These are photos of 'main line' country NSW stations and locations from Dungog to Casino on the North Coast, Scone to Wallangarra on the North, Lithgow to Broken Hill on the West and Goulburn to Albury on the South. There is also some information about the construction of the rail line and towns/locations on each line. The information will be found under the relevant photo. This information was obtained from various sites on the internet using Google.com.au
CountryLink operates the majority of passenger trains through this area. GSR also operates 'The Indian Pacific'. These trains do not stop at every station or location. Use the above links to go directly to a particular line, or just keep scrolling down to look at all the lines. I do not have a photo of every location, but I'm working on it :-)
For photos of NSW 'branch line' stations and locations, please click here.
Above: Dungog, New South Wales. January 23, 2004.
It is believed that the Gringgai clan of the Wanaruah people occupied the area prior to European settlement. It is presumably from their language that we inherit the word 'Dungog' supposedly meaning 'place of thinly wooded hills'. The railway arrived in 1911. In 1972 the Dungog timber industry supplied timber for elements of the interior of the Sydney Opera House. Today the town's major industries are beef and dairy cattle, poultry, timber and tourism. Established originally in 1838 as a command post for militia commissioned to protect settlers and to hunt down bushrangers, Dungog’s prosperity has long been built on the quality of the local timber.
Above: Stroud Road, New South Wales. January 23, 2004.
The area was once occupied by the Gringgai clan of the Wanaruah Aboriginal people. Henry Dangar explored the Karuah Valley in 1826. Robert Dawson, soon followed and he recorded his first impressions of the countryside about present-day Stroud, describing it as 'beautiful and picturesque, consisting of low undulating hills...I thought at the time I had never beheld so sweet a spot'. Dawson named Stroud after the English town of the same name as the area evoked, for him, the countryside of Gloucestershire (hence the naming of Gloucester to the north). The railway arrived in 1913.
Above: Gloucester, New South Wales. January 23, 2004.
Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Kattang Aborigines. The first European known to have passed through the area was the explorer Henry Dangar in 1826. Hot on his heels was Robert Dawson, who named 'Gloucester' after the English town as the landscape reminded him of the terrain in Gloucestershire. The railway arrived in 1913, enhancing the town's role as a service centre to the surrounding area and precipitating a period of development.
Above: Wingham, New South Wales. January 23, 2004.
Wingham is the oldest town in the Manning Valley. Within the town, which functions as the district's commercial centre, are a horseshoe factory, a hydraulic engineering works, a sawmill and an abattoir. Prior to European occupation the area was occupied by the Kattang Aborigines.
Above: Taree, New South Wales. April 17, 2004.
Taree, located on the Manning River, is the major service centre of the Manning Valley. The name Taree is probably from the local Aboriginal word 'tareebit', which supposedly is the name for a local fig tree. The railway arrived in 1913.
Above: John's River, New South Wales. April 17, 2004.
Above: Eungai, New South Wales. April 17, 2004.
Above: Urunga, New South Wales. January 25, 2004.
The name Urunga is reputedly an Aboriginal word meaning 'long white sands'. Before European settlement the Urunga area was inhabited by the Kumbangerie (sometimes written 'Gumbaynggir) Aborigines.
Above: Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. January 25, 2004.
Coffs Harbour is one of NSW’s most popular tourist destinations. Families have been holidaying at Coffs Harbour since the 1880s. Captain John Korff, who ferried timber cutters to and from the forests, first appreciated the potential in the 1840s, and the area was named Korffs Harbour in 1847, which was changed to the anglicised Coffs Harbour in 1861. Over half of NSW’s bananas are grown in Coffs Harbour – the Big Banana is located here.
Above: Casino, New South Wales. April 18, 2004.
Casino is a pleasant country town on the Richmond River. It has a large number of interesting historic buildings. It is also a major service centre for the rich pasture lands that surround it. Prior to European settlement the Casino district was part of the lands inhabited by the Bundjalung Aborigines. Casino was named after a local property 'Cassino' that was named after the beautiful town of Monte Cassino in Italy. In 1855 the town was officially gazetted as Casino. Between the 1870s and the 1890s the town competed for importance with Lismore and by the 1890s Lismore was clearly the more important of the town centres. The Casino – Old Casino rail section was opened on November 6 1905, but by then the town had already positioned itself as a service centre for the surrounding rich agricultural lands. Today Casino calls itself 'The Beef Capital'. It has an official Beef Week that is held each May - the 'week' actually lasts for 12 days.
