Railways and Tramways of Australia

Whiteman Park is a large park located approximately 20 km north-east of Perth. It includes nearly 4000 hectares of natural bushland and includes a range of recreational features. A particular focus of Whiteman Park is its transport heritage.

 

Whiteman Park is named after Lew Whiteman, who purchased land in the area for cattle grazing in 1939. He later developed a popular picnic area named Mussel Pool during the 1960s. The Western Australian Government purchased landholdings in the area from 1977 and Whiteman Park was opened in 1986.

 

Transport Heritage

There are five different groups in Whiteman Park that have transport heritage collections on display for visitors. In addition, Whiteman Park operates Revolutions Transport Museum, which has a transport heritage display integrating different modes of land transport.

Bennett Brook Railway

www.bbr.org.au

Bennett Brook Railway is operated by the Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Association. The railway operates over 6 km of track and includes three stations. Bennett Brook Railway has locomotives and rolling stock from Western Australia, Queensland and South Africa. Trains operate on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with daily services during school holidays.

 

Bus Preservation Society of WA

www.bpswa.org

www.whitemanpark.com.au/attraction/tours/whiteman-explorer

The Bus Preservation Society of WA has a workshop located within Whiteman Park, where its collection of over 35 buses is maintained. A shuttle bus service operates from the Lord Street entrance of Whiteman Park to Whiteman Village and return. Services operate every 30 minutes and connect with Route 955 bus outside the park. The shuttle operates on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

 

Whiteman Explorer is a vintage bus that operates an hour-long guided bus tour of Whiteman Park.  The Bus Preservation Society of WA provides buses for the service. Tours operate at 11.00 am and 1.00 pm on Mondays.

 

Motor Museum of WA

www.whitemanpark.com.au/attraction/transport-heritage/motor-museum-of-wa

The Motor Museum of WA displays over 200 vehicles ranging from the horse-drawn days to the modern era. The collection includes a 1912 Model T Ford, a 1974 Leyland Force 7 Coupe and the 2014 Red Bull RB10 Formula One racing car in which Daniel Riccardo won his first F1 Grand Prix race. The museum is open every day except Christmas Day.

 

Perth Electric Tramway Society

www.pets.org.au

The Perth Electric Tramway Society operates heritage electric tramcars over 5 km of track between Whiteman Village, Mussel Pool picnic area and Whiteman Village Junction railway station. The society has a collection of 29 trams, including 11 from Perth, four from Fremantle, two from Kalgoorlie, eight from Melbourne, two from Adelaide, one from Ballarat and one from Brisbane. Trams from Perth include the B, C, D, E, G, I and 2nd A Classes. Most of these vehicles are not operable but are significant in relation to the history of tramways in Western Australia. Trams from Melbourne include the W2, W4, W5, W7 and SW2 Classes. Most of these are operable. The two trams from Adelaide are H Class vehicles and are both operable. One of the Fremantle trams is also in operating condition. Trams operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with daily services during school holidays. Departures from Whiteman Village are on the hour and half hour, with a return journey taking 25 minutes.

 

Revolutions Transport Museum

www.whitemanpark.com.au/attraction/transport-heritage/revolutions-museum

Revolutions Transport Museum has a range of exhibits relating to various modes of land transport heritage. Railway and tramway exhibits include a former Western Australian Government Railways carriage and a former Kalgoorlie tramcar. It is open daily except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

 

Tractor Museum of WA

www.whitemanpark.com.au/attraction/transport-heritage/tractor-museum-of-wa

The Tractor Museum of WA has a collection of around forty tractors, along with stationary engines and vintage trucks. Also on display are artefacts and photographs relating to rural life. A parade of restored vintage tractors occurs on the second Sunday of each month. The museum is open on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, most public holidays and some school holidays.

 

Public Transport Access

Whiteman Park is open every day of the year, although various attractions have different opening and operating days. It can be reached by bus from Bassendean station on the Midland railway line by catching the 955 bus to Ellenbrook and alighting at Lord Street/Drumpellier Drive entrance. The Western Australian Government’s Metronet infrastructure program will include construction of a railway line from Bayswater on the existing Midland line to Morley and Ellenbrook. It will provide a station named Whiteman Park, which will be located outside the entrance to Whiteman Park, near its south-west corner.

 

References

Bus Preservation Society of WA <www.bpswa.org>.

Metronet <www.metronet.wa.gov.au>.

Perth Electric Tramway Society <www.pets.org.au>.

Transperth <www.transperth.wa.gov.au>.

Whiteman Park <www.whitemanpark.com.au>.