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Category: Building

Building

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Yass New South Wales

Yass Courthouse

Yass New South Wales

An hour’s drive north of Canberra, or west from Goulburn, Yass is an historic New South Wales Town. We were passing through on a drive from Canberra to Orange so stopped to have a quick look around. Being early morning, parking was easy, and we found a spot outside the Banjo Patterson Park, named after the famous Australia poet.

Several coffee shops were open, so we ordered a coffee before setting off to explore the town. The main street, Comur St contains several well preserved nineteenth-century buildings. The Post Office looks great, but the courthouse looks like a small palace!

Yass Post Office Yass New South Wales
Yass Post Office
Yass Courthouse Yass New South Wales
Yass Courthouse
Banjo Patterson Bust Yass
Banjo Patterson Bust
Banjo Patterson Park Yass New South Wales
Banjo Patterson Park
Tootsie Gallery and Café Yass New South Wales
Tootsie Gallery and Café

Yass Railway Museum

The Yass Railway Museum is small with only a few trains and pieces of rolling stock on display. However, it’s a great place to visit, see some interesting trains, memorabilia and find out about the history of trains in Yass. You can find a full story of our visit here.

1307 Steam Locomotive Yass New South Wales
1307 Steam Locomotive

Abandoned Railway Bridge

We drove to the old railway bridge over the Yass River, parking at Joe O’Conner Park and walking down to the river. Disused since 1988 when the rail line closed it’s now a tourist attraction and heritage listed. It was interesting to walk around, especially as there are trees growing through parts of it.

Old Tramway Bridge Yass
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
The Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge

What Did We Think Of Yass?

Although this was only a quick visit, we enjoyed our time here. The lovely old buildings on the main street, abandoned bridge and railway museum are all worth stopping to see.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Our photos are available for purchase on

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Yass Railway Museum

1307 Steam Locomotive

Yass Railway Museum

Located in the old Yass Town railway station, the Yass Railway Museum displays some of the old rolling stock that used to work here. The main rail line passes four kilometres to the north of Yass, because two river crossing would have been needed to bring it through town. Because of this, Yass lobbied for a light tramway into the main town. Opened in 1892, but never operating at a profit, it was closed in 1988.

The old railway station building houses a small giftshop, railway memorabilia and a model railway. All the main exhibits are outside on the old tracks.

The main attraction is the 1307 steam locomotive. This coal fired steam locomotive operated at Yass from 1910 to 1964. On leaving Yass, it worked around several of Sydney’s train workshops, including Eveleigh and Clyde. When finally retired, it had operated for 94 years. Fortunately sent to Thirlmere Railway Museum for preservation, 1307 relocated to Yass in 1999.

Sitting on the tracks just passed 1307, a line of rolling stock includes a freight wagon, a covered wagon, fuel truck and brake van. At the head of the line-up is X203 diesel locomotive. Although usually employed for shunting trains around stations, at Yass it was the sole locomotive from 1964 to 1972. Scrapped in 1989 the Yass diesel locomotive was actually X202, but X203 stands in for it at the museum.

Awaiting restoration, an open carriage and brake van sit outside the goods shed. As with all the displays, you are able to enter them.

What Did We Think?

With only a few displays, it doesn’t take long to look around, but it was a fun visit, and we were pleased we went. Plenty of parking makes access easy.

Yass Railway Museum
Yass Town Railway Station – Now a Museum
Yass Railway Museum
Old Yass Railway Station
1307 Steam Locomotive Yass Railway Museum
1307 Steam Locomotive
1307 Steam Locomotive
1307 Steam Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive Yass Railway Museum
X203 Diesel Locomotive
Open End Carriage No. 1259 Yass Railway Museum
Open End Carriage No. 1259
Model Railway Yass Railway Museum
Model Railway

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Our photos are available for purchase on

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Box Vale Walking Track Tunnel

Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel

Only a ten-minute drive from the centre of Mittagong, the Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel is an amazing bush walk. Not only do you get to see Australian bush, but a rail cutting and old, disused tunnel.

There are two easily accessible places to start the walk. The first is closer to Mittagong but around 3 to 5 hours for the return trip. The second is closer, with a 4km return walk, taking about 30 to 45 minutes each way.

We chose the second option and parked near a locked gate at the start of a fire trail.

Box Vale Walking Track Parking Area
Box Vale Walking Track Parking Area

The Fire Trail Section

Maintained to ensure access for firefighting, the fire trail is an easy walk. Not far along the trail, look out for a sign on the right-hand side. This is where the Box Vale Walking Track diverges. It is narrow and overgrown, so easy to miss.

Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel
Start of the Track

Trail to the Tunnel

Once you see the post with an arrow, follow the tack into the bush. There is no official sign here, so someone has written “tunnel” on it with an arrow. From this point, the vegetation changes for that found on the fire trail. It becomes denser with more ferns and undergrowth.

Not long after crossing a bridge over a small creek, you arrive at the tramway cutting.

Sign Post on the Fire Trail
Sign Post on the Fire Trail Leading to the Tunnel
Bridge on the Box Vale Walking Track Parking Area
Bridge on the Box Vale Walking Track

Tramway Rail Cutting

This former railway line was used to transport coal from the Nattai Region to the main southern line at Mittagong. Although the rail lines are long gone, the cuttings remain and form a great part of the walk. This section of the walk can become extremely muddy, so wear good waterproof boots.

The scenery here is great, while the overgrown walls of the cuttings give the area a surreal feeling.

Cutting for the old tramway Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel
Cutting for the old tramway
Cutting for the old tramway on the Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel
Cutting for the old tramway
Fallen Tree in the tramway cutting
Fallen Tree in the tramway cutting

Box Vale Tunnel

The highlight of the walk is the 84m Box Vale Tunnel. Once again, good walking boots are required as the floor can be wet and muddy, as well as slippery. Walking through the tunnel was fun, because it was very atmospheric.

Tunnel Entrance
Tunnel Entrance
Tunnel Entrance
Tunnel Entrance
Box Vale Tunnel
Box Vale Tunnel
Inside the tunnel Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel
Inside the tunnel

What Did We Think of the Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel?

The old tramway cutting and tunnel added something different because of the way they are overgrown. The otherworldly feel from the overgrown areas was fun to walk through as well as take photos. Apart from a few areas to get around boulders, the walk was easy because it was mainly flat.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.