Ministerial Statement: Another tourism accolade for Workshops Rail Museum

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Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
17/11/2008

Another tourism accolade for Workshops Rail Museum

Arts Minister Rod Welford has congratulated The Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich for taking out top honours in the Heritage and Cultural Tourism category of the Queensland Tourism Awards.

"The Workshops Rail Museum was recognised for excellence at the 2008 Queensland Tourism Awards held in Brisbane on Friday night," Mr Welford said.

"This is the second consecutive year the museum has won the award for Heritage and Cultural Tourism at the Queensland Tourism Awards.

"This award highlights the quality experience on offer at The Workshops Rail Museum and the dedication of both the Museum staff and the many staff in QR.

"The museum was also a finalist in the Tourist Attractions category this year.

"I also want to congratulate staff at the Museum of Tropical Queensland, which was also a finalist in the Heritage and Cultural Tourism category this year."

Other finalists in the Heritage and Cultural Tourism category included - Proserpine Historical Museum Society Inc; Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame; Outback at Isa; and Ghost Tours in Brisbane.

Director of The Workshops Rail Museum Andrew Moritz said receiving the award was an enormous honour and a well-deserved accolade for the talented team at the Museum.

"We are proud to be recognised as a significant part of the state and local tourism industry and look forward to contributing to the development of the industry into the future," Mr Moritz said.

The Workshops Rail Museum will now compete against interstate winners of the Heritage and Cultural Tourism category in the Australian Tourism Awards which will be announced on 27 February 2009 in Melbourne.

Set at the birthplace of rail in Queensland, The Workshops Rail Museum is a $20 million wholly interactive, authentic heritage and cultural experience with hands-on exhibits, multimedia encounters and colourful stories that trace the history of rail and its impact on the live s of Queenslanders and visitors to the State.

A highlight of the visitor experience is the Behind the Scenes Tours of the Working Workshops where visitors enter the real QR Workshops to view actual restoration and maintenance work of the QR Heritage Fleet.

The Workshops Rail Museum is a campus of the Queensland Museum and is located at North Street, North Ipswich.

For further information or for ticket prices, please call (07) 3432 5100 or visit www.theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au

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