AGY-1627 | Railway Institute

Full description

The Railway Institute was established by the Railway Commissioners to provide a central teaching facility and vocational library for railway staff. The Institute was formally opened on 14 March 1891. (1) Commercial, trade, and vocational courses were offered to railway apprentices and cadets. Subjects were taught either on site or by correspondence. The Technical College curriculum was followed with students admitted to examinations on the same terms as college students. Subjects offered included - accountancy, air brakes, boilermaking, blacksmithing, coach painting, the electrical trades, fitting and turning, locomotive engineering, rail carriage building, railway safety, shunting, signalling, station management, ticket procedures, and timekeeping. The Institute also housed a Library, Billiards Room and Ladies Gymnasium. From 1930 to 1971 the Institute held the Sydney Eisteddfod (originally established for Railway employees and their families later being opened to the public). (2) From January to June 1933 the number of railway branches were reduced to nine with the major change involving the creation of a Secretariat to control the Staff Board, the Railway Institute, plus Estate and Refreshment Room operations. (3) FOOTNOTES (1) 'Ten Years' Retrospect' an Appendix to the Report of the Railway Commissioners August 1899 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly Third Session 1899 Volume 4 p.63. (2) 'Inspection Railways Institute' - NRS 274/1/233 (3) Annual Report of the Department of Railways for the year ended 30 June 1933 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1933-34 Volume 2, p.679.