From Mt Gambier to Alice Springs, would-be-publicans scrambled to open a pub on the edge of the expanding railway network, a veritable goldmine.

Railway Hotels of Australia by Scott Whitaker is a book that seeks to uncover the multitude of stories these pubs have to tell.

In the early days railway hotels were quickly established to service the railway construction workers, or navvies.

Some publicans stayed in the new town, others moved on with the navvies to the next camp.

Often existing hotels were renamed to celebrate the arrival of railway or even moved to a new site nearer to the railway station.

Inevitably, the railway hotel was the haunt of the local railway workforce.

There was once over 600 railway hotels in Australia, but by the 1920s many had gone.

Some had been burnt down, deliberately or otherwise, levelled by earthquake or washed away by flood.

This second volume in the railway hotels of Australia series exclusively explores the NSW story and follows on from the successful release of Volume One, Railway Hotels of Victoria.

The book contains a wealth of information on the history of railways in NSW, and explores the social, economic and political themes that helped to shape the state.

Mr Whitaker is a railway enthusiast and historian, the book details the history of every railway hotel that trades, or once traded in NSW.

Mr Whitaker grew up in Melbourne in the 1960s and 1970s before moving to Queensland with the Department of Aviation.

After working in Air Traffic Control for over 30 years, he retired a few years ago.

Mr Whitaker returned to Melbourne and now lives at Wandong, about 50km north of Melbourne, and has two grown children.

His caught the railway bug from his grandfather who shared his stories of being a locomotive fireman on steam engines during the Second World War.

As he neared retirement he decided to travel around Australia and explore the history of the railway hotel.

Join Scott Whitaker for the launch of his new book. Railway Hotels of Australia, Volume Two - New South Wales,  at Wagga City Library on Saturday, September 3 at 2pm.

There will be signed copies of both his NSW and Victorian book available on the day.

FOLLOWING the success of the Riverina Science Festival, Little Bang Discovery Club is back on Thursday afternoons in October. 

This is a short-course membership-only program, with the aim of instilling confidence in asking and answering scientific enquiry questions. 

How does that happen?  

Through a series of hands-on, genuine science-based educational workshops and at-home activities.

Little Bang Discovery Club is four-part program designed for children aged five to eight, with an accompanying parent or support adult.

Places are limited and bookings essential.

Uncover the little scientist in your child.