Published 11 October 2016
A documentary showcasing Darling Harbour as a busy railway goods yard, long before it became one of Sydney’s main destinations for recreation and entertainment, has been published online (http://bit.ly/SteamontheHarbour) by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA).
Titled Steam on the Harbour, the 20-minute film features footage shot by transport enthusiast and cinematographer Roger McKenzie and his friend Bernie Kent in the 1960s and 70s.
Curator Jeff Wray said: 'This footage reveals the industrial nature of Darling Harbour’s past, and gives us an impression of what a busy railway goods yard it was. The beautiful images, combined with an interview with two former train drivers, will allow audiences to imagine what it was like to work on the railway in Darling Harbour.’
Highlights include:
A ride on a 19 class locomotive travelling through a tunnel from Central Station to Darling Harbour, part of which is now 'The Goods Line’ pedestrian and cycle path.
Panoramic views of the Sydney skyline, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont Bridge and the Goldsborough Mort building, as well as buildings which have since been demolished.
For the train enthusiasts, scenes showing the physical, dirty and dangerous nature of the work in a shunting yard, and railway operations involved in moving goods in and out of Sydney via Darling Harbour.
Steam on the Harbour premiered at the Sydney Film Festival earlier this year. It is now available on the NFSA’s YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/SteamontheHarbour
