 Great Southern Railway of Western Australia (1894) | |||
| Overview | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Main state(s) | Western Australia | ||
| Dates of operation | 1886–1896 | ||
| Successor | Western Australian Government Railways | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | ||
| |||
The Great Southern Railway was a railway company that operated from Beverley to Albany in Western Australia between 1886 and 1896. In 1896 the Western Australian Government Railways took over the company, and kept the name for the route. [1] [2]
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The Great Southern Railway project was directly tied in with developments of lands related to agriculture. [3] [4] [5]
The Beverley-Albany Railway Act 1884, an act by the Western Australian Legislative Council and the Governor of Western Australia, assented to on 13 September 1884, authorised the construction of the railway line from Beverley to Albany. [6]
The first sods for the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge railway were turned on 20 October 1886. This occurred simultaneously at Beverley and Albany by Lady Broome and the Governor Sir Frederick Broome respectively. The final spike was driven on 14 February 1889, 122 miles (196 km) north of Albany. The official opening of the line was on 1 June 1889. [7]
The construction of the railway was significant for the development of economic activity in the region and led to the establishment of grain and sheep grazing, along with the development of towns such as Katanning, Broomehill, Tambellup, Cranbrook, Mount Barker and Woodanilling.
There was some initial debate over where the railway line should be placed. In the end, the link was made from an existing line ending at Beverley because it was the cheapest option. This devastated residents of the town of Kojonup, who initially hoped the line would pass through their town and follow the Albany Highway.
Steam locomotives were withdrawn from mainline work in Western Australia in 1971 –the process of removing steam from the Great Southern line had serious economic effects upon the towns of Narrogin and Katanning where extensive barracks and services relative to steam operations were closed down after this date. [8]
Currently the line is managed by Arc Infrastructure. The majority of movements are CBH grain trains out of the Albany and Wagin depots. Aurizon currently operates a woodchip train between Albany and Redmond.
Katanning is a town located 277 kilometres (172 mi) south-east of Perth, Western Australia on the Great Southern Highway. At the census of 2021 the population was 4,057. At the 2016 census, Katanning had a population of 3,687.
Spencers Brook is a waterway, locality and a district located within the Avon Valley in Western Australia.
Great Southern Highway is a highway in the southern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, starting from Great Eastern Highway at The Lakes, 50 km (31 mi) from Perth, and ending at Albany Highway near Cranbrook. It is the primary thoroughfare for this part of Western Australia and runs parallel with the Perth–Albany railway for its entire length. It is signed as State Route 120 from York to Cranbrook, and was first named in 1949, although it was built well before that time.
The Eastern Railway is the main railway route between Fremantle and Northam in Western Australia. It opened in stages between 1881 and 1893. The line continues east to Kalgoorlie as the Eastern Goldfields Railway.
Elleker is a small town and locality of the City of Albany in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. It is located approximately about 16 kilometres (10 mi) west of the regional city of Albany. It is situated along the Lower Denmark Road; the main tourist route from Albany to Denmark.
Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the state owned operator of railways in the state of Western Australia between October 1890 and June 2003. Owned by the state government, it was renamed a number of times to reflect extra responsibility for tram and ferry operations that it assumed and later relinquished. Westrail was the trading name of the WAGR from September 1975 until December 2000, when the WAGR's freight division and the Westrail brand were privatised. Its remaining passenger operations were transferred to the Public Transport Authority in July 2003.
Beverley is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 133 kilometres (83 mi) south-east of the state capital, Perth, between York and Brookton on the Great Southern Highway. It is on the Great Southern railway line.
The Midland Railway of Western Australia (MRWA) was a railway company that built and operated the Midland line in Western Australia. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Although having its headquarters in London, it had no association with the English Midland Railway.
Broomehill is a town on the Great Southern Highway between Katanning and Albany, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Its local government area is the Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup. While the townsite's name is Broomehill, the locality's official name is Broomehill Village, to differentiate it from the surrounding localities of Broomehill East and Broomehill West. Townsite and locality share identical borders..
Frederick Henry Piesse, CMG was a farmer, businessman and politician who is credited with much of the early development of the region around Katanning, Western Australia.
Railways in Western Australia were developed in the 19th century both by the Government of Western Australia and a number of private companies. Today passenger rail services are controlled by the Public Transport Authority through Transperth, which operates public transport in Perth, and Transwa, which operates country passenger services. Journey Beyond operates the Indian Pacific.
Moorumbine, also spelt Mourambine, is a small town located between Brookton and Pingelly in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
The WAGR S class was a two-member class of 0-6-0WT tank locomotives operated by the Great Southern Railway (GSR) and later Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR).
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.
York railway station is a disused station on the Eastern Railway in Western Australia. It is located in the town of York.
The York–Bruce Rock railway line is a closed railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia running from York to Bruce Rock.
The Donnybrook–Katanning railway was a railway line in the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia, between Donnybrook and Katanning.
The Katanning to Pingrup railway line was a state government-owned and WAGR-operated railway line connecting Katanning to Pingrup via Nyabing in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The railway line was 95 kilometres (59 mi) long. At its western end, at Katanning, it connected to the Great Southern Railway. At Katanning, it also connected to the Donnybrook–Katanning railway, which closed in 1982.
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Media related to Great Southern Railway (Western Australia) at Wikimedia Commons
| Main lines | |
|---|---|
| Goldfields–Esperance | |
| Great Southern | |
| Mid West | |
| Peel | |
| Pilbara | |
| Perth | |
| South West | |
| Wheatbelt |
|
| Tourist and heritage railways | |
| Timber railway lines | |
| Trams and tramways | |
| Approved by Parliament but not constructed | |
^† Denotes railway is closed, partially closed or has been removedSee also: Agricultural railways ♦ Wheatbelt railways | |
