Tamworth Powerstation Museum is celebrating 136 years of Tamworth as the First City of Light with an anniversary open day on Saturday 9 November from 10am till 1pm.
Museum Operations and Visitor Engagement Coordinator Naomi Blakey said an exciting new addition to this year’s celebration is the opportunity to be one of the first to purchase a copy of the Tamworth Powerstation Museum 2025 Calendar.
“Staff and volunteers have been working hard to put the calendar together and have it ready to sell on our 136th anniversary,” she said.
“We are excited for the community to see a small selection of our incredible collection, every day of the year in their homes. It will also make a wonderful Christmas present for friends and loved ones.”
The calendars will be available to purchase at the museum from Saturday onwards for $20. Each month highlights a different collection, all of which are currently on display.
Saturday’s event will be a great family day out with free entry, free activities and face painting for the kids, entertainment for all ages, and a barbecue run by the Rotary Club of Tamworth First Light.
The John Fowler steam engines will be running on the day and are a highlight of any visit to the museum. The two engines are the only type operating in the world and are working replicas of the engines used way back in 1888, representing the beginnings of electric street lighting in Tamworth.
Tamworth was the first municipality in Australia to have electric street lighting when it was switched on in 1888, by Mayoress Elizabeth Piper some 15 years before Sydney and only 6 years behind New York. This is why Tamworth is known as the “First City of Light”.
