Brisbane, QLD


Friday, April 22, 2016

TOYS AND TRAINS

While we were in the Blue Mountains we visited Leuralla , a heritage listed location. There is a beautiful old house set in 12 acres of gardens. Within the house is a collection of historical toys and outside there is railway memorabilia.
The art deco mansion was built in 1912 for a wealthy yachtsman, sportsman and big game fisherman, Harry Andreas. Today, Andreas's grandson Clive Evatt Jnr, own the home and the world class collection of toys and model railways.

Besides it being a toy and train museum it is also a memorial to Dr HV Evatt (the owners uncle). Dr Evatt was a famous Australian. He was a high court judge, Attorney General, President of the United Nations and Leader of the Australian Labor Party.
 The 12 acres of gardens were lovely to stroll around.




In the gardens we came across some interesting railway items, like old railway station signs and waiting rooms.


Not everybody has a steam engine in their garden. I was taken back on a nostalgic trip when I saw the yellow station boards telling you what platform and where the train was going. I used them all the time in my youth when I lived in Sydney. It was an interesting house and museum.


18 comments:

  1. Hello, wow what a cool estate. The train collection is amazing. The train collectors in my family would love to visit this museum. Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend!

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  2. What an amazing place. no doubt there were toys there that took you back to your childhood.

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  3. yet another place i would love to visit. i love trains and gardens and this has both. that path under the arbor calls to me. your yellow board comment stirred my memories of waiting in the Savannah Ga train station. the trains were written on the wall but also were constantly called out over a very loud speaker system, think the mid forties loud speakers... it echoed and echoed.. i can hear it now... they would call out Silver Meteor now loading on track 3, and list the cities.. daddy would grab our bags, and we would all walk and he woulc get on and put the bags up over our head and go back out and stand waving at us through the windows. fond memory

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  4. Added to my list for our next Sydney visit. I just noticed tonight here in Perth that unlike in Melbourne, on one line at least, the station names on platforms are internally illuminated and very easy to see.

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  5. Trains and toys - you'd have had trouble dragging me away.

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  6. diane lovely nature at your place

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  7. You find the most interesting and unusual places Diane!

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  8. So right that not everyone has a steam engine in the back yard and if I show this post to Grenville he will want to visit!

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  9. This looks like a fascinating place to visit. It has just about everything a person could ask for -- beautiful gardens, toys and trains. Thanks for taking us there with you,

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  10. Looks a good place to visit, trains and garden :)

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  11. such a lovely home and beautiful gardens. Many a heart jumps higher and memories surface looking at the toys and trains. A train set was nearly any boys dream, then. Yes, memories, similar signs in the train stations in Switzerland, from 13 to 21 I used a train every day. In summer by bike!

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  12. such a lovely home and beautiful gardens. Many a heart jumps higher and memories surface looking at the toys and trains. A train set was nearly any boys dream, then. Yes, memories, similar signs in the train stations in Switzerland, from 13 to 21 I used a train every day. In summer by bike!

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  13. Lovely bit of history in a beautiful place. Love the gardens as well Hope you are well, t'other Diane

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  14. It's an interesting collection of oddities wasn't it. It was weird coming across a fibreglass Matterhorn is the back yard!

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  15. One of my favourite places. We used to spend a lot of time there in my youth. May holidays were always spent in the Blue Mountains.

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  16. That looks like a fabulous place to look around. Great photos Diane!

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  17. Gardens, trains, AND toys. You two must have been in heaven!

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  18. I do like old toys and trains just saying this is a place I would love to visit one day

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