In 2007 our society was successful in obtaining federal funding for the construction of a small stand-alone museum building and with this the Ken McCarthy Museum Building was officially opened in December 2007. The building was named after our late esteemed member Ken McCarthy who was the foundation chairman, Ken had also played a huge role in the foundation of the Illawarra Light Railway Museum as Ken’s knowledge to light railways ,tramways and other industrial railways was one of a kind.
The ILRMS was again successful in 2010 on a NSW Government Grant to connect power into the building and also the electrical upgrade of the rest of the ILRMS buildings that are on the museum site.
In 2014 after its first seven years in operation the building was closed for a revamp of the memorabilia, photographic displays and artefacts that the ILRMS owns. This now has been completed with the building reopened on 9/11/2014.
In 2015, the Society was successful with a NSW Government Community Partnerships Grant, which will see the building expanded making way for other historical items that the Society has in its collection to put on display. The building work is expected to commence in April 2017 and be completed by December 2017