Above: Scone, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
Scone is an important stock-selling centre noted for its horse and cattle studs. It is known as 'The Horse Capital of Australia' and claims to be the second-largest horse breeding area in the world, after Kentucky in the United States. The railway arrived in 1871.
Above: Murrurundi, New South Wales. June 5, 2004.
It is from the Wanaruah place name 'Murrumdoorandi' that the town's name derives. Despite understandable local publicity which claims that it means 'nestled in a valley' it seems more likely that it refers to five unusual rock formations near Temple Court (four now remain) and may mean 'five fingers' or 'meeting place at the five fingers'. The railway arrived in 1872 and Murrurundi became an active and prosperous rail centre with a repair shop and barracks while the track to the north was under construction. The railway station was built in 1872 when the line arrived from Scone. Murrurundi was the terminus of the northern line until the Ardglen tunnel was built, allowing construction to extend northwards.
Above: Willow Tree, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
The township of Willow Tree is a service centre to the rural areas of Warrah and Mount Parry. This area is the country through which Sir Edward Parry travelled in 1832 when he came to look at land for the Australian Agricultural Company. Willow Tree stands on land resumed from the AA Company grant issued in 1833.The township developed with the advent of the railway line and from subdivisions of part of the great Warrah estate into small farms. Today it is a gateway village to the fertile Liverpool Plains.
Above: Quirindi, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
Quirindi is a service centre to the surrounding agricultural and pastoral area where crops such as sorghum, wheat, cotton, sunflowers, lucerne and corn are grown. Quirindi, which is derived from the Kamilaroi Aboriginal language, the most appropriate would have to be 'nest in the hills'. The Railway arrived in 1877.
Above: Werris Creek, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
The town developed when a camp of railway workers was set-up to build the northern line from Quirindi to Tamworth. The railway was officially opened to Werris Creek in 1878 and a station was built the following year. 'Werris' would appear to derive from an Aboriginal word first written 'Weia Weia', though its meaning is unclear. In the early days the creek was written in a variety of ways, including Werres, Werries and Weery's. When it was decided to build a branch line to Gunnedah (north-west) the town became a rail junction and a maintenance centre. A post office was established in 1877 and the railway was officially opened the following year. Even the coal mine, which commenced operations in 1925, revolved around the railways, being established to supply fuel for the steam engines although it was inevitably closed (in 1963) after diesel trains emerged.
Above: West Tamworth, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
Above: Tamworth, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
Prior to white settlement the Kamilaroi people who knew it as ‘Calala’, thought to mean ‘place of battle’, occupied the area. The town name comes from a town in Staffordshire, England, represented in the British parliament by Robert Peel. In 1878 the railway from Newcastle was extended to West Tamworth. Follow the riverbank in a north-westerly direction to the 48-metre lattice girder railway bridge, prefabricated in England and erected here in 1881-82. Once a common type it is one of only two such structures remaining on the northern rail. The 815-metre viaduct was originally built of wood which was replaced by steel from 1917-1929.
Above: Wagons stored at Nemingha, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
Above: Kootingal, New South Wales. June 5, 2004.
Above: Walcha Road, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
Walcha is a town of some 1800 people, located in a beautiful area 1067m above sea level on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range at the south eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands. It is essentially a service centre to the surrounding area which has traditionally been associated with sheep, wool and cattle, although timber and timber-processing have been of increasing importance to the local economy since World War II. A rail link opened to the west, at Walcha Road, in 1882.
Above: Uralla, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
Uralla calls itself ‘Thunderbolt Country’ and the town's chief claims to fame are the grave of notorious bushranger Thunderbolt (Fred Ward) and Thunderbolt Rock outside the town, a large granite outcrop that has unfortunately been covered by graffiti in recent times. The Anaiwan Aborigines occupied the area prior to the arrival of Europeans and it is from their language that the town's name derives. It is said to refer to a ceremonial meeting place and lookout, situated on the top of a hill - possibly a reference to the two hills at the town's northwestern boundary. The town was declared a municipality in 1882 when the railway arrived.
