Travel Guide Peterborough

Peterborough (Petersburg until 1917) was established in 1879 at the junction of the northbound and westbound railway lines, and expanded further when additional lines were required for the developing mining industry at Broken Hill and Silverton in New South Wales. Long considered the main maintenance hub for all steam trains passing through South Australia, the site saw its activity sharply reduced with the arrival of diesel trains in the 1970s. From 2002 onwards, the town declined from 5,000 inhabitants to less than 1,700 today. Peterborough's history is still very much alive, however, and the steam railroad is still very much in evidence. The Visitor Information Centre, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is located in the town's main street, in a superb railway carriage dating from 1917 and fully converted into a tourist information office. Steamtown, a historic museum housing some very fine locomotives, and its night-time show around its former railwayhub, are a must-see. The Indian Pacific passes through Peterborough once or twice a week. Peterborough organizes a workshop (exhibition and sale of crafts and works by local artists) every Sunday and Monday from September to March at the Goods Shed on Main Street.