When Santa rode the railway
When Commonwealth Railways completed the Trans-Australian Railway in 1917, it established settlements along the line so employees could service and maintain the 1693km track. The workers and their families led isolated lives in the heart of the Nullarbor, receiving provisions just once a week on the Tea and Sugar Train. And from 1957 onwards, a special passenger boarded that train each December – Father Christmas.
The festive visit was arranged by the Commonwealth Railways Welfare Officer, who was responsible for catering to the social and recreational needs of these remote communities. From 1928, the Welfare Officer began distributing Christmas gifts such as sweets and cakes to employees’ children living on the Trans-Australian (and Central Australian) railway lines. In 1957, the officer arranged for W. J. Crowe, a railway employee, to act as Father Christmas – kickstarting a Christmas tradition that would continue for decades.
Father Christmas’ first trip had teething problems. Slow-running trains delayed Crowe’s arrival at some towns, meaning children were already in bed asleep and could not receive their gifts personally. Enduring the fiery heat of the Nullarbor in summer was also a feat. Crowe described it as an “endurance test” and “as near to an inferno as I ever care to be”. Despite this, he considered it a worthwhile initiative, writing, “I feel sure the gesture will continue and bring to those less fortunate people so isolated from civilisation and social activities and amenities we enjoy, a touch of good fellowship and show they are not forgotten”.
In 1959, engine driver Alf Harris (pictured) took over as Father Christmas on the Trans-Australian Railway. He would reprise the role every December for more than 30 years, delivering toys to children across the Nullarbor, earning him the nickname Sunburnt Santa.
The history of the Trans-Australian Railway is the subject of a current exhibition at the State Library of South Australia. Curated by the National Archives of Australia, the exhibition Camel trains to steel wheels: life on the Trans-Australian Railway is on display until January 26, 2025.
