A pair of Fowler Ploughing Steam Traction Engines, Type Z7 named ‘The Lion’ and ‘The Lioness’ have been acquired by Pearn’s Steam World Museum in Westbury, Tasmania.

The 100-year-old steam engines in a warehouse.
Image: The Westbury Preservation Association

The Fowler winding engines were used to dredge and construct the Trevallyn Power Station tailrace for the Hydro Electric Commission in Tasmania in the 1950s – the last significant Australian infrastructure project powered by steam.

‘The Lion’ and ‘The Lioness’ were manufactured by John Fowler & Co (Leeds) Ltd, England, in 1926 and were built to work together: one winding left and one winding right. Fowler Z7 engines are the most powerful of their type and are representative of steam engines widely used in Australian construction.

These are believed to be the last known pair under the same ownership anywhere in the world.

Steam traction engines are rare, with many sold for scrap metal following the introduction of diesel power or melted down for ammunition during World War II.

The Lioness and Lion have now returned to Tasmania, where volunteers from the Westbury Preservation Association will restore the engines to their former working glory.

The Australian Government’s National Cultural Heritage Account (NCHA) helped Pearn’s Steam World Museum acquire the steam engine pair. The NCHA helps to retain and protect Australia’s cultural heritage for future generations and provide public access to important objects that tell a story about historical and cultural identity.

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