Norman Houghton OAM shines spotlight on rail history

Local historian Norman Houghton OAM (SPC 1963-65) has recently released his second book for the year, shining the spotlight on Hamilton’s rail history.

The book, Rail Centre Hamilton – the life and times of its branch railways 1994 to 1995, provides a detailed history of the district’s extensive network of lines, encompassing some 300km of track and 50 stations and sidings.

Rail Centre Hamilton provides a thorough history of when and why they were built, how they operated, the boom times and when and why they closed. For a century from 1870s to the 1970s Hamilton rail ruled supreme in the transport stakes until overtaken by changing economics and road transport competition.

The soft cover book is available from trainworld.net.au for $52.

This book follows on from Norman’s earlier work this year being a history of the railway from Camperdown to Timboon.

Last year’s project was a history of the Ballarat to Buninyong railway, and it has been hugely popular, Norman says.

“My last year’s project was a history of the Ballarat to Buninyong railway. That tome has been a real buzz around Ballarat so much so that I have given three talks so far to Ballarat groups and have another one later in the year for the Ballarat Historical Society, plus another in Geelong next month.”

Never one to sit idle, Norman is busy working on his next project.

“My current project is finishing off a centenary history of the Geelong Legacy Club, founded in 1925 and still going strong helping war widows and orphans. Ballarat Legacy dates from 1926 and this group is also doing a history with another author.”

We caught up with Norman, who has authored over 40 titles and received an OAM for his services to community history, in our Where are they now series last year – click here to read more