Tenterfield - NSW

Tenterfield, 715 km north-east of Sydney and 275 km south of Brisbane, is a town of deciduous trees which are seen to best effect in autumn. It is situated in a shallow valley 882 metres above sea-level at the northern end of the New England Tablelands in an area of rugged mountains and rural vistas. It proclaims itself 'The Birthplace of the Nation' as Henry Parkes chose this spot to deliver his crucial Federation speech of 1889, which led to the establishment of Australia as a unified nation in 1901.
The Tenterfield Railway Museum in Railway Ave, at the western edge of town, was built in 1886 when the railway line arrived at Tenterfield. The complex includes the station, station master's residence, goods shed, barracks, railway yard and signalling equipment. The station is made of stone and brick to a design by John Whitton emphasising the gables. The interior is largely original, including cedar joinery.
The station closed in 1989 but has been converted into a museum with railway memorabilia and a photographic collection. It is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m., Sundays from 12.00 - 4.00 p.m., all school and public holidays, and at other times by appointment. The motorised Trikes of Yesteryear operate on Saturdays, tel: (02) 6736 1082.