Above: Armidale, New South Wales. June 6, 2004.
The railway arrived in 1883. It is the major centre of the Northern Tablelands with a population of over 25 000. Situated a cool 980m above sea level, Armidale has the highest airport in Australia. The city, unlike most of Australia, has four distinct seasons. The justness of naming the district New England is particularly apt when the introduced birch, ash and poplar, which lend such a European feel to the city, set the town ablaze with red, gold and brown in autumn. Grazing and the production of high-grade fine wool are the major source of local income although dairying, timber processing and the production of potatoes and stone fruits are also important
Above: Lithgow, New South Wales. January 9, 2005.
The Wiradjuri tribe occupied the Lithgow area prior to white settlement. The valley was given its European name in 1827 by Hamilton Hume, in honour of William Lithgow, the auditor-general of the colony. Lithgow grew as a natural consequence of its mineral wealth. The railway provided a ready market for coal mined in the area and an available form of transport for manufactured products. The rail line from Sydney to Bathurst reached Lithgow in 1869. A critical factor in the construction of the line to Bathurst was the descent to the Lithgow Valley. It was eventually decided that a 'Zig-Zag' line would be constructed, where train progress down the escarpment by a forward and backward (zig-zag) movement by specifically arranged grades and bridges. One of the major limitations of the zig-zag system was that because the rail continually changed direction, the length of trains to use the line was limited. This limitation was to have long term implications in terms of the cost and viability of transporting goods from Lithgow and the surrounding district to coastal markets. As demand for rail transport increased and the engines grew larger, the Zig-Zag became inadequate. This led, in 1910, to the construction of ten tunnels to allow movement of trains from Mount Victoria to the valley below.
Above: The former site of Cooerwull. New South Wales. January 9, 2005.
Above: Bowenfels, New South Wales. November 13, 2004.
The small village of Bowenfels (named after Lieutenant George Bowen) forms an outer suburb of the City of Lithgow. The few remaining buildings, now bypassed by a busy highway, give little indication that this was in fact the birthplace of settlement in the valley, long before extensive beds of coal were discovered there. A report of the opening of the rail line stated simply: ‘the Railway was opened from Mount Victoria to Bowenfels on 18th October 1869 without public ceremony, Bowenfels being the first station in the valley’. The report went on to state that, as the sidings were not finished on that date, no goods trains could be accommodated until a month or so later. The quiet official opening of Bowenfels railway Station provided the impetus for the growth of Lithgow and all industrial development that followed. Despite such a low-key approach to the official opening, little effort or expense was spared on the construction of the railway buildings which survive today in the station and station master’s residence. Both were finely crafted in sandstone by the contractor, G. Watsford. The Bowenfels Railway station building was closed in 1974 and was tastefully restored by the Greater Lithgow Tourism Association to house the Lithgow Visitors Centre in 1994. There is now a new Visitor's Centre situated opposite Bowenfels Railway Station.
Above: The remains at Marrangaroo - the Gatekeepers Cottage and a carriage. New South Wales. February 12, 2005.
Above: Wallerawang, New South Wales. November 13, 2004.
'Wallerawang' derives from the language of the Wiradjuri Aborigines who occupied the area before white settlement. It is said to mean 'place near wood and water' or 'plenty of water'. The railway arrived at Wallerawang in 1870 and until the line to Bathurst was completed in 1876, all passengers alighted at Wallerawang and joined a Cobb & Co. coach for the journey west to Bathurst or north to Mudgee.
Above: Rydal, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Rydal was on the road built by Major Thomas Mitchell between Mount Victoria and Bathurst in the 1830s. The village was given the name Rydal in 1843 by Governor George Gipps in honour of the poet William Wordsworth who lived in the Village of Rydal in England. When the first train arrived at Rydal in 1870 the Sydney Morning Herald described the station as “a small building in the Gothic Style, very sightly in appearance and compactly arranged”. The only train to stop at Rydal these days is the Dubbo XPT. The station is unattended and the station building is now ‘boutique’ accommodation managed by ‘Rydal Mount Conference Centre Pty Ltd’.
Above: Tarana, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Above: Raglan, New South Wales. November 13, 2004.
The village of Raglan named in honour of Lord Raglan, one of the British Commanders in the Crimean War.
