All aboard! Discovering Sydney's Central Station by Jackie French. Illus. by Martina Heiduczek

Renowned Australian author Jackie French spent many hours on trains travelling between Brisbane and Sydney. She has created this very clever and engaging publication about the history of Sydney’s Central Train Station using a large format board book with lift-the-flap sections. While this book is perfectly suited for young school aged children it is also a treasure trove of historical information for adults.  

The story begins with the First Nations people using a network of paths to traverse their Country. Once the growing population of white settlers took off and especially in the time of the Gold Rush, it became obvious that Australia needed a more efficient way of travelling great distances. At that time steam trains were considered to be the fastest and most reliable. Then came the issue of where to place a train station in the Sydney, the fastest growing city. The first Central Station was built in 1855 but with the ever growing population a Grand Central Station was built in the early 1900’s, opening in 1906.

Over a number of years, underground tracks, World Wars, addition of more platforms and the development of electric trains changed the way people travelled to and from Sydney. Across Australia train travel became the way to move around from city to city. In 2018 work began on upgrading the Grand Central Station as over 250,000 people travelled by train daily.

This is a fascinating book with so much rich history shared in an accessible and entertaining way. The colourful illustrations are full of detail and the lift-the-flap sections provide important snapshots of facts that add to the back story.

Themes: Large Format Board Book, Sydney, Central Train Station, History, Travel, Lift-the-flap sections.

Kathryn Beilby