STEAMFEST STORY

Chairman’s Welcome 2024

Dear Patrons,

Welcome to SteamFest 2024 – themed “Welcome Home”. The management team have selected this theme as this year marks an auspicious occasion for the Kentish district. The Sheffield Steam and Heritage Centre aims to preserve the skills and equipment from the steam era. As a community organisation in Kentish, we take pride in the district’s farming heritage, and this year, more than any other, we have a platform to tell the steam-era local story.

Since last year, with some of the proceeds of SteamFest, we have purchased the original Kentish districts’ stone crusher from the early 1 900’s.

In addition to our regular exhibitors to SteamFest, we are welcoming three engines that have been recently restored to operational order, which all worked in Kentish

***8hp Foden single No 2404 of 1911 owned by Kris Carmody and Robert Diprose***

This engine’s original owner was a well-known Kentish threshing contractor, Sydney Smith of the Nook. The engine hauled threshing and straw-pressing gear similar to that seen at SteamFest, from farm to farm around Barrington and the Nook area. The engine had 40 years working in Kentish with Syd.

Kris and Robert purchased the engine at auction from Max Chatwin’s family (of Sprent) on the 26th of April 2023.

*** Foden 7nhp compound traction engine No 1264 of 1907 owned by the Martin family.***

My brother Vivian, father Peter and l, along with help from several skilled tradesmen have worked on rebuilding this engine since May 2017. This engine was purchased new by Ingram Bros and Lamprey of Sassafras in 1907, where it worked hauling and driving threshing and chaff cutting equipment. In 1928, it moved to the Kentish district, working for the well-known families Von Stieglitz and Bower in Beulah, Bernie Marshall, the Rockliff Family and in its last years at Len Aylets sawmill in Lorinna where my father acquired it. In 1960, Peter did some repairs and drove it to Lilydale, where it operated up to the early 80’s when the boiler was considered unsafe. The restoration and repairs over the last six years included a new boiler, a firebox fitted, and a total rebuild from the ground up.

***Marshall 7nhp Single traction engine No 57686 of 1911. purchased by the Jenkinson family last year from Harry Diers in Hobart.***

When Harry purchased the engine, it required a new boiler. Luckily, he obtained the boiler from engine no 52243 built 1909, also a 7HP traction engine which was purchased by the Evandale Threshing Co. It then went to FA Hoare from 1949 io 1954 for use at the Paradise saw mill in Kentish. No. 57686 is originally from the Sheffield district and was purchased by Thomas Buckley in Sheffield. It spent 18 years working around Sheffield until it was bought by CH Smith in 1927, followed by the McShanes near Avoca in 1952.

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We also wish to acknowledge Nigel and Mandy Fish’s Marshall Traction engine No 46637 of 1907 – a regular feature at SteamFest, which was once owned by local farm contractors Walter and Tom Butler.

We welcome the return of these engines and invite families associated with the engines to make themselves known to the drivers – we would love to hear stories of the engines in use around Kentish. Tasmania was the breadbasket for Australia in the early steam era, with our forebears finding the climate closer to the English climate they were used to. The steam story highlights this, with a little under half of all the Marshall Traction engines exported from the Marshall Gainsborough works coming to Tasmania (69 in total) – primarily for agricultural work.

The 7.5 Hectares of display ground are covered with exciting exhibits. I thank the key organising team for their stirling efforts, particularly co-ordinator Maurice, Jill, James, Terry, Jan, Barb, Paivi, Penny and the many volunteers who help with the setup and strip down and fill the many voluntary roles on the weekend. I also thank our sponsors, especially the Kentish Council (key sponsors and our landlords), who had faith in me 31 years ago when I suggested a tourist railway could be established in Sheffield. Little did they know what it would become. SteamFest requires a considerable effort from our volunteer team. We hope you enjoy the event as much as we have enjoyed putting it on for you.