Above: Kelso, New South Wales. February 12, 2005.
Above: Bathurst, New South Wales. November 13, 2004.
Bathurst is Australia's oldest inland settlement. The area was discovered by William Evans in 1813. Governor Lachlan Macquarie selected a site for the town on the May 7th, 1815, with Bathurst being selected as the name after the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Bathurst. The railway arrived in 1876, opening up the Central West to the Sydney produce markets and proving a further boost to the town's fortunes as a provincial centre. Ben Chifley, the son of a blacksmith and the prime minister of Australia from 1945 to 1949, was born at Bathurst in 1885. He joined the NSW railways at 17 and, at 26, became the youngest locomotive driver in the state.
Above: Georges Plains, New South Wales. November 13, 2004.
Above: Tumulla, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Above: Newbridge, New South Wales. November 13, 2004.
The village of Newbridge developed around the railway line and a station, built in 1876. The station was called 'Back Creek' although the post office, which opened two months later, was called 'Duramana'. As there was another Duramana in existence, the name of the site was changed to Newbridge in 1878. This name may derive from a pedestrian overhead bridge built at the station or from Newbridge in Ireland, owing to the numbers of Irish settlers. The importance of the railway has always been emphases by the townsfolk with Newbridge winning a number of awards for one of the best presented stations in the State. The Queen's Royal Train stopped overnight at Newbridge during the Royal Visit of 1970.
Above: Blayney, New South Wales. November 13, 2004.
Prior to European settlement the area is thought to have been occupied by the Wiradjuri or Gundungura Aborigines. The first European to travel through what is now the Blayney Shire was surveyor George Evans, in 1815. The arrival of the railway in 1874 spurred on development and Blayney replaced Carcoar as the major service centre to local farmlands. It became a municipality in 1882. By the turn of the century a butter factory and freezing works were major employers in the town. An abattoir opened in 1957 and it was later supplemented with tanneries and a pet food plant. A container terminal and several mines provided further employment in the 1990s.
Above: Millthorpe, New South Wales. February 12, 2005.
The town of Milthorpe is based upon a land grant originally known as 'Grove Farm' which was made out to convict overseer Charles Booth in 1834. The area developed as a farming centre from 1840 to 1880 with orchards established in the 1860s. Local agriculture received a considerable boost from the arrival of the railway in the 1870s. A large flour mill was established in 1882. Consequently, in 1884 the town's name was changed from 'Spring Grove' to Millthorpe.
Above: Spring Hill, New South Wales. February 12, 2005.
Above: Orange East Fork, New South Wales. February 12, 2005.
Above: Orange, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
The area was occupied by Wiradjuri Aborigines prior to European settlement. The first European to ride through the present townsite was Lieutenant Percy Simpson who was heading towards Wellington in 1823. He was accompanied by Chief Constable John Blackman who gave his name to Blackmans Swamp which was what the settlement was called until the name 'Orange' began to appear on official documents in the late 1820s. The name change was a result of Major Mitchell who decided the town should be named after the Prince of Orange - Mitchell had fought with the Prince in the Peninsular War in Spain. On April 19th 1877, the Railway was officially opened in Orange.
Above: Borenore, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Borenore obtained its name from the Aboriginal language meaning 'Bora Rock'. Borenore was once part of Australia's first barrier reef. This has been identified by the fossils found in the limestone out crop situated at the Borenore Caves.
Above: Amaroo, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Above: Molong, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Molong is located within the rich agricultural shire of Cabonne. Fine wool, wheat, orchards, vineyards, beef cattle and fat lambs are just some of the local produce. Prior to white settlement the Wiradjuri people inhabited the area. It is from their language that the town's name derives, said to mean 'place of many rocks'. The boom years of the 1870s and 1880s saw the development of the town which was further spurred on when it was announced, in 1881, that the railway would be extended to the town. Molong became the terminus of the main western line from Sydney from 1886-1893.
Above: Manildra, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Manildra lies on the banks of the Mandagery Creek and is home to the biggest Flour Mill in the southern hemisphere, the Manildra Flour Mill. The original Mill was moved from the village of Cargo in 1906 when rail came to Manildra. Today the modern feed mill runs 24 hours a day. Australia's oldest operating picture theatre is also in Manildra.
