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Register for news updatesCongratulations Owen Fitzgerald OAM
Rail Trails Australia congratulates Owen Fitzgerald on his well-deserved King’s Birthday Order of Australia Medal (OAM) honour which was announced on 9 June 2025.
Owen is a well-known NSW rail trails advocate and major figure in the Tumbarumba community. He is the leading force in getting the first rail trail on a disused NSW government-owned rail corridor into reality – today’s Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail (TRRT) which opened 5 years ago after a 15-year battle with opponents and blockages. The TRRT’s demonstrated success has helped pave the path for other NSW rail trails. The TRRT also continues to lead the way in NSW railway memorabilia on a rail trail, with a fully-restored NSW guard’s van at the Tumbarumba Figures Street trail head and a restored rail inspection trike in Rosewood, amongst other displays on the 21km trail.
The King’s Birthday honour to Owen notes his services to Tumbarumba over many years. Owen and Cathy Fitzgerald also operated Laurel Hill Forest Lodge which brought many visitors to Tumbarumba and the local region. Rail Trails Australia past committee members and others with RTA links in NSW will know Cathy and Owen’s dedication to fresh local produce, much of which the Fitzgeralds grew themselves. They have now retired from their Laurel Hill accommodation business but are still very active around Tumbarumba.
From Rail Trails Australia, a big thank-you to Owen, Cathy and the whole TRRT group for their major rail trail achievements.
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One comment on “Congratulations Owen Fitzgerald OAM”
Congratulations Owen and Cathy. It may have taken you more than 16 years and a lot of money, but you persevered, and we now have a beautiful rail trail in southern NSW. This is also the first ever rail trail in NSW that used an ex-government railway corridor. We need more people like Owen.