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Victorian Railways - Refreshment Services Branch
Image: Refreshment room staff, Bendigo Railway Station, circa 1929.
Source: Museum Victoria
The Refreshment Services Branch was established in 1920, and initially focused on providing station-based refreshment rooms and the dining car service. Its scope expanded to include diverse activities such as stall rental; sales of advertising space on railways infrastructure; laundry services; operation of a hair-dressing salon, a bakery, a butchery and a poultry farm; and the management of the chalet guesthouse at Mt Buffalo.
The majority of staff worked in refreshment rooms and dining cars, both of which were a popular feature of the railway service. Previous to 1920 refreshment services had been provided by contractors, but after many complaints the Department decided to provide a standardised service across the system. It grew quickly: five years after it was established the Branch employed approximately 500 staff. Station refreshment facilities ranged from elaborate dining rooms to decorated push-carts. They were staffed predominately by women, who provided everything from a cup of tea to a three course meal.
Most refreshment room services were closed in the 1970s.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 1 - 11) 11 items
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Postcard - 'Puffing Billy' NA-class Steam Locomotive & Passenger Train, Upper Ferntree Gul ...
Victorian Railways NA-class narrow gauge (2-ft 6-in) steam locomotive engine hauling a passenger excursion train in a semi-urural setting near Upper Ferntree Gully on the Ferntree Gully ...
Images: 1 -
Photograph - Construction of Underground Rail Loop, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1975
Colour photograph showing the construction of the Melbourne underground railway loop, circa 1975. It is part of a collection of photographs, negatives and slides used for research by cu ...
Images: 1 -
Photograph - Construction of Underground Loop, Melbourne, Victoria, Mar 1975
Colour photograph showing the construction of the Melbourne underground railway loop in March 1975. It is part of a collection of photographs, negatives and slides used for research by ...
Images: 1 -
Photograph - Construction of Underground Loop, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1975
Colour photograph showing the construction of the Melbourne underground railway loop, circa 1975. It is part of a collection of photographs, negatives and slides used for research by cu ...
Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Photograph - Victorian Railways Offices, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1890
Monochrome photograph of the Australian Club, William Street, Melbourne, taken by the studio of Nettleton & Arnest circa 1890. This photograph is part of a collection of 47 photograph ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 0 -
Negative - Victorian Railways F-class 2-4-0 Pattern Steam Locomotive with Mixed Passenger ...
Copy of a black & white photograph depicting the original 2-4-0 type steam 'passenger' locomotives built by the Beyer Peacock, of Manchester, for the Victorian Railways and imported in ...
Images: 1 -
Negative - Victorian Railways F-class 2-4-0 Steam Locomotive & Crew on the Turntable, Dayl ...
Copy of a black & white photograph depicting one of the 2-4-0 type steam passenger locomotives built by the Phoenix Foundry, of Ballarat, during the late 1870s, for use on the country b ...
From: Daylesford, Australia Images: 1 -
Negative - Victorian Railways F-Class 2-4-0 Steam Locomotive Hauling a Mixed Goods & Passe ...
Copy of a black & white photograph depicting one of the 2-4-0 type steam passenger locomotives built by the Phoenix Foundry, of Ballarat, during the late 1870s, for use on the country b ...
From: Waubra, Australia Images: 1 -
Negative - Victorian Railways 30 Ton Wrecking Crane at Derailment, Wangaratta District, Vi ...
The Biggest Family Album of Australia, Museum Victoria
From: Wangaratta, Australia Images: 1 -
Negative - Moe Bound Goods Train, Moe-Walhalla Railway, Victoria, circa 1920s
The Biggest Family Album of Australia, Museum Victoria
Images: 1 -
Negative - Victorian Railways 30 Ton Wrecking Crane at Derailment, Winton, Victoria, circa ...
A Victorian Railways mobile steam crane lifting the wreckage of a 15-ton capacity I-type 4-wheeled goods truck from a derailment near Winton, about 1935. The crane is one of two 30-ton ...
From: Winton, Australia Images: 1
