| Morgan railway line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Railway over the Gawler River bridge near the beginning of the route (2012) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Dormant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Continues from | Gawler line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | South Australian Railways | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 129.0 km (80.2 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Morgan railway line or North-West Bend railway was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network.
The first section of the line opened from Gawler. It was built to service the copper mining at Kapunda, opened on 13 August 1860. [2] It was extended to Morgan on 23 September 1878 [3] to provide a more efficient freight and passenger connection between the Murray paddle steamers and both the city of Adelaide and Port Adelaide for ocean transport. [4] [5]
The Eudunda to Morgan section closed on 2 November 1969, and Morgan residents requested that the line was preserved to Mount Mary, though this was rejected, with the line being removed not long after. [6] In 1975, the remaining line to Eudunda and the Robertstown branch came under the ownership of Australian National as part of the SAR's sale to the Federal Government. The Kapunda to Eudunda section was closed on 11 March 1994 by AN, with the deterioration of the River Light bridge at Hansborough being cited as a reason for closure. [4] This section was pulled up the following year. The remaining Gawler to Kapunda section was leased by the South Australian Government to Australian Southern Railroad (later known as ORA) in 1997 as part of AN's SA freight asset sale to Genesee and Wyoming. The line's last documented use was on 21 May 2003 by Australian Railroad Group locomotive CK4, though grain services had ceased years before. [7] One Rail Australia continues to clear vegetation on the line to help meet the lease agreement with the SA Government, although the track itself has not been maintained since the last train passed.
The Kapunda railway was the first extension of the line from Adelaide to Gawler. It passed through Roseworthy from where the Peterborough line later branched. The line headed northeast from Roseworthy to reach Freeling, then the line crossed the River Light just south of Kapunda. The extension continued through Hansborough, running across the River Light once again and Pine Creek before reaching Hampden, then turning south and going through a steep descent into Eudunda. From there, the line curved northwards towards the junction for the Robertstown line, then heading west across the plains adjacent to what is now the Thiele Highway to Morgan. The Robertstown line branch opened in 1914 from Eudunda to Robertstown, passing through Point Pass along the way. [4] [8]
There were proposals to extend the line to connect to Wentworth, New South Wales, [9] and even to Hay to provide a more direct rail route to Sydney. [10]
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. All lines approach the station from the west, and it is a terminal station with no through lines, with most of the traffic on the metropolitan network either departing or terminating here. It has nine platforms, all using broad gauge track. It is located on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino occupies part of the building that is no longer required for railway use. Until 1984, Adelaide station was also the terminus for regional and interstate passenger trains, but there are no longer any regular regional train services in South Australia, and all interstate services are now handled at Adelaide Parklands Terminal.
Light Regional Council is a local government area north of Adelaide in South Australia. It is based in the town of Kapunda, and includes the towns of Freeling, Greenock, Hansborough, Hewett, Roseworthy and Wasleys.
The first railway in colonial South Australia was a line from the port of Goolwa on the River Murray to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot, which first operated in December 1853, before its completion in May 1854.
Roseworthy is a small town in South Australia, about 10 km north of Gawler on the Horrocks Highway. At the 2016 census, Roseworthy had a population of 994.
The Gawler railway line is a suburban commuter railway line in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the only rail route in Adelaide to have no interchange with another line at any station except Adelaide.
Eudunda is a rural town in South Australia, roughly 103 kilometres northeast of Adelaide, established in 1870 after settlers began moving into the area in the 1860s. As of the 2006 census, Eudunda had a population of 640.
The Barossa Light & Gawler Football Association, more commonly referred to as the BL&GFA, is an Australian rules football competition based in the Barossa Valley, Gawler Region and Light Region of South Australia, Australia. Just 42 kilometres north of the state capital of Adelaide, the BL&GFA is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League. In 2022, Nuriootpa secured the premiership cup for a record equalling eighth time. The current president of the League is Mick Brien and the major sponsor of the league is the Grant Burge Winery.
The Regional Council of Goyder is a local government area located in the Mid North region of South Australia. The council area is reliant on agriculture as a mainstay of its economy, with manufacturing and tourism also becoming prominent. The council seat lies at Burra, with a branch office situated at Eudunda.
Robertstown is a town in South Australia. The town is located 23 kilometres (14 mi) north of Eudunda, in the Regional Council of Goyder. At the 2021 census, Robertstown and the surrounding area had a population of 223. Robertstown is named for the John Roberts, the first postmaster in the area, who laid out the town in 1871. It was previously known as Emu Flats and Roberts Town.
Thiele Highway is a road in South Australia connecting the outskirts of Adelaide to the North west bend of the Murray River at Morgan, South Australia. It is named after author Colin Thiele who lived most of his life in towns along the route, and set some of his stories in the area.
Point Pass is a small town in the Mid North of South Australia, 120 kilometres North of Adelaide which is the capital city of South Australia. The town is located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of Eudunda, in the Regional Council of Goyder. At the 2006 census, Robertstown and the surrounding area had a population of 322.
Frederick Hansborough Dutton was a pastoralist and politician in the colony of South Australia.
The Roseworthy-Peterborough railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network. It extended from a junction at Roseworthy on the Morgan railway line through Hamley Bridge, Riverton, initially to Tarlee, then extended in stages to Peterborough.
The Robertstown railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network. It opened on 9 December 1914 from a junction with the Morgan line at Eudunda running 21.6 kilometres via Point Pass to Robertstown. The line was used by both passenger and freight trains, though the regular passenger service on the line was withdrawn on 23 September 1962. Grain trains serving the Robertstown silos were among the last traffic to use the line in its later years. Train Tour Promotions ran the last passenger train using locomotive 804 on 20 May 1989, with the last freight train being a grain train on 21 February 1990. The line formally closed on 25 September 1990. The line was lifted in the years following, with all stations on the line being demolished. The only significant railway remnants left are the former Robertstown station sign and the former goods crane. The goods crane has collapsed, though there are plans to restore it.
The District Council of Eudunda was a local government area in South Australia from 1932 to 1997. The central town and council seat was Eudunda. It was established on 12 May 1932 with the amalgamation of the District Council of Julia and the District Council of Neales. By 1936, it was divided up into four wards: Brownlow, Eudunda and Neales and Julia. It met at the District Hall at Eudunda, which had formerly been owned by the Neales council, until 1963. The council existed until 1997, when it amalgamated with the District Council of Burra Burra, the District Council of Hallett and the District Council of Robertstown to form the Regional Council of Goyder.
The District Council of Apoinga was a local government area in South Australia from 1873 to 1932.
The District Council of English was a local government area in South Australia from 1878 to 1932.
Robertstown was the terminus of the Robertstown railway line serving the South Australian Mid North town of Robertstown.
Point Pass was a station on the Robertstown railway line serving the South Australian Mid North town of Point Pass.
