Rail Town

Made by the National Film Board 1953. Port Augusta, South Australia, is distinctly an individual town with a character all its own. Here is the starting point for the long railway lines to Central and Western Australia, and the Headquarters of the Commonwealth Railways.

[@josefbuckland]

It’s a far cry to what greets you now in 2023 in regards to the thriving rail industry.

[@howardgray9068]

Spent the first 15 years of my life in the Port, great times growing up there.

[@ilmarvaim5649]

Just as I remember it from my boyhood years. A great place.

[@fridgemagnet4]

This was when the good old Port was a railway town. Thanks for the memories.

[@tranquilsaturn]

Can't say I miss Port Augusta nowadays. Lived there from 1959 until 1981, and brings back some really good memories, and funnily still recognise many of the items shown in the footage from the wharf, the jetty which still stand. The Town Hall in the main street, the High School and the CWA (on the corner of Flinders Street and Stirling Road Road) and the power station which I worked at. Thanks for the great memories, a real blast from the past...

[@TomBear78]

The finest time of the commonwealth

[@coralgordon6241]

I can remember the steam train coming to Coonana, some names of family who live were Blaschic Willie's, Prendergas ,it was good our parents never had to worry about us being kidnapped or gone missing as every body lookout for every one ,the good old wheel barrow was a very useful item ,I can also remember passenger on the train throwing lollies and fruit out of the windows that was long before air-conditioning if you put your head out the windows you would end up with a black face.

[@internezzo]

Australia was more civilised then than it is now.

[@jamesz2436]

you mean Aboriginal were being regarded as the property of the white people?

[@johnblakeley9536]

Agree.how. Many skills have lost without mdernreplacemt?

[@HimalayaSolukhumbuNepal]

Hi there Thank you for this wonderful share Excellent views, Thumbs up! Great upload my friend.Thanks for sharing. Keep it up and stay safe, stay connected.

[@NFSAFilms]

Thanks for visiting.

[@johnd8892]

Interesting film. However at 3:37 the film makers just grabbed any old film, this being Victorian railways stock film, so about 1000 miles from the Transcontinental. Moral is still can't trust the media's care with facts.

[@railtrolley]

The VR Z van in the train is a bit of a giveaway. Footage taken before the middle windows in the cupola were sheeted over. Loco might be a T class 0-6-0?

[@fridgemagnet4]

Certainly miss the good old railways. Sold off by federal Labor, shame.

[@rainlori]

Howard and Fischer actually.

[@tcpnetworks]

It's a pitty South Australia's rail network is not moving people like it used to. Victoria and NSW have fantastic networks.... We've got shit.

[@benchurchill1939]

Cheap houses there now.