Community effort keeps Pearns Steam World shining for visitors

By Anne Heazlewood

Preparations are well underway at Pearns Steam World, annual Steam Up weekend to be held on the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd of November.

Held each year during the annual Northern Tasmanian November long weekend, the 2025 Steam Up will feature a Land Rover Display, model steam engines, a working blacksmith and Steam Punk. Steam Train rides operate every day and are included in the entry fee. Adults are $10 and children (5+) are $5, providing great value for families. Gates open 9.30am to 3.30pm, but check out our Facebook page for program updates and extra details.

Over recent months volunteers have been moving exhibits about to accommodate the replacement of the 55,156 sets of nuts, bolts and washers that hold the distinctive sheds together. The group is also in the process of replacing the old green skylights with beautiful new white opaque skylights, with this task well underway by shed builders Nathan and Phoenix Lee, who hold the necessary ‘Working At Heights’ certificates. Pearns Steam World wishes to publicly thank the Tasmanian Government for providing a grant which has assisted in the very necessary project.   

The Museum has also welcomed new and rare exhibits from the Bussey family collection.

In the 1950’s, the Pearn brothers (Jack, Verdun and Zenith) saw that the age of steam and threshing was giving way to diesel powered tractors and self-propelled headers. Visionaries before their time, the brothers decided to collect a representative sample of the steam engines operating in the state. 

And so began the Pearn collection of steam traction engines and farm machinery, a hobby that involved all members of the family in recovering, restoring and operating the giants from the past and eventually creating the largest private collection of its kind in the Southern hemisphere.

Steam rallies were held at the family farm at Hagley from the mid 1960’s with thousands of dollars raised for projects charities such as Red Cross and Rotary.  Steam engines were also regularly driven to Launceston and Westbury shows, along with Deloraine, Symmons Plains and Cressy agricultural events; a slow process which may have taken an engine seven hours to complete and at a speed of a fast-walking pace.

In the 1980s, following the retirement of the brothers from farming, the collection was moved to its present location on the site of the old Westbury saleyards. With the help of Rotary, Apex and local volunteers the first shed was established. 

By fundraising at country dances, catering for local events, and even fashion parades, the small volunteer committee managed to raise enough money to build a second shed – which at the time cost $80,000. 

In 2002 the brothers donated their collection in trust to the local community with the Westbury Preservation Association Inc formed to protect the collection for future generations. Open daily, Pearns Steam World is operated by a team of enthusiast volunteers and welcomes visitors from all over the world.

Tasmanian Meccano Club joins November Steam Up in Westbury

By Simon Coultas

In conjunction with Pearns World’s Steam Up, to be held during the November long weekend, the Tasmanian Meccano Club will be holding its first ever public display. Meccano is the world famous “Engineering in Miniature” construction system invented by John Hornby over a century ago. Enthusiasts the world over continue to enjoy the hobby, which has defined many a career and continues to enthrall with its complex mechanical systems.

On display will be manual, electrical and even steam powered Meccano models, supplemented by a range of static steam engines and even a steam railway from the Mamod range.

There will be an interactive model building table where children will be encouraged and helped to build a Meccano model. Upon completion the child will be able to take the model and kit away with them – free of charge.

Tasmanian Meccano Club is the local chapter of the Melbourne Meccano Club Inc which holds a large annual display attracting enthusiasts from all over Australia and New Zealand, every October.