Kia Ora
Kia Ora is an example of one of the smaller locomotives originally used on
the timber lines in Western Australia. The locomotive is a standard Baldwin
0-4-0 saddle tank design. The locomotive was built in 1884 and placed in
service with the Melbourne Harbour Trust as number 2. The locomotive was
sold around 1885. It was eventually bought by C&E Millar and arrived
in Albany in 1887 for use at the Torbay mills. The locomotive was transfered
to Yarloop in 1895 and it was there that it recieved its first name, 'Beetle'.
The locomotive was later renamed Kia Ora by Reynolds Driver the Yarloop manager
who came from New Zealand. Kia Ora was transfered to Jarrahdale in 1905 before
being sold by Millars to the Public Works Department in 1909.
The locomotive was used by the Public Works Dept initially at Carnarvon to
work the jetty tramway. Kia Ora was transfered in 1949 to Roelands quarry
and later to Bunbury in 1954 to work the Bunbury jetty. Kia Ora was
donated to the museum for preservation in 1962.