frank Fogarty, the leader of a group of “crib-crackers, safe dynamiters and bold bad burglars.” It was at the river bank behind the church in January 1905 that Frank and his accomplice used dynamite to blow up the safe they stole from Donegan’s Store. Frank served time in Fremantle Prison and escaped in October of the same year, never to be seen in Western Australia again.
Strolling towards the bank of the Avon River, I thought of the floods of 1862. They were widespread throughout the state, and Toodyay suffered damage with the loss of their bridge. Alfred Durlacher was the Government Resident at the time. He wrote that the river was so high that it “lifted the bridge bodily.” It went to pieces, and he described the sound as “like guns discharged.” Standing before it, it is difficult to imagine how high the river must have been and how strongly it flowed for such damage to occur.
The Journey Home
A couple of days later, I returned home on the Prospector. On the return journey, I was again seated on the left side of the train but was instead on the aisle. I chose to read my book, and every now and then I glanced at the scenery out the window. It was different from my experience on the way to Toodyay, and I realised those views were not available to everyone. The Transwa website states that you can request specific seating. If you would like a view of the river (especially in winter), it may be worthwhile to contact them.
The removal of the Western Australian railways and their ability to transport a large number of people to various places is something that sits heavily with me. People often view the old maps and express their disappointment at the loss. Every now and then, they question whether some lines could be reinstated. The old railway lines returning seems unlikely to me. It is a tremendous shame that the government took them away in the first place.
There is an element of compromise when travelling by rail. Decisions are dependent on the train schedule. Once in the town, you may not be able to leave. Mobility is also important. If you have no other means of transport, you must be prepared to walk. I am grateful that walking is not an issue for me. Nevertheless, after my first day of walking everywhere in Toodyay, I crawled into bed with aching feet, and a move goal achieved before lunch time.
There weren’t many negatives, but one issue stood out. Bags. I took an overnight bag with me and tried my best not to overpack. Unsurprisingly, I managed to do so anyway. The bag was heavy and cumbersome to carry from the train station to the hotel. I was lucky upon arrival; my room was ready. But if it wasn’t, I did have the option of leaving it in the hotel office. Check out was another matter. With a check out time of 10 am, I faced lugging it around until about 12 pm (the Prospector was due at 12:30). Thankfully, the librarian at the Toodyay Library was my saviour. I sat at a computer desk in peace and quiet and worked on this story until it was time to go.
I thoroughly enjoyed this short trip by train. I loved staying in heritage accommodation (Toodyay Manor) and exploring the town on foot. The experience and the sense of adventure alone were worth it. It is not for everyone, but if it sounds like something you would like, I highly recommend trying it. Leaving my car behind felt odd at first. But then it felt freeing. It was just me for the entire trip.
In the past, people always travelled by train. For many, it was their only option. People still travel by train today, but to a lesser extent. My thoughts now turn to possibilities. I wonder whether there is any chance of additional services. Imagine if officials could organise day trips to specific places! Just like the old days. Ultimately, change will not happen without the will of the people. If we want more from our Transwa railways, we need to use them. Go out and take a trip on the train. Visit a small town and spend your money there. Vintage[ish] travel. Perhaps together we can bring it back.
Sources:
Western Australian Government Railways Commission. 1929, Railway map of Western Australia, 1929 Govt. Printer, [Perth, W.A viewed 10 July 2024 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233502438
Western Australian Government Railways, Tramways, and Electricity Supply & Western Australia. Government Tourist Bureau. 1928, Railway map of Western Australia, 1928 [showing] The Co-operative movement in Western Australia Western Australia Government Railways [with] Government Tourist Bureau, Perth [W.A.] viewed 16 July 2024 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-256862377
Shire of Toodyay website. Overview of Toodyay’s history: https://www.toodyay.wa.gov.au/community-visitors/museums/toodyays-heritage/overview-of-toodyays-history.aspx
Had the pleasure of a trip on the prospector in March 23, Perth to Kalgoorlie and a stop off in Southern Cross on return. In comparison with trains in the UK - its a bargain, lots of room, staff, great buffet, excellent customer service all round: and the views. TransPerth and the folks in WA have a great asset, just don't shout it too loud!
Very Interesting great story glad you enjoyed it your self🥰