Volunteers keep Cowra Railway Station on track despite growing challenges

The Cowra Antique Vehicle Club (CAVC) has spent more than a decade quietly maintaining one of the town's most significant heritage landmarks, taking on the task of managing the historic Cowra Railway Station. The custodianship duties include juggling heritage infrastructure, multiple tenants and a few surprise challenges that come with maintaining a large volunteer-run site. CACV club president, Russell Denning, says they have been custodians of the station for around over 20 years, operating under lease arrangements with successive rail infrastructure managers as responsibility for the site has changed over time. "It took us roughly three years just to secure the lease," said Mr Denning. “It’s really useful to have a space, with such important local history, where we can run club activities at the railway station.” The station has been managed under several different rail authorities over the years, beginning with the former Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) before arrangements transitioned through John Holland and now UGL Regional Linx, which oversees the Country Regional Network. While ownership and maintenance responsibilities have changed, they have remained a constant presence on the ground, looking after the historic railway precinct and coordinating its use by a range of community organisations. Today the heritage precinct is used by several community groups and organisations, including Lachlan Valley Rail (LVR) and the Cowra Micro Gallery, making it a valuable community hub rather than simply a former railway station. Whilst the station doesn't have set operating hours, the activity use from community-use is high, with groups accessing their leased rooms for a variety of uses including special events, meetings, exhibitions, studio space and storage. In September, the 2026 TAVCCA National Veteran Rally will be travelling through Cowra and the railway station will be used as a hub for the group to operate from, with CAVC providing tea, coffee and biscuits for the group. The group has catered for numerous visiting car clubs from the kitchen within the railway station, or visiting other regions with their trailer BBQ, which help to fundraise for the club's ongoing costs. One of the most recent issues has been water infrastructure, with exposed pipework vulnerable to Cowra's harsh winter conditions, causing extra work for volunteers. Pipes running across the roof have frozen and burst during periods of sub-zero temperatures, causing water damage to the building. As the head tenant of the building, CAVC has worked with UGL Regional Linx to replace aging sections of pipework that have repeatedly failed under pressure. Mr Denning praised local contacts within UGL Regional Linx for responding to maintenance concerns and assisting with infrastructure upgrades where possible. “We work very well and communicate regularly with staff at UGL re: these maintenance matters and they are very responsive,” said Mr Denning. “Managing the surprises challenges of such a unique building is always interesting but it is the huge water bills that are causing stress for our organisation and other tenants.” Alongside going maintenance of the building, volunteers have been dealing with an unexpected problem, theft of water from the station. The club said they initially believed they had a leak before discovering water was being taken from an external tap. The losses were substantial, with volunteers estimating up to 10,000 to 12,000 litres of water had disappeared before the source of the problem was identified. CCTV has provided documentation showing significant, and ongoing, water theft has taken place. The theft has been reported, and the club has been forced to implement additional security measures to protect the site's utilities, while continuing to keep the station accessible for legitimate users. “We cannot simply shut off the main water supply, as all our tenants need to have access to the amenities, so we have put locks on the taps and, combined with CCTV security cameras, we are doing all we can to protect the site.” Mr Denning said. Despite the growing list of responsibilities, the CAVC continues to care for the railway station with monthly bees, held on the first Tuesday of the month, members of the CAVC roll up their sleeves, helping to maintain the extensive grounds of the historic Cowra Railway Station. As a not-for-profit association, relying on membership and volunteer labour to maintain the heritage site, Cowra Antique Vehicle Club have created a hub for community organisations, preserving a piece of Cowra’s history. Their 2026 events calendar includes over 45 activities from swap meetings, coffee runs, club meetings, markets and open days on the last Sunday the month at the railway station; from 9am until 3pm. The club welcomes new members, with the only key requirement being a love of vintage vehicles and would like to extend an invitation for all to come along to meet the club and the community hub they have been fostering for decades. With many visitors passing through the precinct each year for heritage train events, exhibitions, community activities and tourism, maintaining the station remains a labour of love. Their work, often carried out quietly behind the scenes, ensures Cowra's historic railway station continues to serve the community long after the last regular passenger train departed. If you'd like to join, support or learn more about the club and their upcoming events, follow their Facebook page, Cowra Antique Vehicle Club.

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