Historic journey

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Tags: Q150, winter-2009

The Q150 steam train on the day of its departure

The UQ-sponsored Q150 Steam Train is making its way through the state on a five-month journey celebrating Queensland’s history.

The locomotive departed Brisbane on April 14 embarking on a journey that will end on August 30 and include visits to more than 30 Queensland communities.

The heritage-listed steam train’s trip is part of a year-long celebration of Queensland’s 150th anniversary of becoming a state.

Staff and students will travel on the train collecting information for the Queensland Places Project, an initiative that aims to construct an interactive community website devoted to settlements with present or past populations of 500 or more people.

UQ Master of Philosophy student Janet Spillman, who took the steam train’s first leg from Brisbane to Rockhampton, said she looked forward to chronicling Queensland’s past through her role in the project.

“We expect that Queenslanders who took their cameras on holidays between the 1950s and 1980s will have a treasure trove of images from all over Queensland,” Ms Spillman said.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to collect images that bring Queensland’s history to life.”

The Queensland Places Project is seeking contributions of colour slides and captions of Queensland towns to include on the website.

Professor Peter Spearritt, who is in charge of the project, said staff were looking for slides depicting distinctive landscapes, buildings and events.

The Q150 Train journey is open to members of the public and will correspond with community events in the towns it visits.

The journey is divided into six sectors and visits places such as Cairns, Mt Isa, Quilpie and Toowoomba.

Ms Spillman, who travelled to collect images on the first leg of the train’s journey, said she had a special connection to regional Queensland and steam train travel.
She grew up west of Hughenden and relied on trains for transport, especially during the wet season.

“I remember long trips by steam train between Brisbane and Townsville, then out west to Hughenden,” she said.

“On one memorable occasion, I bought the wrong ticket and found myself on the milk train – it took nearly two days to get to Townsville, and when I arrived, my hair was very sooty!”

Find out more about the Q150 celebrations here.

By Tegan Taylor

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