Chris Martin            Chairman – Sheffield Steam and Heritage Centre

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2023 Chairman’s Welcome

Dear Patrons

Welcome to our 28th annual SteamFest. Thankfully the uncertainty of the Covid situation which has plagued us for the last 3 years and resulted in the cancellation of last year event has passed. We are excited to be back in action displaying Tasmania’s steam era heritage in a working format for all to see and enjoy.

Firstly I would like to thank our members (particularly the SteamFest Organizing committee), volunteers and sponsors for their contribution. Without you our festival would not be possible.

This year is a particularly special year. When covid began in 2020 a small but dedicated band commenced the construction of the Dulverton station precinct (the station originally came from Dulverton between Railton and Latrobe) providing an island platform and train passing loop. Having Wee Georgie Wood – arguably Australia’s most famous little steam locomotive, visit from Tullah is a great way to commission the precinct which will see more trains passing in a day than the Dulverton station ever did in its working life with the Tas Government Railway. We thank the team from Tullah that have made this happen.

Our second steam locomotive has finally achieved a milestone of the boiler being all but passed for service – many mechanical repairs have been conducted over the years since it was stripped down so the Hunslet could well be in steam for next year’s event.

Following this year’s event our organisation is embarking on the construction of a heritage timber industry display shed west of the Dulverton Station. A little over a year ago we obtained the workings of a steam era sawmill in Mole Creek and these will be set up as part of the display. The shed will also become the locomotive running shed and a section of the shed will be set up for the display of stationary engines and running road steam engines.

Some of this year’s income will be used to purchase the original Kentish stone crusher which has featured at many past SteamFests – thanks Carl Dick for securing this piece of our steam era history in Tasmania and particularly now in its hometown.

We hope you enjoy this year’s SteamFest 2023 themed “Rolling into Sheffield”!

Chris Martin – Chairman  Redwater Creek Steam and Heritage Society Inc.

Wee Georgie Wood comes to Sheffield – see the Press release at the bottom of this page.   

SteamFest – 11th, 12th and 13th March 2023 

After over 25 years, the largest annual gathering of Tasmanian steam power has become something of an institution in the north-west.   SteamFest will be held over the March long weekend beside the original Sheffield railway station – just off Sheffield’s Main Street on the east end of the town, with the largest regular collection of working steam road traction engines.   

There is nothing quite like the raw power inherent in the silence of a steam-powered machine.  A well tuned steam engine merely hisses as it turns over; none of the rumbles, explosions, and growls associated with the internal combustion machines of the time!  Of course, a steam machine with both the engine and boiler together can get noisy, as the bark of the exhaust up the chimney and the roar of the fire give indication of their presence.  Indeed you will often hear the phrase “the romance of steam” but never “the romance of diesel” – it just doesn’t sound right!  SteamFest is all about the “romance of steam”.

The Krauss steam engine built in Germany in1906, is now well over a hundred years, and will provide train rides across the SteamFest site.  It will be joined by steam traction engines, steam road rollers, and veteran farm tractors, together with many working displays of a heritage nature, including vintage rural machinery, and an old-time general store.  Take a trip back in time to the days of our grandparents, with displays of a working model quarry, horse-drawn coaches and wagons, vintage cars and bikes, shingle splitting demonstrations, and many craft displays.

Kids will be well entertained with military re-enactors, exotic chooks, live snakes, face painting, model-car racing, archery, mini car rides, jumping castles, a tug-of-war with a steam roller, and other novelty items.  The entire family will enjoy the grand parade of all mobile machinery after lunch on each day.

Sweet Running Machines – the documentary about Tasmania’s own steam legends is also available at the souvenir Stand

Stationary Engines     Will be exhibited by both private collectors and members of the Northern Historical Machinery Club.  Stationary engines were used in the early 1900’s until electricity became widely available.  They were commonly used for sheep shearing, milking machines, saw benches, generators and water pumping.

Chaff Cutting     Chaff is cut from oats, hay and lucerne.  The chaff consists of all the grain and stalks cut to about 6mm long and packed in chaff bags.  It is commonly used for horse and sometimes cow feed. 

