The line developed progressively over the years and as it did so, various sections were named differently. Each section of the line needed separate lobbying and discussion in the Western Australian Parliament to get enabling acts. The final section was approved in 1920[1] and completed in 1925.[2]
After completion it became known as the Miling branch, following final expansion north to Miling, and the closing of the Clackline to Newcastle (Toodyay) section.
Clackline to Newcastle (Toodyay) (now closed)
The railway line to connect Newcastle to the eastern railway was considered to be best started from Clackline, rather than Northam.[3][4] The original terminus of the line in the 1890s was a platform, it was later that the second stopping place properly known as Toodyay railway station was completed after the extension to Newcastle-Bolgart Railway was completed.
Following the construction of the standard gauge railway through the Avon valley in the 1960s, the connection with Clackline was no longer needed, and was closed with other former eastern railway connections in February 1966.
In the 1960s the railway line from Toodyay to Miling was altered by the construction of the Eastern Railway through the Avon Valley, through Toodyay and a connection with Northam.[7]
Tier system
The fate of the railway has been put in question due to the separation of wheatbelt railway lines being designated into specific tiers.[8][9]
Stages of opening
The railway line was developed over time, the construction taking fifteen years to travel over 100km.[10]
Clackline – Newcastle January 1888 23.1km
Newcastle – Bolgart December 1909 37.0km
Bolgart – Calingiri May 1917 23.2km
Calingiri – Piawaning June 1919 30.4km
Piawanning – Miling August 1925 43.8km
Stopping places
Names used as found in WAGR Annual reports in the 1950s
↑ January 1888 to February 1966 – page 67 Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN978-0-909650-49-0
↑ Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN978-0-909650-49-0
↑ The specific start locations of the connections in the Toodyay area changed with the Standard Gauge development, with Quinland and Newland identifying a location called Point Y – 1 km from Toodyay West – Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN978-0-909650-49-0
Toodyay, known as Newcastle between 1860 and 1910, is a town on the Avon River in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 85 kilometres (53 mi) north-east of Perth. The first European settlement occurred in the area in 1836. After flooding in the 1850s, the townsite was moved to its current location in the 1860s. It is connected by railway and road to Perth. During the 1860s, it was home to bushranger Moondyne Joe.
Southern Cross is a town in Western Australia, 371 kilometres east of state capital Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. It was founded in 1888 after gold prospectors Richard Greaves and Ted Paine during their October 1887 expedition successfully found gold, and gazetted in 1890. It is the major town and administrative centre of the Shire of Yilgarn. At the 2016 census, Southern Cross had a population of 680.
Bolgart is a townsite north of Toodyay in Western Australia. It is in the Shire of Victoria Plains.
Yerecoin is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, in the Shire of Victoria Plains,156 kilometres (97 mi) north-northeast of the state capital, Perth.
The Eastern Goldfields Railway, historically also referred to as the Fremantle-Kalgoorlie Railway, was built in the 1890s by the Western Australian Government Railways to connect Perth with the Eastern Goldfields at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.
Bellevue railway station was a junction station on the Eastern Railway in the Perth suburb of Bellevue.
Clackline is a locality in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) east-north-east of Perth.
The Kep Track is a bicycle, walking and horse track in the Darling Range and further east in Western Australia.
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Western Australian Government Railways railway system during its peak operational time in the 1930s to 1950s was a large system of over 6,400 kilometres (4,000 mi) of railway line.
The Nannup Branch Railway, also known as the Wonnerup to Nannup Railway, was a branch line of the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between Wonnerup and Nannup.
The Newcastle–Bolgart Railway was the second stage of the Clackline–Miling railway. It was opened on 6 December 1909 by the Western Australian Premier Newton Moore. The line ran between Newcastle and Bolgart, Western Australia. The line came about after community support rallied against the Government, who were seen as not approving the rail to reduce the value of the Midland Railway Company land holdings. At a meeting on 6 November 1906 local MLA Timothy Quinlan then Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly threatened to resign from the government and join the opposition. The meeting proposed that Quinlan should meet with Moore and obtain a definitive answer as to whether he would include the line on the schedule of proposed railways.
West Toodyay was the original location of the town of Toodyay, Western Australia. It is situated in the Toodyay valley, 85 kilometres (53 mi) north east of Perth. The Toodyay valley, discovered by Ensign Robert Dale in 1831, was opened up for settlement in 1836. The original site for the town of Toodyay was determined in 1836 and its boundaries were finalized 1838. The first survey of the town was carried out in 1849. After several serious floods, the decision was made to move the town of Toodyay to higher ground. In 1860, the new town of Newcastle was established 3 miles (4.8 km) further upstream. Newcastle was renamed in 1910 to Toodyay, and the original site became known as West Toodyay.
The Yinkanie railway line was a 50.6 kilometres (31.4 mi) railway line on the South Australian Railways network. Named the Wanbi to Moorook Railway in its enabling Act, it never reached its intended destination on the River Murray. The railway ran from a junction with the Barmera line at Wanbi northwards to Yinkanie, opening on 7 September 1925 and closing on 1 May 1971.
The Waikerie railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network.
Toodyay railway station is located on the Eastern Railway in the Avon River town of Toodyay in Western Australia.
Northam railway station is located in Northam on the Eastern Railway route in Western Australia. It is the second and more recent railway station in Northam.
The Midland railway line historically ran from Midland Junction to Walkaway in Western Australia. Built by the Midland Railway of Western Australia, the 446 kilometre line opened in November 1894.
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