Visitor numbers to the historic Tenterfield Railway Station precinct are up 54 per cent on last year, but volunteers with the Railway Preservation Society lament that very few of those are locals.
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“Locals come when they’re bringing along visitors, but very few come and have a look on their own accord,” volunteer Sandra Wilson said.
That can be corrected as the society throws open the station doors for an open day this Saturday, October 1, with free entry to the museum. There will also be birthday cake and other party activities to mark the 130 years since the station first opened.
Even if you have visited before, the volunteers have been working hard restoring a number of pieces of rolling stock which are now new exhibits. A highlight of the day will be the official opening of the Geoff Benson Trike Shed by state MP Thomas George at 9.30am.
The open day is running in conjunction with the regular monthly markets on the railway forecourt, and there will be plenty of volunteers on hand to share their passion about the station’s history and the projects they’re working on.
Society president Frank McGuiness credits the upswing in visitor numbers to the group-effort advertising campaign by local businesses in Brisbane media coordinated by tourism officer Caitlin Reid, as well as people being directed to the site by local motels and from the Visitors Information Centre.
Some want to hit all the iconic sites such as the Tenterfield Saddler and the railway station, while for some railway buffs the station is a destination in itself. They consider it one big playground, and local families are likewise encouraged to come at some stage during the school holidays.
“The children can’t break anything, and it’s a very tactile place to play,” Mrs Wilson said.