Threshing     Is the process of removing grain from the straw in all cereal and grass crops including beans and peas.  Oats have, at past SteamFests, been threshed using a Marshall threshing ‘Drum’ built in 1885. 

Hay Pressing     The straw (after removal of the oats in the threshing machine) will be pressed into bales which are tied by hand using wire.  The stationary hay presses were superseded by ‘mobile’ presses which travel around the paddock picking up the hay or straw as they travel.  In the past at SteamFest Eric Howe has used his 1910 Ann-Arbour, stationary hay press previously owned by Mr. Sam Cope – of Ulverstone.

Bullock Team    Brian Fish is one of only 2 people in Tasmania who has a working bullock team.  He has made most of the equipment used by his bullocks himself as finding the parts were not readily available.  Brian has worked with horses most of his life, and thought that he would like to try his hand with the bullocks.

He uses a variety of breeds, and is practical about what makes a good team member.  “You soon know which ones will have any potential, which one will make a good leader, and if he only just wants to work he’ll go into the body, and if he is a big strong bullock who is willing to do something he will go into the pole.”  The ‘pole’ is the wooden bar that comes from the wagon and goes between the rear bullocks in the team.

Brian uses a lot of body language when he is working with this team, and occasionally cracks the whip.     The bullocks need to be worked regularly to keep them fit and willing to work.  He works with them for about 12 months before taking them out with the public.

Tasmanian Lighthorse   The Light Horse Regiment will be present at SteamFest across all three days of the festival and will be dressed in the traditional Lighthorse uniform.

“We will be performing skill-at- arms for all to see over the weekend,” troop sergeant Nevill Thomas explained.   “Skill-at-arms is a training regime used by the Light Horse Regiment to get troops experienced in using horses and weapons at the same time.”

The members of the Tasmanian Lighthorse Historical Troop keep alive the history, traditions and memories of the Light Horse in Tasmania.

“Apart from our common interest in horses we share a passion for keeping alive the memory of the sacrifices made by our Lighthorse ancestors,” Mr Thomas said.

Rock Crusher   This heritage rock crusher was bought by Carl Dick’s family in the 1960’s. 

It worked with the Sheffield Council for many years and also on Carl’s family’s farm.  It last worked in 1983 and then sat waiting to be restored.  Carl started on the restoration in 2012 and had it working again from 2013 onwards.

Rock-crushing – but this is just one part of a greater process. After the rock is crushed, it’s loaded onto bullock drays and  taken to where it will be crushed by a steam  roller to  build a road.  Make sure you stay and see how it’s all done!

Tractor Pulling   These competitions run all day and really get the adrenaline flowing. Watch the tractors pulling heavier and heavier loads.

Press Release – SteamFest 2023 welcomes Tullah’s iconic locomotive Wee Georgie Wood.

Ask any enthusiast of the iron rails which locomotive is the most famous in Australia and they will happily cite the diminutive Fowler 0-4-0 steam locomotive known as Wee Georgie Wood.  What this locomotive lacks in stature it makes up for in service to community, spending an exemplary 38 years hauling trains that were the only means of access to Tullah from the Emu Bay Railway’s Farrell Siding.  Its working life commenced in 1924.  It hauled trains to Farrell Siding until the Murchison Highway was opened in 1962, and then for a brief period between the North Mt Farrell mine and the floatation plant. After this, it sat idle for a few years until the townspeople of Tullah decided that he was too special to spend retirement  languishing.   They rebuilt a line for Wee Georgie Wood,  gave him an overhaul and returned him to tourist passenger service in 1987 – running the first and last weekends of every month.   In all that time Wee Georgie Wood hasn’t operated outside of Tullah so it is a very special occasion to have the locomotive coming to Sheffield. 

The locomotive was named after George Wood Bamlett OBE (17/12/1894 – 19/2/1979), known professionally as Wee Georgie Wood, who was a British comic entertainer and actor who appeared in films, plays and music hall reviews.  His career exploited his childlike appearance and stature at only 1.45m tall when fully grown. 

