The railway was more than a practicality, it was the embodiment of an idea. It represented the new industrial age when human beings would take control of their environment, create prosperous societies and emancipate themselves from the never-ending toil of survival. The railway represented triumph over distance - for Australian settlers, a dream come true. In the 1860's, the first railway lines crept inland, and by the end of the decade, the train had well and truly established itself as the transport of the future. By Federation, the glamorous railway had eclipsed all other forms of transport, and more than 20,000 kilometres of line connected major centres.
Belching smoke, gathering speed, the iron workhorse symbolised the way forward for an increasingly confident nation. Source: Booklet accompanying the 1997 Masterpieces in Silver - The Opening of the Continent - Set. Steam Trains are featured on the following Australian coins:
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