The Argus (Melbourne) Thursday 21 September, 1905.
TRANS-AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY
REMARKS BY LORD NORTHCOTE.
PERTH, Wednesday.— In proposing the
health of His Excellency the Governor-
General at Parliament-house this afternoon,
the Premier (Mr. Rason) said that up to
the present Western Australia was not
quite satisfied with the result of federation,
but that the people looked forward hopefully
to the future. At present, however, he would
be excused if he said that the other states of
the Commonwealth did not appear to have
recognised to the fullest possible extent what
the true federal spirit really meant. Western
Australia's experience of the federal spirit was
that it would hardly bear analysis up to date.
Lord Northcote, in responding to the
toast, said that if he was to judge from the
receptions which visitors from the eastern
states received in Western Australia he
could undertake to say that when the
trans-Australian railway was completed
they would cease to have the protection of
the Great Australian Bight. (Laughter.)
When the railway was completed, even the
hospitality of Western Australia would be
severely strained, owing to the influx of
visitors from the eastern states. Considering
the energy and enterprise which Western
Australia had shown in conquering so
many difficulties, the accomplishment of
the particular work which had been referred
to would not prove to be insuperable.
wikipedia:
The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie inWestern Australia. It includes a 478 kilometres (297 mi) stretch of dead-straight track, the world's longest, between the 797 km (495 mi) post west of Ooldea and the 1,275 km (792 mi) post west of Loongana.
In 1901, the six Australian colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia. At that time, Perth, the capital of Western Australia, was isolated from the remaining Australian States by thousands of miles of desert terrain and the only practicable method of transport was by sea, a time-consuming, inconvenient and often uncomfortable voyage across the Great Australian Bight, a stretch of water known for rough seas
In 1907 legislation was passed, allowing for the route to be surveyed. The survey was completed in 1909 and proposed a route from Port Augusta (the existing railhead at the head of Spencer Gulf in South Australia's wheatfields) via Tarcoolato the gold mining centre of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, a distance of 1063 miles (1711 km). The line was to be to the standard gauge of 4 ft 8
1⁄2 in(1,435 mm), even though the state railway systems at both ends were narrow gauge at the time. Its cost was estimated at £4,045,000.
Legislation authorising the construction was passed in December 1911 by the Andrew Fisher Government and work commenced in September 1912 in Port Augusta.
Work proceeded eastwards from Kalgoorlie and westwards from Port Augusta through the years of the First World War. By 1915, the two ends of the line were just over 600 miles (966 km) apart with materials being delivered daily.[9] Construction progressed steadily as the line was extended through dry and desolate regions until the two halves of the line met on 17 October 1917.
courtesy: https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/.../Trans_Australian_Railway_Nomination.pdf
When the Trans-Australian Railway joined eastern and western Australia in 1917 it provided a
physical link which was to be of major commercial and strategic importance and which improved
immeasurably the convenience and comfort of interstate travellers. The railway was also a symbol
to all Australians of the bonds which had bound the colonies together in Federation.
courtesy: https://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ahc/publications/linking-a.../chapter7
The peak of the coastal shipping industry was in 1913 and 1914, when vessels with a total capacity of over 20,000 passengers made regular sailings around the Australian coast. In 1913 no fewer than five new passenger liners were delivered. The ships could offer comfortable services, which were competitive with rail in speed and far more comfortable, provided the weather was good. Journey times between Melbourne and Sydney or Brisbane and Sydney were typically around 36 hours, or two nights and a day. By comparison, it took about 30 hours from Sydney to Brisbane by train at the time on the inland route via Wallangarra, and passengers had to change trains at dawn and travel in unheated carriages over Australia's highest railway summit, where winter night-time temperatures were generally well below freezing. The ship - with its hot water baths, fine restaurants with orchestras and spacious cabins in first class - was an excellent option compared with the train, and generally cheaper as well. Most ships ran a regular run from Brisbane to Fremantle, stopping at all the mainland capitals on the way. With so many vessels in the trade, there was a sailing most days.
While the ships were more comfortable than the trains, they were not as safe, especially in tropical waters. The north Queensland run was especially hazardous, where there was the combination of frequent cyclones, which often reduced visibility to zero, and poorly charted reefs. In 1911 and 1912 the Adelaide Steamship Company lost two large liners (the SS Yongala and SS Koombana), together with their entire crews, mail, and complements of passengers without trace in cyclones in northern waters.20 The southern runs were far safer, and it was here that most ships were concentrated. Even in temperate waters, though, there were hazards, especially at the Rip at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. Moreover, before the days of radio and radar, collisions could happen at any time, as for example when the North Coast Steam Navigation Company's little SS Helen Nicoll ran down the far larger Brisbane-bound passenger liner SS Keilawarra off Coffs Harbour in 1886 with the loss of 46 lives.
The West Australian (Perth) Saturday 2 May, 1903
THE TRANS-AUSTRALIAN:
RAILWAY.
- To the Editor -
Sir, is patriotism dead? Has sentiment
been dropped out of the vocabulary of the
citizens of the States forming the Australian
Commonwealth? It would appear so, judging
by the tone of the Press; almost without exception;
from Adelaide to Brisbane. The most brutally selfish,
parochial arguments are adduced to prove what? -
That to support the contemplated trans-Australian
railway might interfere with the proposed
line to Port Darwin; - that it would mean
a loss of trade to the Australian steam-
ship companies; that the three great
cities between the terminal points might
lose the chance of levying tribute upon:
travellers if there was a rail line constructed
from Fremantle to Brisbane; that it will never
pay that it will cost five millions sterling ; and
that the money cannot be obtained in the London
market.
The West Australian (Perth), Thursday 15 September, 1904.
TRANS-AUSTRALIAN
RAILWAY.
THE SURVEY.
FURTHER DISCUSSION IN HOUSE.
OF REPRESENTATIVES.
SPEECH BY MR. MAHON.
THE DANGER OF SECESSION.
Melbourne, September 14
To show that the Eastern States
had profited by the prosperity of Western
Australia, he would quote amounts
sent from Western. Australia to the
other States through the Post Office
from 1898 to 1903 (both years inclusive).
To South .Australia the amount
was £426,731; to Victoria;. £1,316,350;
to New South Wales, £491,511; to
Queensland, £68,904 and to Tasmania,
£96,033.
During Yongala's formative years in service the issue of the trans-Australian railway was a hot topic of discussion. Not only were there those opposed to the permanent link and federation, the shipowners who provided a service between Western Australia and the Southern States, felt under threat.
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| workers on trans-Australian railway - courtesy National Museum of Australia. |
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