Sheffield Steam and Heritage Centre Chairman, Chris Martin, welcomed the news of the visit by Wee Georgie Wood and two original west coast carriages  to SteamFest 2023 on March 11^th , 12^th and 13^th.  “This engine really is royalty in railway circles and we are expecting a lot of people to come along to enjoy the event.  The society recently built a passing loop and commissioned this a few months ago in readiness for operating two trains and passing them on the short journey to East Victoria St.  The island platform features the original Dulverton Station which the society purchased from a private collector.   With two trains running we are expecting a train to leave the Sheffield Station every 15 minutes making the stations busier than they were in their operating heyday.” Chris said.

SteamFest is the Centre’s flagship event attracting up to 7,000 people to Sheffield over the 3 days to see just over 7 hectares of ground covered with exhibits and stalls.  

The event requires a mammoth volunteer crew exceeding 300 people just to run it.  We are always eager to hear from new volunteers – details on how to contact us and the volunteer registration form are at http://www.steamfesttasmania.org.au/  Stalls and exhibitors are also encouraged to register now via the same website.

For more details contact Chris Martin (Sheffield Steam and Heritage Centre Chairman) on 0429418739 or Ben Carrick (Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway Secretary) on 0459643308 or Peter Nolte (Wee Georgie Wood Preservation Society Chairman) on 0439207285

SteamFest Tasmania is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.

2022 – stemFet not held due to COVID 19

2021 – Chairmans Report coming 

2020 – Chairman’s Report    Dear Patrons

It gives our organising team great pleasure to welcome so many people here each year at SteamFest to share our passion and hobby – preserving our steam era heritage and providing a great event for the community to come together and enjoy. This year, more than ever, our team has come together to enjoy putting on the production. I know from my own perspective the team has carried the load of organising the event well allowing me as chairman of the Redwater Creek Steam and Heritage Society Inc which runs this Sheffield Steam and Heritage Centre site, the opportunity to focus on the bigger picture advancements – and to fit in steam road runs for the two weekends prior to the event.You will see many changes if you are a regular to our site, the miniature railway has come on inleaps and bounds with a new station, the site office and caretakers cottages have new verandah’s, the track has been re-sleepered with treated hardwood sleepers (the first time we have used something new in our track!) We now have an immaculately restored Ruston DL20 Diesel locomotive and our ex Babinda Mill Malcolm Moore has been overhauled and painted suddenly tripling our locomotive options. Kentish Council have supported our association with the southern and eastern boundaries of our site now having a dedicated stormwater line and the southern section of the grand parade circuit completely overhauled and no longer sinking into the mud, the Spring St Road frontage has been completely overhauled and Kentish Council recently purchased 7100m2 of land to the east of our site and added it to our existing 4Ha lease taking our SteamFest display area up to 8Ha. Additionally we have recently received approval for a new steaming shed and stationary engine display hall, provision of an island platform complete with the original Dulverton Station, a new shed over the miniature railway steaming bays and an extension of the village concept with a general store, printery building, bakery and old house proposed for the site.

For our opening this year we are recognizing the input of our first-generation enthusiast founding members who are still busy restoring equipment as they open the event on Saturday at 2pm. Peter Martin, Eric and Coral Howe have this honour in this – our 26 th year. Our volunteers and committee are drawn from across the state and much of the workload on site has and is being carried by our Work for the Dole team who have been providing training and real-life work experience now for 6 years. Many of these participants have gone on to become volunteers.  I thank all of the team for a job well done in the lead up to the event and particularly my fellow executive members Jill Ridgway (secretary), Joe Phillips(treasurer) and Brenton Wheare (vice chair and SteamFest Subcommittee chair).
We hope you enjoy this years SteamFest 2020 themed Times Past!
Chris Martin – Chairman Redwater Creek Steam and Heritage Society Inc.

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