Hunter River Railway Company

Hunter River Railway Company
Company type	Public company
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	20 April 1853
Defunct	23 April 1855
Fate	Bought by the Government of New South Wales
Successor	New South Wales Government Railways
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Area served	Hunter Valley

Last updated August 12, 2024

The Hunter River Railway Company was formed in 1853 to develop a railway from Newcastle to Maitland in New South Wales, Australia. When the company faced financial difficulties during construction, it was bought by the Government of New South Wales and the line subsequently opened in 1857. The line devised by the company is the oldest section of what became the Great Northern Railway from Sydney to Wallangarra on the Queensland border.

History

Foundation

On 20 April 1853, a public meeting was held at the Royal Hotel in Sydney to discuss the creation of a company for the development of a railway between Newcastle and Maitland.^[1] The meeting was chaired by the statesman William Wentworth. Among the political figures in attendance were Legislative Council speaker Sir Charles Nicholson, future premier Charles Cowper and Legislative Council members W. Bradley, T.W. Smart, Captain King RN and Dr. Douglas. Also attending were commercial figures Captain W. Russell, J. Gilchrist, T. Holt, J. B. Darvall, T.S. Mort, J.E. Ebsworth, C. Kemp, S.D. Gordon, David Jones, Dr Mitchell, John Croft and J.F. Josephson, and others.^[2] The Sydney Morning Herald summarised the meeting's opening as such:^[1]

The chair was taken by Mr William Charles Wentworth, M.L.C., and the meeting was attended by a large number of the leading men of the colony. Intimately acquainted with the district and its resources, the honourable and learned member described, in his usual lucid manner, the favourable results of the careful surveys which had been made; the trifling nature of the engineering difficulties, even if the line were afterwards extended to Scone, to the North, and Sydney to the South; and last, but not least, he reminded the meeting of the well-known fact that the county of Durham, and the Hunter River district generally, were the most productive localities in the colony.

The attendees resolved to seek land grants for terminals and stations, and capital funding, from the Government. An Act of the Legislative Council granting the Company authority to build a railway "in or near Newcastle terminating in or near East Maitland or West Maitland and beyond" received royal assent on 18 October 1853.^[3] The company was based in Sydney. It held its first general meeting of shareholders on 8 November 1853.^[2] The first meeting of directors was held on 11 November, electing Charles Kemp as chairman.^[3]

Construction

A Mr Lundie who had surveyed the route ten years prior devised plans which were purchased and used by the company. Chief engineer James Wallace of the Sydney Railway Company was attained as consultant engineer. A surveyor and a resident engineer were also appointed. The appointments took place during the directors' meeting on 11 November.^[2]^[3]

The ex-Southampton ship Ellenborough arrived on 31 October 1853 with a hundred labourers contracted by the railway, as well as construction materials and tools. There were arrangements for 500 labourers to be procured for construction. A tender for the construction of a line from Merewether Street in Newcastle to Hexham was accepted. The company chairman, Charles Kemp, turned the first sod on the project on 8 November 1854.^[2]^[3]

Dissolution and sale

A meeting of shareholders in early January 1855 determined "That it is expedient to dissolve the railway company, and to sell and dispose of the railways, and all other property, works, and effects, belonging to the company, to her Majesty's Government."^[4] The company was sold to the New South Wales Government on 23 April 1855. A circular republished by the Maitland Mercury the prior month stated that:^[2]

Every year will add to the length of its line, and as it is contemplated by the Hunter River Railway Company to run the line to the utmost extent of the northern districts, to New England, it will add to the means of our shipping the whole of the pastoral produce at our port.

The line was opened on 30 March 1857 by Governor Denison.^[5]^[6] The initial terminus was on the site of what is now Victoria Street station.^[7]

Legacy

The line devised by the Hunter River Railway Company is the oldest section of what became the Great Northern Railway, or Main North line, which at its maximum extent ran from Sydney to Queensland, terminating at Wallangarra.^[6] Passenger and goods trains continue to run on the line as far as Armidale.^[8]

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 "SYDNEY RAILWAY COMPANY". South Australian Register. 1853-06-21. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
1 2 3 4 5 Henderson, Lawrence. "Hunter River Railway Company 1853–1855". Maitland and District Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
1 2 3 4 "Hunter River Railway Company". Museums of History NSW. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
↑ "Sydney News". Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 1855-01-06. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
↑ Miller, Stephen (2018-08-03). "THE HISTORY OF RAIL SERVICES IN THE HUNTER VALLEY". Hunter Living Histories. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
1 2 "THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY" (PDF). Engineers Australia. December 2006. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
↑ "Victoria Street Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01277. Retrieved 5 August 2024. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
↑ Bozier, Rolfe. "Main North Line". NSWrail. Retrieved 2024-07-07.

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[:0-1] 1 2 "SYDNEY RAILWAY COMPANY". South Australian Register. 1853-06-21. Retrieved 2024-07-06.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 4 5 Henderson, Lawrence. "Hunter River Railway Company 1853–1855". Maitland and District Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-07-06.

[:2-3] 1 2 3 4 "Hunter River Railway Company". Museums of History NSW. Retrieved 2024-07-07.

[4] "Sydney News". Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 1855-01-06. Retrieved 2024-07-07.

[5] Miller, Stephen (2018-08-03). "THE HISTORY OF RAIL SERVICES IN THE HUNTER VALLEY". Hunter Living Histories. Retrieved 2024-07-06.

[:3-6] 1 2 "THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY" (PDF). Engineers Australia. December 2006. Retrieved 7 July 2024.

[nswshr-1277-7] "Victoria Street Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01277. Retrieved 5 August 2024. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .

[8] Bozier, Rolfe. "Main North Line". NSWrail. Retrieved 2024-07-07.

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