• Previous awards were made in 2023 after a gap of 14 years.
• Nominations in 9 award categories opened in December 2024 and closed 31 March 2025.
• ATHRA was delighted to receive 8 nominations and made 7 awards.

Organisation and People awards

Excellence award

Paul Mong, Ballarat Tramway Museum

• Paul has led the redevelopment of the BTM during the past 10 years. His vision, tenacity, leadership and management has seen the BTM transform itself into a major Ballarat tourist attraction which has received awards for its new museum building, displays, infrastructure and individual volunteers.
• Paul has been responsible for the acquisition of over $7M for the redevelopment of infrastructure. This has included the recent reconstruction of the 100-year-old 1.3 km tram track in Wendouree Parade, the replacement of overhead wiring to provide traction to the tram cars and a new museum building. This building consisted of a new Museum tramcar display, archive storage, library, theatrette, shop, visitor services, accessible public toilets, board room, storage, commercial kitchen and administration offices, completed in 2021.
• Paul has a lifelong involvement with BTM. He joined as a junior member 1992. He learned to perform tramcar maintenance, track repairs, and various general volunteer tasks around the Museum. He became a qualified tram driver 2006.
• Paul was elected to the Board of Management in 2004, became Vice President in 2013-18 and President 2018-25.
• Since his early years of volunteering with the museum, Paul has taken on leadership and innovation roles. He has led the development of the new award-winning museum, which is now regarded as the notable interpretative tramway museum in Australasia. As President, he has successfully implemented projects that were challenging for a volunteer-based and managed institution. His dedication and passion in leading and supporting a sustainable, interesting and focused volunteer organisation is enabling the BTM to proudly look towards an exciting future.

Graeme Breydon Rail Safety Award

No nominations received

Tourism Promotion Award

Seven-O-Seven Operations

During the 2024/25 period, 707 Operations further enhanced its award-winning Broad Gauge weekend “Slow Rail Journeys” sleeper trains by introducing the Vinelander, which operates 5-night, 6-day rail cruises along the Standard Gauge line to Mildura, utilising retired ex-V/Line seating cars. Guests are accommodated overnight in hotels. The Vinelander is revolutionary for the Tourist and Heritage sector in Victoria, offering a truly upscale rail cruise product to the Victorian market. Slow Rail Journeys’ Mildura Vinelander tours exemplify how the Tourist and Heritage sector can collaborate with government, regional tourism initiatives, and others to launch a product that is well-patronised, loved by guests, and mutually beneficial to Slow Rail Journeys, Victoria’s rail heritage, and the communities we visit.

The results have been remarkable, with over 450 guests travelling between Melbourne and Mildura, trains operating at full capacity, additional departures added, trips receiving almost all five-star reviews, and significant media coverage generated. The Vinelander is part of Mildura’s identity, and Slow Rail Journeys is excited to reintroduce this iconic train to the Victorian rails.

Engagement Award

Ballarat Tramway Museum

The Ballarat Tramway Museum (BTM) is a volunteer-run organisation founded in 1971 to conserve the tramway history of Ballarat. BTM is sited within the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and operates historic trams within a street setting in Wendouree Parade, Ballarat. 

During 2020-24, the BTM evolved into an accessible and contemporary tramway museum.

The project had two distinct stages: firstly, the construction of an additional building to display seven historic trams during 2020-21, and secondly the installation of engaging interpretive and visual displays within the new building 2021-24.

The new building and interpretive displays have enabled us to showcase the history of Ballarat trams. We have focused on enhancing the visitor experience, but at the same time we have ensured that the facilities for our volunteer workforce were also a high priority. The new facility allows us to offer an excellent, engaging, and accessible tramway museum, and has enabled them to attract new volunteers effectively.

This development has promoted their exposure as a tourist destination but has also increased our profile within their local community. The new interpretive facility has turned BTM into a Ballarat destination, not just a tram ride in the Botanical Gardens.

Training Excellence Award

No nominations received

Restoration awards

Passenger Vehicle Restoration Award

Ballarat Tramway Museum

Tram No 14 was built for the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Trust in 1915. Unusually for Melbourne trams, most of which were built by the Adelaide firm of Duncan and Fraser, this tram was built by the Meadowbank Engineering Company in Sydney. It was a single truck four-wheel tram, with drop ends, built as an open California combination, and entered service as No 75. The Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramway Board classified the tram as a J Class, and in 1928 it was sold to the Melbourne Electrical Supply Company for use on the Geelong tramway as Tram No 28. In 1936 the State Electricity Commission relocated the tram to Ballarat, converted the body to one man operation, and it operated as No 14 until the network closed in 1971. The tram was given to the City of Ballarat, who made it available to the museum as one of their original six trams. It has continued in regular museum service for over 50 years.

Ballarat Tram No 14 entered the workshop in December 2020 for a major maintenance service. A bearing failure in the No. 2 motor required the removal of the motor for bearing replacement and armature rewinding. They decided to use the out-of-service time to have the vehicle repainted. However, close inspection of the tram in September 2021 showed several serious major faults, including a crack in the no 1 motor frame, and serious wear in both the electrical and pneumatic systems. The decision was made to undertake the first major restoration of one of their historic Ballarat trams.

