Curator Conversation - Trains in the square

Join us for the last Curator Conversation of the year with Greg Hallam, Queensland Rail Historian. Step back to 1914, when Queensland Railways marked a milestone, celebrating 50 years since the first railway line in Queensland opened from Ipswich to Bigges Camp. A grand tribute to locomotive progress, the Jubilee included a special display in Brisbane’s Market Square, where the public marveled at C18 class locomotive No.692—newly built and cutting-edge for its time—alongside the cherished 1865 A10 No.3, Queensland’s oldest steam engine.

This gathering of historical steam trains wasn’t just an exhibition; it was a major event that brought crowds to witness the past and present of rail transport. Join Greg as he delves into how Queensland Railways managed this feat, capturing the public’s imagination and commemorating their rich legacy.

About the presenter

Greg Hallam has been with Queensland Rail since 2000, and has been the Historian for the organisation since 2005.  Greg is a third-generation member of the Queensland Railways with a grandfather commencing as a locomotive cleaner in Bundaberg in 1911. 
 
He has post-graduate qualifications from the University of Queensland, published, has been active professionally in the community history and cultural heritage field for 30 years, and is one of the hosts of the very popular Queensland Rail History podcasts.
 
Greg has travelled Queensland extensively, documenting the story of the railways and their connection to the State.  He has also been fortunate to have travelled from Brisbane to Mareeba, Longreach and Charleville behind steam locomotives for various anniversary events sponsored by Queensland Rail, and to have had his ‘office’ set up for a while in the Guards Van of a steam train between Emerald and Longreach, and onto Mareeba, in 2015.
 
These days Greg is based in a 115-year-old railway cottage at Toowoomba station.