A railway level crossing collision that killed a Tasmanian politician and almost claimed the life of a future prime minister has been marked with a new commemorative sign.
The crash happened on July 15, 1926, when a car carrying three prominent Tasmanians collided with a goods train at an unprotected crossing in Perth.
On board were Premier Joseph Lyons, House of Assembly speaker Michael O’Keefe and Hydro-Electric Commission general manager Walter Curtis.
O’Keefe died of his injuries. Lyons suffered severe leg injuries and came close to death, standing down from public duties for four months to recover.
Lyons survived to become Australia’s 10th prime minister in 1932. He remains the only prime minister born in Tasmania.
A hundred years on, the crossing where it happened now carries a sign telling the story.
TasRail said the sign delivered an important message that level crossing safety saves lives.
TasRail and the TrackSAFE Foundation supported the Perth Tasmania Historical Society to create the sign, with help from the Northern Midlands Council.
The operator said the project preserved a piece of local history while encouraging people “to think about the decisions they make every time they approach a railway crossing”.
TasRail said level crossings were far safer now than a century ago, but trains still could not stop quickly.
A fully loaded freight train can take up to two kilometres to stop after its emergency brakes are applied.
TasRail said the story was “a powerful reminder that a single moment can have consequences far beyond what anyone could imagine”.
Drivers are urged to slow down, look and listen every time they approach a level crossing.