Passenger Vehicle Restoration Award

Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society

Car 470 was built by the SAR at Islington and originally had road number 179. The body is 54 foot 9 inches (16.7 m) long, described as a second-class bogie lavatory carriage, with a train weight of 23 ton (23.4 t). It was one of twenty-one built in 1911/12. All these carriages were built with central toilet compartments on each side of the car separated by a corridor, thus making a passenger saloon at each end. These carriages were rated to carry 60 passengers, second-class. Car 179 was issued to traffic in December 1911. It did not last long in this configuration because in 1914, the longitudinal seating was upgraded to 24 first class passengers in one saloon, and 32 second class in the other. It was issued to and operated in the Northern Division (narrow gauge) until 1935. During a re-fit the longitudinal seats were replaced with cross seating in a two aisle one, “Centenary” style seating configuration. The car was subsequently transferred to the south east narrow gauge system for use on the day train between Mt Gambier and Wolseley.

The complete restoration and rebuilding of a non-powered rail passenger carriage known as a South Australian Railways “Long Tom” carriage 470. This application is for recognition of the work managed and completed by a small group of volunteers, over five years, completed in 2024. After rebuilding the carriage to operational standard, car 470 was relaunched in 2024 as part of the society’s 50th year anniversary relaunching as part of the 50th year celebrations of the society.

Passenger Vehicle Restoration Award

Daylesford Spa Country Railway

Built new by the Victorian Railway (VR) in 1937, it was one of over 100 similar vehicles used to house mobile work gangs throughout Victoria. These were in addition to the permanent track gangs that looked after a section of line on a daily basis and were used by painters, bridge gangs, track gangs and weighbridge maintainers, etc. They were universally known as ‘Bug Huts’.

381W was allocated to the bridge gangs and went all over the state as they undertook general maintenance and major rebuilds on the hundreds of timber bridges on the VR network. Housing four workers, conditions were basic when built with wood stove and kerosene lamps.

In the 1950s electric lighting was provided and in the 1960s LPG powered refrigerators. In the late 1970s major rebuilds were undertaken to some vehicles, 381W among them. This saw modern sliding aluminium windows fitted, internal walls with a curtain to prove privacy, with the bedroom areas decreased to 2 men at the same time.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the workmen’s sleepers have been one of the most important acquisitions in the Daylesford Spa Country Railway’s history. Their ability to provide comfortable, free overnight accommodation for  volunteers has allowed the railway to be at the position it is now.

However, although maintenance has been done to them over the last 30 years (largely in the form of external cladding boards), the Daylesford climate of snow in the winter and 40 degrees in summer had taken its toll and by 2023 it was obvious that they would all need to be shopped for major rebuilds to ensure thatg the vehicle would provide ongoing service and they continued to be fit for purpose for our volunteers.

The opportunity would also be taken to upgrade features to enhance their amenities and security, the first one in line for work was 381W.

Diesel / Petrol / Electric Locomotive Restoration Award

Rail Heritage WA

East Perth Power Station depended on coal to fire its boilers and generate electricity. Like other power stations in WA, its location was chosen as coal could be delivered by rail and it also had good access to water from the Swan River (Derbarl Yerrigan).

The Western Australian Government Railways, Tramways & Electricity Supply (later the State Electricity Commission) once operated a short 3’6″ (1067mm) gauge electric network to serve the rail link to the East Perth Power Station. It was the only electric railway in Western Australia until the suburban network was electrified in 1991.

The WA Government Railways delivered the coal wagons to East Perth station and the State Energy Commission (SEC) then shunted the coal wagons to the power station via its electrified rail siding. From 5 August 1924 to 1969 this was done by an electric locomotive, known as SEC 1. Unlike the 21st century electric railcars operating in Perth which are powered by 25 kV AC, SEC1 operated on 600 V DC through its pantograph. The locomotive was built in 1924 by Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co., Manchester, UK. It is unique as the locomotive was the only of its type and was never replaced until conversion of the power station to oil in 1969, making SEC1 redundant.

It was donated to the Railway Museum (Bassendean) and transferred in July 1972. Owing to its sole existence, the locomotive is complete as it was operated, without any sharing of parts or cannibalisation to service other locomotives.

In 2023, it was noted that SEC1 would be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024, the same year at the Bassendean Railway Museum’s 50th anniversary. RHWA determined that this significant birthday should be celebrated with a cosmetic restoration and relaunch back into the public museum displays.

On average about 2 days a week between September 2023 and October 2024 were spent on SEC1. There were 34 weekend working days recorded during this period and countless midweek working days.

The completion and relaunch of SEC1 was the highlight of the museum’s 50th anniversary celebration. Railfest hosted 2000 people, with special guests of local government, state ministers and the Governor of WA. The project team were also surprised with a Governor’s medallion to thank the volunteers for their service.

SEC1 is a highlight as the brightest and most unique locomotive at the museum.

Infrastructure Restoration Award

No nominations received

Steam Locomotive Restoration Award

No nominations received