The Railway

The Abt. Railway in Queenstown was owned by the Mt. Lyell Company in Queenstown.

Back when I lived in Queenstown for 4 years, every Christmas we would have a school picnic and travel on the Steam train in open carriages to Strahan which is on the West Coast of Tasmania also.  It was great fun. The passage of the railway was over huge wooden bridges and with very steep mountains either side and deep drops, an absolute scenic route.
Then many years later the railway was restored as it is today.

Carriage made of Sassafras

  

Dubbil Barril a Station along the way.

In February 2013 the Federal Group who leased the railway many years later announced that it would be terminating its lease of the railway in April 2013. The company said that a downturn in business and a need for investment in infrastructure had caused the railway to no longer be viable. The Tasmanian government responded by estimating that maintaining the railway would cost $15 to $20 million, and that the government alone could not fund it.

Following track rehabilitation work, the railway re-opened between Queenstown and Dubbil Barril on 6 January 2014, while rehabilitation of the section through to Strahan continues.

Policeman's Daughter at Queenstown.

When I was about 11 years of age, my father was transferred to Queenstown on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.

Queenstown was a mining town with a lot of people, now the mine is closed and there are nearly 2,000 people with much unemployment due to the recent closure of the mine.

My mum, dad and myself lived in Queenstown for 4 years when times were good.  I had such fun attending the Catholic School, it's there I was taught by the nuns how to touch type, began my singing career, my modeling career, became interest in the law, looking after people, and much more.
I remember in the fairly new Town Hall how I danced ballet, Irish dancing, Spanish dancing, also I did tap dancing at concerts. Many people had never seen this done only in the movies - all due to Queenstowns isolation.
Scottish dancing I did at the main intersection of the town when someone important came to the town which was often. I would march behind the pipe band in full costume, and one of the bandsmen would carry my swords if I was going to do the sword dance, as I sometimes did for a change from the highland fling.  Again not many people had seen Scottish dancing.

Below are two photos of the marching team at that time - I am the first person on the right.
I don't have many photos of when I was at Queenstown or any other place for that matter.

Here we were practicing, again I am in the front on the right.