Discover Peterborough

Peterborough combines railway history with unusual collections and a walk through the city. At the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, some of the highlights include Australia’s only operational three-gauge turntable and the history of the former railway depot. There is also a historic walking trail and a nature reserve with views over Peterborough. This makes it possible to explore the destination through a range of different interests.

Railway history in many forms

The former railway depot and its workshops now house the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, a museum of industrial history. One distinctive feature of the centre is its operational three-gauge turntable—a detail that brings Peterborough’s railway heritage to life. The Radium Hill Heritage Museum covers another chapter of Australian history: Australia’s first uranium mine, from its establishment in 1906 through its operating years until 1961 and its later legacy.

The exhibition on Radium Hill also explores life in the isolated, multicultural mining community. It was home to people of 37 nationalities, and the museum also covers the community’s social and sporting activities. Visitors interested in everyday life will find a different perspective here from the technology and industry of the railway museum.

The Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre also hosts a one-hour sound-and-light show about the railway history of Australia and Peterborough. Booking is required. Special conditions apply during the off-season, from November to March.

City history and distinctive collections

Through 18 selected artefacts, the Town Carriage Museum tells the story of Peterborough’s cultural diversity and life after the railway. It is housed in a first-class sleeper carriage from 1916 and presents the city’s past, present and future. In the centre of Peterborough, a Y-Class steam locomotive stands beside the rotunda; visitors can climb aboard. In front of the Town Carriage Museum, the bronze sculpture Bob the Railway Dog by Silvio Apponyi commemorates the railway’s history.

The Peterborough History Group’s printing museum explores another aspect of the past. Established in the 1880s, it is described as a working museum preserved in its original condition. Thousands of objects are on display at the Peterborough Printing Office, including printing presses, type blocks and workbenches. Here, the building and its contents are closely connected. Visitors who enjoy looking more closely can turn their attention from large railway installations to the tools and working environment of the printing trade.

Art is also part of the experience: the papier-mâché and wire art gallery in the Railway Goods Shed displays life-size sculptures of people, animals and imaginary figures made from wire, paper and glue. Gallery members demonstrate how these figures are made. The heritage-listed Town Hall, completed in 1927, adds to the picture of Peterborough’s architectural history.

Walks and views

The Peterborough Heritage Walk is about 1.6 kilometres long and runs along Main Street, Jervois Street and Kitchener Street. Information panels explain the historical significance of each stop. The Heritage Rail Trail brochure complements the railway history with a historical timeline and a scavenger hunt to enjoy along the way—one way to explore the past of the route through play.

The Heritage Rail Trail follows the remains of the railway line from Broken Hill to Port Pirie and passes through Peterborough as a 400-kilometre-long relic of the steam age. Those more interested in nature can visit the 10-hectare Greg Duggan Nature Reserve at Tank Hill. Rare native plants of South Australia grow there, and an elevated viewing platform offers views over Peterborough.

When choosing a holiday rental in Peterborough, your preferred focus can therefore help guide your decision: railway history, a city walk or a trip to the nature reserve. Plan your stay around the experiences that interest you most, without reducing the city’s varied themes to a single reason for visiting.

For the wider travel overview: District Council of Peterborough.