2025 Transport Heritage Grants recipients announced

Transport Heritage NSW is pleased to announce the successful recipients of the 2025 Transport Heritage Grants Program, revealed during the 2025 Transport Heritage Forum in Sydney.

The announcement was made in the presence of the NSW Minister for Regional Transport, The Hon. Jenny Aitchison MP, alongside sector representatives and members of Transport Heritage NSW.

This year, ten outstanding projects from across New South Wales have been awarded funding, each contributing to the preservation, restoration, interpretation and education of our state’s rich transport heritage. These initiatives reflect the passion and commitment of communities and organisations dedicated to keeping our transport stories alive for future generations.

This year’s successful recipients are as follows:

Restoration and conservation projects

• Sydney Heritage Fleet $11,433 towards the restoration and maintenance for the motor launch of Harman.

• Tallowood Ventures Ltd $16,500 towards repairs and maintenance for end platform railway carriage HFO 1595.

• East Coast Heritage Rail $14,854 to support the upholstery refurbishment for second-class seating carriage SFN2182.

• Sydney Bus Museum $4,914 towards the overhaul of the turntable in articulated Mercedes-Benz bus 2556.

• New England Railway $11,200 towards batteries and external lights upgrade for the 635-765 rail motor.

• Illawarra Light Railway Society Museum $24,500 to purchase 208 boiler tubes to restore the Brown Hoist boiler. 

Education, interpretation, exhibition and publication projects

• Merriwa Railway Society $13,413 this grant will support production of station seats for Merriwa station.

• Sydney Tramway Museum $7,966 towards the rebuilding of a glass display cabinet to showcase the Museum’s uniforms exhibits

• Sydney Tramway Museum $3,616 to digitise the Ben Parle collection of 8mm tramway-related films.

The grant with the most funding this year has been awarded to:

• Ladysmith Tourist Railway $30,000 to create a space in the ganger shed to display several track maintenance vehicles and tell the story of fettlers and track maintenance history at the Ladysmith precinct.

As the Transport Heritage Grants Program marks its 11th year, Transport Heritage NSW acknowledges the significant impact these grants continue to have in supporting the preservation and celebration of our state’s transport history.

The program is proudly funded by the NSW Government and administered by the Royal Australian Historical Society.

For more information on the Transport Heritage Grants Program, visit the Transport Heritage Grants Program page.