Above: Bumberry, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Above: Parkes, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
The first Europeans in the district were the exploratory party of John Oxley who passed by in 1817 on one of the first inland expeditions. The area was occupied by the Wiradjuri people who were encountered in 1835 when Thomas Mitchell's expedition camped just to the north of town. Then governor of NSW, Henry Parkes, visited what had become one of NSW's most profitable goldfields in 1873 and, at the end of the year, ‘Bushmans’ was renamed Parkes. Agricultural production expanded when the railway arrived in 1893 to the great economic benefit of the town - an effect enhanced when the line to Broken Hill was opened in 1927. When the standard-gauge rail system was completed in 1969 Parkes became the marshalling and dispersal terminal for eastern Australia. Parkes is home to one of the worlds most powerful telescopes and the Elvis festival every January.
Above: Goobang Jct, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Goobang (opening December 10th, 1912) is the Aboriginal word for ‘acacia tree’.
Above: Nelungaloo, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
An Aboriginal word for ‘lizard’ and the name of a local pastoral holding. It opened on May 28th 1916 and closed on November 23rd 1974.
Above: Gunningbland, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Named after the ‘Gunningbland Back’ pastoral run. It is also the name of a creek west of Bogan Gate and ranges through which the railway passed. It opened December 15th 1896 and closed to passengers April 26th 1976.
Above: Bogan Gate, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Named after the gate on the boundary fence between Burrawang and Gunningbland pastoral holdings. The gate gave access to the stock routes to the Bogan country further north. The word 'bogan' is Aboriginal for ‘birthplace of a notable headsman of the tribe’. It opened December 15th 1896 and a platform was opened on May 31st 1902. There is a Craft Shop in the old Railway Station which is open weekends & Public Holidays.
Above: Yarrabandai, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Opening as a siding on March 1st 1898 and with a platform on May 31st 1902, Yarrabandai was named after a pastoral holding of William Forlonge.
Above: Ootha, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Ootha, an Aboriginal word for ‘ear’, opened as Ringwood siding on November 17th 1899. A platform was opened on October 18th 1902 and was renamed to Ootha on January 15th 1910.
Above: Derriwong, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
An Aboriginal word for ‘place of the grey magpie’, was named after a local pastoral holding. It opened on March 1st 1898.
Above: Condobolin, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Prior to white occupation the area was inhabited by the Wiradjuri people. It is from their language that the town's name derives, said to mean 'hop bush', or 'hop brush'. The railway arrived in 1898 and Condobolin was the railhead for the central west until the line to Broken Hill was completed in 1927. “Condo” is located very close to the geographic centre of NSW. Wool, wheat, sheep, cattle, fruit and mixed farming are the economic mainstays of this red-soil plains district.
Above: Kiacatoo, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Opening on February 10th 1919 and closing to passengers on April 26th 1976, Kiacatoo is an Aboriginal word for ‘ a wooden spoon’.
Above: Euabalong West, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Euabalong West is situated 10km from Euabalong (probably named after an Aboriginal word) on the main railway line between Sydney and Broken Hill. The main industries for the population of approximately 70 people are cropping, grazing, railway and the Grain Corporation. It opened on February 10th 1919.
Above: Matakana, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opened February 10th 1919, named after the local parish and was probably an Aboriginal word.
Above: Roto, New South Wales. September 5, 2005.
Roto was once an important railway station/siding on the main east-west line from Sydney to Adelaide via Broken Hill. Running south from Roto is, the now abandoned Temora, Narrandera and Hillston railway. There was a small township situated at the rail junction, but the only remnants are derelict hall, a disused weighbridge and this abandoned water tank and tanker. Trains on the main line still pass through Roto but no longer stop. Roto opened on February 10th 1919 and closed in 1975.
Above: Trida, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opened February 10th 1919. It was the name of the parish and a leasehold property on which the station was built.
Above: Conoble, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opened on August 19th 1925 and closed on April 26th 1976. It reopened on August 17th 1976, and closed again on February 25th 1986.
Above: Ivanhoe, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Ivanhoe is a quiet, unassuming town characterised by a particularly wide main street. The town's name probably came from George Williamson (who purchased the first land in the area between 1869 and 1873) who named it after Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe. The arrival of the railway on August 19th 1925, and the completion of the line from Sydney to Broken Hill in 1927, was a definite boost to the town.
