The Australian Railway Companies of the Western Front, 1916-1918
A Public Lecture by Lt-Col David Deasey (retd)
Charles Bean mentions Australia’s railway units in perhaps half a dozen places in his Official History of Australians in the Great War and then mainly in footnotes. They were never part of the initial offer by Australia to Britain in 1914. Yet by 1918, Australia had effectively deployed a railway regiment of about 1,500 soldiers operating in France. So how and why did they get there and how did a group, which despite contradicting Australian policy and initially not legally part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), end up being very much part of the AIF? What role did they play, and as a side issue, how did ten New South Wales Government Railways designed locomotives end up wandering about France?
About the Speaker
Lieutenant Colonel (retd) David Deasey RFD OAM served in the Australian Army Reserve for 33 years before retiring, and between 1995 and 1997 in the capacity of Commanding Officer of the University of NSW Regiment. He is the co-author of The History of the University of NSW Regiment 1952-2006 (2009). David is also a retired teacher having taught English and history at various schools for 37 years. In 2019 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) “for service to community history” particularly in connection with his work as chair of the National Boer War Memorial Association’s NSW Committee. He is a member of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and Security Studies, New South Wales. He has spoken and written widely about military history.
Lecture Time & Venue
Saturday, 4 April 2026, 10:30AM-11:30AM, Auditorium, Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, corner Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets, Sydney CBD. Admission is free of charge but a donation would be appreciated. For further information call 0419 698 783 or email: president@militaryhistorynsw.com.au.
Our Venue – Anzac Memorial Hyde Park
The current venue for The Military History Society of New South Wales lecture program will be the Auditorium at the Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, corner of Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets, Sydney CBD. Numerous bus services stop at the location and Museum railway station is only 160 metres away. The venue will be opening its doors at around 10:00AM.
Our Recent Lectures
Pyrrhic Victory: Third Battle of Kharkov 1943
Field Marshal Erich von Manstein snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the Third Battle of Kharkov in what was ultimately a pyrrhic victory
REMINISCENCES OF MY NAVAL CAREER: A lecture with Rear Admiral Guy Griffiths
Rear Admiral Guy R Griffiths AO DSO DSC RAN (Ret) is one of Australia’s most distinguished military leaders, having served in the Royal Australian Navy – with stints in the Royal Navy – from enlistment as a Cadet Midshipman in 1937, aged 13, to retirement as Rear Admiral in 1980.
WARSAW UPRISING 1944: A conversation with Les Gade
WARSAW UPRISING 1944: A conversation with Les Gade on his role as a Polish youth in the revolt against German occupation
Konfrontasi Digger 1962-66 by Col (retd) Bob Guest.
Between 1962 and 1966, Indonesia under the aggressive leadership of Sukarno ‘confronted’ the new state of Malaysia, labelling it a cloak for British imperial interests in south-east Asia.
CRIMEA 1855: How Britain built a railway to besiege Sevastopol By Colin Kay
The Military History Society of New South Wales Incorporated presents LOCOMOTIVE OF WAR: CRIMEA 1855. How Britain built a railway to besiege Sevastopol, by Colin Kay.
Myths of the Somme By Major John Hitchen
The Somme campaign between July and November 1916 is widely regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in British and Imperial military history.