{{Short description|Commissioner of Railways in New South Wales 1956–1972}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

'''Neal McCusker''' CBE (20 October 1907 – 27 July 1987),<ref name="adb">{{cite book|author=Craig Mackey |title=Australian Dictionary of Biography 'McCusker, Neal (1907–1987) |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mccusker-neal-14204/text25216 |year=2012 |access-date=12 April 2024}}</ref> often misspelled "Neil", was Commissioner of Railways in New South Wales 1956–1972.

==History== McCusker was born in Marrickville, Sydney,<ref name=adb/> the only child of John Robert McCusker (c. 1850 – 11 October 1947)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18045518 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |issue=34,261 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=13 October 1947 |access-date=12 April 2024 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and his wife Emma McCusker, née Bird (c. 1868 – 13 October 1942),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98980487 |title=Mrs Emma McCusker |newspaper=The Northern Star |volume=67 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 October 1942 |accessdate=12 April 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> who married at Cootamundra on 7 November 1906.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139453674 |title=Wedding |newspaper=Cootamundra Herald |volume=XXX |issue=90 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=10 November 1906 |access-date=12 April 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} McCusker here misspelled McClusker</ref>

He was educated at the Byrock public school, gaining QCs (Qualifying Certificates) in 1918<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article142839531 |title=Qualifying Certificate |newspaper=Western Herald (Bourke) |volume=LXI |issue=38 |location=Bourke, Australia |date=12 February 1919 |access-date=11 April 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and 1919,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45507498 |title=Qualifying Certificate |newspaper=Barrier Miner |volume=XXXII |issue=9795 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=29 January 1920 |access-date=11 April 2024 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> then entered Dubbo High School where in 1922 he passed the Intermediate Certificate<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158659961 |title=The Intermediate |newspaper=The National Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 February 1923 |accessdate=12 April 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and joined the New South Wales Government Railways. Like Reg Winsor, McCusker was born into a railway family — his father was stationmaster at Cobar in 1928,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141992721 |title=Merit Rewarded |newspaper=Western Herald (Bourke) |issue=983 |location=Bourke, Australia |date=18 August 1928 |access-date=11 April 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> in which year his son was promoted to Relieving Stationmaster at Byrock.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141994999 |title=Advancement |newspaper=Western Herald (Bourke) |issue=1008 |location=Bourke, Australia |date=14 November 1928 |access-date=12 April 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

He continued studying part-time, in 1933 passing Advanced Accounting, and in 1935 Federal Income Tax, both exams conducted by the Commonwealth Institute of Accountants.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230190847 |title=Final Exams |newspaper=The Sun (Sydney) |issue=7479 |location=Sydney, Australia |date=19 December 1933 |access-date=12 April 2024 |page=19 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230262400 |title=Tax Test |newspaper=The Sun (Sydney) |issue=7934 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=7 June 1935 |access-date=12 April 2024 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1954, while Winsor was taking three months' sick leave, State Cabinet appointed McCusker to act in his place as commissioner of the Department of Railways New South Wales, over two more senior officers: William Arthur Anderson (Secretary for Railways) and Allan James McAndrew (Assistant Secretary). This breach of public service norms was widely resented.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article194524047 |title=Top Railway Appointment Unpopular |newspaper=The Armidale Express & New England General Advertiser |issue=4416 |location=Armidale, Australia |date=15 December 1954 |access-date=12 April 2024 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Conversion to diesel== The decision to switch from steam to diesel locomotives was made in 1956 and entirely implemented during McCusker's reign as Commissioner. Within ten years all of the Department of Railways New South Wales's main lines had been given over to diesel traction and facilities for steam working were retained on only a few lines: Gosford–Newcastle and Sydney–Goulburn and a few Dubbo branch lines, while the fleet of 1,164 steam locomotives in 1956 was down to 431 in 1966.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article142052051 |title=Dieselisation |newspaper=Western Herald (Bourke) |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 September 1966 |access-date=11 April 2024 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Recognition== *McCusker was made Honorary Colonel of the Australian Engineer and Railway Staff Corps on 27 February 1957.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article232966642 |title=Australian Military Forces |newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette |issue=25 |location=Australia, Australia |date=9 May 1957 |access-date=12 April 2024 |page=1352 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> *He was made a CBE in 1959.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114844164 |title=12 Australian Knights in Birthday Honours |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=33 |issue=9,315 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=13 June 1959 |access-date=11 April 2024 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> *In 1975 he was appointed chairman of the NSW Travel Agents' Registration Board.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220195921 |title=Travel Agents Registration Board |newspaper=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=47 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=2 April 1976 |access-date=11 April 2024 |page=1471 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Family== McCusker married Mary Irene Magick on 9 November 1932.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160960811 |title=About Mudgee People |newspaper=Mudgee Guardian & North-western Representative |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=14 November 1932 |access-date=11 April 2024 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:McCusker, Neal}} Category:1907 births Category:1987 deaths Category:Railway commissioners of New South Wales Category:Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire