Today's photo shows the Bathurst Railway Station taken after 1910. The image is from an H & B Series postcard that was printed in Australia. There are numerous hansom cabs and wagonettes from local hotels waiting for the passenger train to arrive in Bathurst. The hansom cabs and other horse drawn vehicles certainly outnumber the one motor car on the left.
BATHURST'S railway station has changed little between 1910 and World War 2 when the numbers of sendoffs and arrivals increased greatly as the NSW Government Railways struggled with the transportation of troops, equipment, artillery and various supplies.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On November 4, 1939, some 300 people cheered troops who were farewelled in the pouring rain as a Bathurst detachment of the new A.I.F embarked in the dark at Bathurst Railway Station for Ingleburn at 1am.
Prior to the arrival of the train, civilians were permitted on the platform to say their emotional farewell to husbands, sons, brothers, cousins and nephews while the Bathurst District Band, under the conductorship of Mr Harold Walmsley, played familiar war tunes of nearly three decades ago.
The troops, who had been entertained at a community concert in the Bathurst Masonic Hall the previous evening, marched down Keppel Street to the railway station about midnight followed by the large crowd carrying kerosene lanterns and torches.
The band played the troops on to the platform. The contingent of 135 men comprised serving and non-serving units. The militiamen who embarked included several men from the western centres, while another 125 troops were already aboard the train when it reached Bathurst.
After hasty farewells to parents, sisters and sweethearts, the troops boarded the special train at 12.45am and 10 minutes later it steamed out of the station to the accompaniment of lusty cheering and the martial music of the band.
Captain M.R. Gavin, the area recruiting officer, was among those at the station to see them off. The band's appearance marked their seventh performance in three weeks for patriotic purposes.
With the mammoth 'Bathurst Remembers World War 2 Exhibition 2021' to mark VJ Day and the 75th Anniversary of the end of WW2 having to be changed several times already the new date for the exhibition is now from Friday, February 25 to Monday, February 28, 2022 at the Bathurst Showground.
It will open to the public each day from 9am to 5pm except on Monday when it closes at 4pm.
This World War 2 Exhibition consists of 600 "Snapshots of World War 2", 130 "Wall of Valour" and some 1300 other images in PowerPoint presentations. Over two hundred people and families have contributed all sorts of World War Two images for the exhibition.
More than 30 guest exhibitors will converge on Bathurst to display some 4000 military items and other World War 2 memorabilia. More than 40 Second World War military vehicles are expected to be on displays over the four days.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the RAAF there will be three specific displays and dozens of aircraft models for the public to take in. There will also be a rustic military picture theatre showing wartime newsreels along with three large screens of war images from around the world.
St Stanislaus' College will be mounting a display of Damien Parer's wartime photos. Damien was an old boy of Stannies and a famous World War 2 photographer and movie photographer.
A commemorative service will be held by the Bathurst RSL sub-Branch at 11am to mark the contribution that Bathurstians and others throughout the nation made for Australia's freedom.
A number of special guests will be on hand as well as representatives from Canberra, local politicians, families of WW2 ex-servicemen and some of the volunteers who are helping run the exhibition.
For more information on the exhibition contact Alan McRae on 63315404 or email amcrae@lisp.com.au.