Above: Beilpajah, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opened on November 7th 1927 and closed on July 1st 1975. The construction name was Belpajerie. It is probably named after a pastoral holding.
Above: Darnick, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opening on November 7th 1927, it is named after a nearby parish.
Above: Manara, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
The county, parish and hills of the same name are about 53km. north-east of the station. Opened in September 1949 and closed on November 23rd 1974.
Above: Gum Lake, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opened as Telarno on November 7th 1927 and was renamed to Gum Lake in August 1939. Gum Lake is a dry salt lake about 8km north-east of the station.
Above: Kaleentha, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opened November 7th 1927.
Above: Menindee, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opened on July 15th 1919 from Broken Hill and on November 7th 1927 from Ivanhoe. The Aboriginal name for the area was ‘Mendie’ and by common usage the name was changed to Menindee, which means ‘yolk of an egg’. Menindee is surrounded by some 20 lakes fed by the Darling River. The lakes were previously an unreliable source of water, filling out during flood periods and disappearing when the river level dropped. As early as 1894 plans were put forward for conservation of the resource but a water storage scheme was not implemented until 1949 (completed in 1960). Lake Menindee, the largest, is 16 x 14 km in surface area. The purpose of the scheme is the provision of regulated flows for water supply and irrigation. A pipeline which runs from Menindee provides Broken Hill with a regular supply of water.
Above: Box Tank, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opening on July 15th 1919 and closing on November 23rd 1974, was an excavated water reservoir for locomotive purposes.
Above: Kinalung, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Opening as horse Lake on September 15th 1919, it was renamed to Kinalung on March 27th 1923, closing for passengers on November 23rd 1974. An Aboriginal word meaning ‘a star’.
Above: Broken Hill, New South Wales. September 6, 2005.
Mining has been a part of Broken Hill ('The Silver City') since 1883 when the first sign of wealth was discovered by Charles Rasp, who then set up the BHP mine with the Syndicate of Seven. The famous BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary) left Broken Hill in 1939 and since then a total of 14 different mining companies have made Broken Hill their home and their fortune. At its peak in 1952, the Broken Hill mining industry employed 6500 people along an ore body 7.5km long by 250cm wide. Many of the streets are named after metals, minerals and compounds, or after mine managers, leading citizens and civic leaders. One of the most striking aspects of the town, apart from the number of pubs, is the remarkable aridity of the region. The first Europeans to see the Barrier Range were Charles Sturt and party in 1844. Sturt was trying to determine the existence of an inland sea. Sturt referred to a 'broken hill' in his diary. He also named the Barrier Range as a result of the difficulties it presented to his progress. Sturt described the land as some of the most barren and desolate he had seen. The geographic isolation of the town was originally an added expense to the mine's transport costs. The South Australian government extended their line to the border but the NSW government refused to join it to the two nearby towns so the locals formed the Silverton Tramway Company and, in 1888, built a line to the South Australian border. It soon became the most prosperous private railway in Australia. A line from Sydney arrived in 1927. The two tracks were of different gauges and a transcontinental line from Sydney to Perth was not opened until 1970. The old sandstone railway station, at the corner of Blende and Bromide Streets, diagonally opposite the Tourist Information Centre, was built by the Silverton Tramway Company to replace the original iron and timber station (1888). The building is largely unaltered and has an attractive interior. Closed in 1970 it is now the Railway, Mineral and Train Museum. The line to Sydney opened July 15th 1919, and the new station was opened on June 4th 1957.
Above: Goulburn, New South Wales. February 2, 2004.
A rail link from Goulburn to Sydney was first proposed in 1846. The Sydney & Goulburn Railway Company started work 1850, but in 1854 it turned its interests over to the Government. The Railway arrived at Goulburn in 1869. The Railway Refreshment Room was opened in 1883. The Railway station (c.1875) and associated yards are not only one of the most important examples of architecture and industry of its time, but signify the importance of Goulburn in the state's economy.
Above: Gunning, New South Wales. August 5, 2004.
The Railway line was extended in 1875 from Goulburn to Gunning. The town of Gunning was planned in 1838. Sheep, fine wool, cattle, mixed farming and mining have supported the inhabitants since first settlement.
