Agricultural railways of Western Australia

The agricultural railways in Western Australia were a system of railway lines that were built after the Western Australian 1905 Royal Commission on Immigration, which stated the need for a policy that "all considerable areas of agricultural land must have a 15 mile rail service."^[1] The lines were designed and constructed by the Public Works Department, for the Western Australian Government Railways.^[2] The railways were identified in the early 1900s as specifically light with 40 lb rails,^[3] and required for the agricultural region.^[4] The Railway Advisory Board of Western Australia was the administrative body that considered the viability of the proposed lines.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Royal commissions

The Western Australian 1947 Royal Commission into the Management Workings and Control of the Western Australian Government Railways^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11] also placed these railway lines and their construction into context:

In order to carry out the wishes of the Government to construct railway in agricultural areas as cheaply as possible, lines were built with 45 lb rail sections which practically followed the surface of the ground, with (a) earth ballasting (b) half round timber sleepers (c) providing the bare minimum station facilities.

The 1947 commission called these lines spur lines at time of construction, in distinction to loop lines, however the completion of most sections made most lines loop lines.

The 1947 royal commission report also made a distinction between Southern Agricultural Spur Lines, Northern Agricultural Spur Lines, and South West dairy and timber lines; these broadly relate to geographical regions.

In the 2000s the lines were collectively identified as Wheatbelt railway lines of Western Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Agricultural spur lines

In many cases of the lines listed here, specific sections of line are named, where they were later joined to complete a longer route. This list is comparable with the list of sections in the second edition of Rails through the Bush, by Gunzburg and Austin, that identifies the builder of the section, and contract and completion dates.^[12]

Line section	Length in miles	Agricultural area	Year opened
Narrogin–Darkan	50	Southern	1906
Wagin–Dumbleying	25	Southern	1907
Katanning–Kojonup	33	Southern	1907
Collie–Darkan	40	Southern	1907
Greenhills–Quairading	31	Southern	1908^[13]
Donnybrook–Noggerup	23	Southern	1908
Narrogin–Wickepin	26	Southern	1909
Noggerup–Boyup Brook	23	Southern	1909
Katanning–Nyabing	38	Southern	1912
Dumbleyung–Kukerin	24	Southern	1912
Boyup–Kojonup	51	Southern	1912
Tambellup–Gnowangerup	24	Southern	1912
Gnowangerup–Ongerup	35	Southern	1913
Quairading–Bruce Rock	49	Southern	1913^[13]
Merredin–Bruce Rock	31	Southern	1913
Wickepin–Corrigin	40	Southern	1914
Corrigin–Bruce Rock	37	Southern	1914
Yilliminning–Kondinin	73	Southern	1915
Brookton–Corrigin	56	Southern	1915
Kukerin–Lake Grace	24	Southern	1916
Wagin–Bokal	34	Southern	1917
Kondinin–Narambeen	32	Southern	1917
Bokal–Bowelling	28	Southern	1918
Nyabing–Pingrup	22	Southern	1923
Narrambeen–Merredin	54	Southern	1925
Lake Grace–Newdegate	39	Southern	1926
Dwarda–Narrogin	37	Southern	1926
Goomalling–Dowerin	15	Northern	1906
Toodyay–Bolgart	24	Northern	1910
Wokarina–Naraling	26	Northern	1910
Dowerin–Korrelocking	32	Northern	1911
Korrelocking–Kununoppin	28	Northern	1911
Goomalling–Wongan Hills	34	Northern	1911
Kununoppin–Merredin	37	Northern	1911
Southern Cross–Bullfinch	22	Northern	1911
Naraling–Yuna	12	Northern	1912
Northampton–Ajana	33	Northern	1913
Wongan Hills–Mullewa	198	Northern	1915
Wyalkatchem–Bencubbin	52	Northern	1917
Bolgart–Calingiri	15	Northern	1917
Calingiri–Piawaning	19	Northern	1919
Bencubbin–Kalkalling	32	Northern	1923
Piawaning–Miling	27	Northern	1925
Amery–Kalannie	61	Northern	1929
Burakin–Kulja	8	Northern	1929
Lake Brown–Bullfinch	50	Northern	1929
Kulja–Bonnie Rock	68	Northern	1931
Lake Grace–Hyden	58	Southern	1933

Notes

^ Western Australia. Royal Commission on Immigration (1905), Report of the Royal Commission on Immigration together with appendices and minutes of evidence, Govt. Printer, retrieved 3 July 2015
^ The WAGR did not have control over construction of its own railways until after the 1920s; see Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff; Rail Heritage WA; Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff (2008), Rails through the bush : timber and firewood tramways and railway contractors of Western Australia (2nd ed.), Rail Heritage WA, ISBN 978-0-9803922-2-7 in relation to the contractors, PWD and WAGR relationship.
^ "Western Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 22, 894. New South Wales, Australia. 30 May 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Western Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 21, 995. New South Wales, Australia. 15 July 1908. p. 9. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Agricultural Railways". The West Australian. Vol. XXVII, no. 7, 964. Western Australia. 9 October 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Kondinin Newdegate Railway". The Narrogin Observer. Vol. XVIII, no. 867. Western Australia. 1 December 1923. p. 6. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "WHEAT LANDS". The West Australian. Vol. XLI, no. 7, 239. Western Australia. 11 August 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Management, workings and control of the Western Australian Government Railways; Gibson, Alexander J; Du Plessis, D. H. C (1947), Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Western Australian Government Railways, Govt. Pr, retrieved 3 July 2015
^ "Railing at the Railways". Westralian Worker. Perth. 4 July 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 3 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Railways Report May Be Late". The Daily News (Home ed.). Perth. 28 November 1947. p. 9. Retrieved 3 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Business Job For Railways". The Daily News (City Final ed.). Perth. 12 December 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 3 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
^ The listing is found at pages 208–210 Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff (2008), Rails through the bush: timber and firewood tramways and railway contractors of Western Australia (2 ed.), Rail Heritage WA, ISBN 9780980392227
^ ^a ^b Tilley, Allan (1998). To Greenhills and Beyond. Greenwood: Rail Heritage Publications. pp. 35, 50. ISBN 0-646-36007-8.

