Railway Employees

OVERVIEW

The Victorian Railways operated in Victoria and also some lines in New South Wales from 1859 to 1983. The first railway was built in Victoria in 1854 by a private railway company. There was a mixture of public and private railways until 1878 when the private companies had all been taken over by the Victorian Railways.

The Victorian Railways also ran the following:

• Road motor services for passengers and goods
• Railway Refreshment Services
• State Coal Mine, Wonthaggi
• Newport Power Stations A and B
• Electric Street Railways (two tram routes in Melbourne)
• Victorian Government Tourism Bureau 1888-1959
• Mount Buffalo Chalet 1925-1985
• Feathertop Bungalow 1927-1939
• Hotham Heights 1934-1951

For State Coal Mine employees see Miners.

RECORDS

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - RAILWAY RECORDS

Public Record Office Victoria holds railway records from 1859 to about 2006. More recent records may be closed to the public (VA 2876, VA 1038, VA 1044 and VA 2984). It also holds records for the following private railway companies:

• Melbourne and Hobson’s Bay Railway Company (VA 4174)
• Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company (VA 4785)

These are not online.

VICTORIAN PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS DATABASE - LISTS OF RAILWAY EMPLOYEES

Lists of railway employees may be seen in the following Victorian Parliamentary Papers:

See under Parliaments.

VICTORIAN PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS DATABASE - BOARD OF LAND AND WORKS: VICTORIAN RAILWAYS REPORTS 1862-1883 AND REPORTS OF THE VICTORIAN RAILWAYS COMMISSIONERS 1885-1972

“Board of Land and Works: Victorian Railways” reports and “Reports of the Victorian Railways Commissioners” may be seen on the Victorian Parliamentary Papers database. The former may include lists of railway employees. The latter may include railway employee appointments and removals from 1884 to 1903. Both may include lists of railway contractors. See under Parliaments.

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT GAZETTES - LISTS OF RAILWAY EMPLOYEES

List of railway employees were published every three years in the Victorian government gazettes from 1884 to 1929:

Lists of successful railway contractors are also included.

See Government Gazettes.

VICTORIAN ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY HISTORY ORGANSATIONS - RAILWAY EMPLOYEES FROM VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT GAZETTE AND OTHER RAILWAY ANNUAL REPORTS

These include railway employees from Victorian Government Gazettes from 1884 to 1929 and Victorian Railway Reports 1884 to 1886. They are text searchable.

https://vafho.com/2019/04/27/victorian-railway-employees-another-gift-from-vafho/

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA - GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES

The Genealogical Society of Victoria has indexed into their Genealogical Index of Names (GIN) the following:

• list of railway employees as at 1 January 1917
• list of railway employees as at 1 January 1929

https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection

FINDMYPAST - AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE, NOMINAL ROLL OF THE FIRST RAILWAY SECTION 1917-1920

This is an index of railway employees who formed the 1st Railway Section of the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force during World War One. The original records are on microfilm at New South Wales State Records.

https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/australian-imperial-force-nominal-roll-of-the-first-railway-section-1917-1920

SOCIETIES

AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY VICTORIAN DIVISION INC.

https://www.arhsvic.org.au/

LIGHT RAILWAY RESEARCH SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC.

http://www.lrrsa.org.au/

HERITAGE RAILWAY

PUFFING BILLY

www.puffingbilly.com.au