I Remember When With Matthew Pavlinovich

A few weeks ago, I was very fortunate enough to have been invited as a guest to a reunion of former WAGR/Westrail Midland Workshops workers.

Over 100 people turned out at their former worksite to have a tour of what remains. We all gathered around the flagpole to see the Australian flag once again raised over the site. Visiting Blocks One, Two and Three as well as the Power House gave me a further insight into the giant workplace it once was and what exactly went on. It was great to hear the stories of those former employees.

Unfortunately for me, I was still in primary school when the Workshops closed its doors.  No immediate members of my family were employed at the Workshops, but I certainly knew a lot of family friends who did work there.

The number of opportunities that were available for young people seeking an apprenticeship in the trade of their choice was in the hundreds per year and its not the opportunities, young people of today get. Most of those young people went onto become well knowledged and trained in the trades at the Workshops while others moved elsewhere to continue in their chosen trade.

Who knows I may have ended up somewhere in the Railways myself?

It was great to see people come together at the reunion, some people had not seen each other for over 30 years.  Like the old times, the reunion ended with a visit to the Commercial Tavern only on the other side of the tracks, where along with the old Stockman Hotel, workers would gather for lunch or after work.

It’s important that we continue to remember the history of the WAGR/Westrail Midland Workshops and the true impact it had on Midland and the whole state of Western Australia.

Matthew Pavlinovich, marketing officer.