[1] Western Australia. Royal Commission on Immigration (1905), Report of the Royal Commission on Immigration together with appendices and minutes of evidence, Govt. Printer, retrieved 3 July 2015

[2] The WAGR did not have control over construction of its own railways until after the 1920s; see Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff; Rail Heritage WA; Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff (2008), Rails through the bush : timber and firewood tramways and railway contractors of Western Australia (2nd ed.), Rail Heritage WA, ISBN 978-0-9803922-2-7 in relation to the contractors, PWD and WAGR relationship.

[3] "Western Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 22, 894. New South Wales, Australia. 30 May 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[4] "Western Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 21, 995. New South Wales, Australia. 15 July 1908. p. 9. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[5] "Agricultural Railways". The West Australian. Vol. XXVII, no. 7, 964. Western Australia. 9 October 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[6] "Kondinin Newdegate Railway". The Narrogin Observer. Vol. XVIII, no. 867. Western Australia. 1 December 1923. p. 6. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[7] "WHEAT LANDS". The West Australian. Vol. XLI, no. 7, 239. Western Australia. 11 August 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 14 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[8] Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Management, workings and control of the Western Australian Government Railways; Gibson, Alexander J; Du Plessis, D. H. C (1947), Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Western Australian Government Railways, Govt. Pr, retrieved 3 July 2015

[9] "Railing at the Railways". Westralian Worker. Perth. 4 July 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 3 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.

[10] "Railways Report May Be Late". The Daily News (Home ed.). Perth. 28 November 1947. p. 9. Retrieved 3 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.

[11] "Business Job For Railways". The Daily News (City Final ed.). Perth. 12 December 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 3 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.

[12] The listing is found at pages 208–210 Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff (2008), Rails through the bush: timber and firewood tramways and railway contractors of Western Australia (2 ed.), Rail Heritage WA, ISBN 9780980392227

[Greenhills-13] Tilley, Allan (1998). To Greenhills and Beyond. Greenwood: Rail Heritage Publications. pp. 35, 50. ISBN 0-646-36007-8.

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v t e Railway lines in Western Australia
Main lines	Eastern Goldfields Eastern Railway Great Southern Railway South Western Railway Trans-Australian Railway
Goldfields–Esperance	Hopetoun–Ravensthorpe^† Kalgoorlie–Esperance Kalgoorlie–Gnumballa Lake^† Kalgoorlie–Kanowna^† Kalgoorlie–Leonora Malcolm–Laverton^† Kambalda–Redmine
Great Southern	Donnybrook–Katanning^† Elleker–Nornalup^† Katanning–Pingrup^† Tambellup–Ongerup^†
Mid West	Avon Yard–Mullewa^† Cue–Big Bell^† Dongara–Eneabba^† Geraldton–Ajana^† Geraldton–Mullewa Karara Meekatharra-Horseshoe^† Meekatharra–Wiluna^† Millendon Junction–Narngulu Mullewa–Meekatharra^† Mount Magnet–Sandstone^† Upper Chapman Valley^†
Peel	Waroona–Lake Clifton Pinjarra–Narrogin^†
Pilbara	Fortescue Goldsworthy Hamersley & Robe River Marble Bar^† Mount Newman Roy Hill
Perth	Airport Armadale Belmont^† Ellenbrook Fremantle Kalamunda Kwinana freight Mandurah Midland (country) Midland (suburban) Mundaring Mundaring Weir Spearwood–Armadale^† Thornlie Upper Darling Range Yanchep
South West	Boyanup–Flinders Bay^† Brunswick Junction–Narrogin^† Donnybrook–Katanning^† Picton–Northcliffe^† Pinjarra–Narrogin^† Wonnerup–Nannup^†
Wheatbelt	Amery–Kalannie Avon Yard–Mullewa^† Brookton–Corrigin^† Brunswick Junction–Narrogin^† Burakin–Bonnie Rock^† Goomalling–West Merredin^† Lake Grace–Hyden Merredin–Narrogin^† Merredin–Yilliminning^† Pinjarra–Narrogin^† Toodyay West–Miling Wagin–Bowelling^† Wagin–Newdegate Wyalkatchem–Southern Cross^† York–Bruce Rock^†
Tourist and heritage railways	Bennett Brook Hotham Valley Oliver Hill
Timber railway lines	Ballaarat tramline Jarrahdale–Rockingham
Trams and tramways	Baldivis tramway Broome Tramway Carnarvon tram Trams in Fremantle Trams in Kalgoorlie Trams in Perth
Approved by Parliament but not constructed	Boyup Brook–Cranbrook Brookton–Dale River Manjimup–Mount Barker Southern Cross southwards Yarramony eastward Yuna-Dartmoor
^† Denotes railway is closed, partially closed or has been removed See also: Agricultural railways ♦ Wheatbelt railways

Agricultural railways of Western Australia

Royal commissions

Agricultural spur lines

See also

Notes