Above: Yass Junction, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
The name comes from an Aboriginal word which means ‘running water’. The town is best known for its superb fine wool. The Gunning to Yass Junction Railway was opened on July 3rd 1876.
Above: Bowning, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Bowing Railway station was built in 1876 and closed in 1992.
Above: Binalong, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Originally called Bennelong, the name was changed at the suggestion of local residents to Binalong, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘towards a high place’. The Railway station was built c.1883.
Above: Galong, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Above: Harden, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Locals rejoiced in the coming of the Sydney – Wagga Wagga Railway in 1877. Murrumburrah was to enjoy special importance as an engine changing point, with marshalling yards and workshops. When it was disclosed that the line would pass near the towns sloping, central area, the station would have to be built on an isolated stretch of flat land, almost 2 km’s away. Meanwhile, “Murrumburrah North” was a booming Railway settlement and stopover, with new hotels and shops being built close to the well appointed station. The main station was renamed Harden.
Above: Demondrille, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Above: Wallendbeen, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Above: Cootamundra, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
The birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman and home to the Cootamundra Wattle. The Railway reached “Coota” in 1877 and turned a mere village into a boom town. Branch lines, pushing south, as far as Gundagai in 1886 and west to Temora in 1893 confirmed Cootamundra’s place at the centre of an important grazing and crop growing district.
Above: Junee, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
It is widely accepted that 'Junee' is a Wiradjuri (Aboriginal) word meaning 'speak to me'. Initially known as Junee Junction, it was renamed 'Loftus' in 1883 after the current governor of NSW but was gazetted in 1885 as Junee. In 1878 the railway arrived, though it passed 6 km east of the established village to take advantage of the flatter ground. Junee’s elegant Railway station was built in 1881 in the French Renaissance style under the supervision of John Whitton, Chief Engineer of the NSW government railways, and features a cast-iron entrance verandah. After the opening of the branch line to Hay in 1881, Junee became an important Railway town. Repair facilities from Wagga Wagga moved to Junee in the 1880’s. The locomotive roundhouse contains a giant turntable and 42 repair bays. Construction of the Junee Roundhouse commenced in 1942 and was officially opened on Friday, September 29th 1947, although it had already been in service since January 1947.
Above: Harefield, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Above: Bomen, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Above: Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. August 4, 2004.
Wagga is an Aboriginal word for ‘crow’ and the repetition of the word is said to mean ‘place of many crows’. The Railway arrived in North Wagga in 1878 with a 2500m trestle built across the Murrumbidgee in 1879 to allow the line to continue to South Wagga. The longest railway trestle in NSW, it was extended in 1879 and renewed with steel in 1910. The Railway was extended to Albury in 1880.
Above: Uranquinty, New South Wales. August 3, 2004.
Above: The Rock, New South Wales. August 3, 2004.
Above: Yerong Creek, New South Wales. August 3, 2004.
Above: Henty, New South Wales. August 3, 2004.
Above: Culcairn, New South Wales. August 3, 2004.
Culcairn is named after a village in Scotland. The construction of the Sydney to Melbourne railway saw the town grow as a service centre for the most prosperous grazing and stud stock region in NSW. Early industry included chaff mills, a cereal grain company and a quarry.
Above: Gerogery, New South Wales. August 3, 2004.
Above: Albury, New South Wales. August 3, 2004.
Wodonga was connected to Melbourne by rail in 1873 and the track from Sydney arrived at Albury in 1881. A temporary wooden railway bridge joined the two in 1883. The two states had different railway gauges until 1962, when the first train ran straight through from Sydney to Melbourne. The states could not initially agree which should be the transfer point so they had an expensive and attractive 180m long iron lattice bridge sent from England, which accommodated both gauges. It is still standing. From 1886 passengers and freight had to change trains at Albury. The station had two clocks, one for Albury and one for Wodonga time as there was 25 minutes difference before Eastern Standard Time was instituted. Another major architectural feature of the town is the Italianate red-and-white brick railway station (1881). It has a 22m clock tower, original cedar joinery and a cast-iron platform with fluted columns. Albury has the longest covered platform in the southern hemisphere, the third-longest platform in Australia and the longest platform in NSW.
Page Created: 14/08/04 Last Updated: 05/07/06
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Anita Lukaszyk unless stated otherwise.
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