NSWRail & telegraph
Junee
Locomotives gave a new town its livelihood.
1878Railway reaches the new town
WHAT STARTED IT
The railway created the present Junee: an official town site was allocated when the main southern line arrived in 1878. Railway maintenance, goods handling and later junction traffic brought workers and businesses to the station area.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Locomotive maintenance, freight handling and junction traffic supported generations of railway work. Agriculture, continuing rail activity and visitor attractions later broadened that base.
Read the fuller history
The new settlement was initially named Loftus, distinct from the older locality now called Old Junee. Railway workshops and locomotive facilities became major employers. The large roundhouse reflects the amount of maintenance required in the steam era.
TURNING POINTS
1878The railway arrives and an official town site is allocated.
1947The new locomotive depot and fully circular roundhouse officially open.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A Riverina town with agriculture, rail activity and visitor attractions. The railway museum preserves the machinery and workplaces behind its original growth.