This locomotive was built by Hudswell Clarke & Co in Leeds in 1903 and supplied to the Wallaroo & Moonta Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd for use in their copper operations on Yorke’s Peninsular.
Following closure of the Wallaroo smelter in 1923 the locomotive fleet was dispersed to a variety of industrial owners. In the following year this locomotive and four other identical locomotives were sold to Australian Portland Cement for use at the Fyansford Cement Works, near Geelong.
It is the sole survivor of a group of at least four identical works shunters initially supplied to work there. They were employed on shunting wagons of limestone at the quarry while Beyer-Garratt locomotives hauled the limestone trains from the quarry to the cement works.
This locomotive remained in service until 1966 when the railway was replaced by a conveyor system.
The locomotive was preserved by the Geelong Steam Preservation Society and became the first locomotive steamed at their Belmont Common site. The organisation relocated to Queenscliff to become the Bellarine Railway, which was formed by regauging the Queenscliff to Drysdale section of the VR Queenscliff branch from 5ft 3in to 3ft 6in.
The locomotive remains the mascot of the Bellarine Railway in recognition of its role in the early years of the Geelong Steam Preservation Society.
The locomotive is currently in store at the Bellarine Railway.
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