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Mullewa–Meekatharra railway

(Redirected from Mullewa – Meekatharra railway)

The Mullewa–Meekatharra railway was a section of the Northern Railway in Western Australia.

Mullewa–Meekatharra railway
Abandoned section of the former railway line east of Mullewa
Overview
StatusClosed
LocaleMid West, Western Australia
Termini
History
Commenced1895
Opened11 August 1910 (1910-08-11)
Closed29 April 1978 (1978-04-29)
Technical
Line length433 km (269 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map

Legend
Geraldton-Mullewa-Avon Yard railway line
0
 Mullewa
Mullewa–Meekatharra railway
15
 Beatty
30
 Pindar
80
 Wurarga
102
 Wolla Wolla
No. 2 Rabbit-proof fence
120
 Yalgoo
146
 Wagga Wagga
168
 Edah
190
 Munbinia
206
 Coongoo
216
 Yoweragabbie
230
 Genga
243
 Mount Magnet
Sandstone branch line
281
 Warrambu
313
 Paynesville
No. 1 Rabbit-proof fence
348
 Anketell
393
 Sandstone
254
 Lennonville
268
 Merroe
281
 Moyagee
293
 Austin
313
 Day Dawn
318
 Cue
Big Bell branch line
No. 2 Rabbit-proof fence
346
 Big Bell
339
 Nallan
357
 Tuckanarra
373
 Stake Well
395
 Nannine
No. 2 Rabbit-proof fence
421
 Yaloginda
434
 Meekatharra
Meekatharra–Wiluna railway
457
 Gnaweeda
478
 Richardson
541
 Paroo
No. 1 Rabbit-proof fence
610
 Wiluna
This diagram:

History

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The Mullewa-Cue Railway Act 1894, an act by the Parliament of Western Australia assented to on 23 November 1894, authorised the construction of the railway line from Mullewa to Cue.[1]

The contract to construct the first section of the railway line from Mullewa to Cue was awarded to Baxter & Prince on 16 December 1895, with the line officially opened on 1 July 1898.[2]

The Cue-Nannine Railway Act 1896, assented to on 27 October 1896, authorised the construction of the railway line extension from Cue to Nannine.[3] The second section from Cue to Nannine was awarded on 22 April 1901, now to the Western Australian Public Works Department (PWD). The line was officially opened on 1 June 1903.[2]

The Nannine-Meekatharra Railway Act 1909, assented to on 6 February 1909, authorised the construction of the railway line extension from Nannine to Meekatharra.[4] The contract for the final section from Nannine to Meekatharra was awarded on 29 October 1909, now to Smith & Timms. This section was opened on 11 August 1910.[2]

Branch lines

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The Mount Magnet to Sandstone was a branch railway that connected with the Mullewa to Meekatharra railway line at Mount Magnet.[5] The Mt. Magnet-Black Range Railway Act 1907, assented to on 20 December 1907, authorised the construction of the railway line,[6] while the Railway (Mt.Magnet-Black Range) Discontinuance Act 1948, assented to on 21 January 1949, permitted its discontinuation. More specifically, the act permitted the removal of the line to be used for the construction or maintenance of other railway lines in the state, or to be sold by the ministry of railways.[7]

The Meekatharra-Horseshoe Railway Act 1920, assented to on 31 December 1920, authorised the construction of the railway line from Meekatharra to the Horseshoe mine, north-west of Peak Hill.[8] The private 85 miles (137 km)-long railway was short-lived, existing from 1927 until 1933, when the company mining manganese went into receivership.[9][10]

The Meekatharra to Wiluna railway was an extension of the line in operation between 1932 and 1957. Constructed of this extension was authorised through the Meekatharra-Wiluna Railway Act 1927, which was assented to on 23 December 1927.[11]

The Cue to Big Bell branch railway line[12] was authorised for construction through the Cue-Big Bell Railway Act 1936, assented to on 3 November 1936. Prior to this, on 5 March 1936, the Western Australian government had entered an agreement with the American Smelting and Refining Company to build the railway to Big Bell.[13]

As part of the Northern Line

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See also: Northern Railway (Western Australia) § Northern Railway

The Mullewa station was connected to both Geraldton and to Perth, and Meekatharra was not the final location of the line, but Wiluna – further east.

Conditions

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The Mullewa to Meekatharra line was regularly affected by washaways during wet weather.[14][15]

Closure

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The Mullewa to Meekatharra line was closed on 1 May 1978.[16]

The Railways Discontinuance Act 1980, assented to on 15 October 1980, authorised he discontinuance of the railway line from Pindar to Meekatharra.[17]

Sections

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Mullewa to Meekatharra line sections:[18]

  • Mullewa, opened 1894 –
  • Mullewa – Pindar – opened 1 July 1898 – closed November 1996
  • Pindar – Cue – opened 1 July 1898[19] – closed 29 April 1978
    Mount Magnet – junction with Sandstone Branch Railway – 1 August 1910 – closed 28 May 1949
  • Cue – Nannine – opened 1 June 1903 – closed 29 April 1978
    Cue – branch line to Big Bell, Western Australia – opened 2 August 1938[20]– closed 1 January 1956
  • Nannine – Meekatharra – opened 11 August 1910 – closed 29 April 1978
  • Meekatharra – continued to Wiluna Branch Railway – opened 2 November 1932 – closed 5 August 1957

Legacy

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The state heritage listed iron water tank at Yalgoo

While all other trace of the former railway has disappeared from contemporary Western Australian railway maps, the 30 kilometres (19 mi) section from Mullewa to Pindar is designated as "Not in use" on the Public Transport Authority and Arc Infrastructure and maps.[21][22]

A number of buildings and installations associated with the railway line continue to exist and are heritage listed.

The Mullewa railway station group is on the Western Australian State Register of Heritage Places, consisting of the station, goods shed and water tank. The station was completed in 1915 and remained operational until 1974.[23]

Further east along the line, at Yalgoo, the railway station group is also on the State Register of Heritage Places. It consists of two water tanks, a station and a hotel.[24]

At Mount Magnet, the railway station and platform, railway dam, railway bridge and the railway workers houses are on the Shire of Mount Magnet heritage list.[25]

In the town of Cue, the railway station is also on the State Register of Heritage Places, which also includes workers cottages, the loading ramp and the station master's house.[26]

At Meekatharra, the railway buildings, consisting of the station, a goods shed and a station masters house are on the Shire of Meekatharra heritage list.[27] Meekatharra's rail infrastructure was actually enlarged after the line to Wiluna closed in 1957 as it became an important hub for transporting equipment for the developing iron ore mines in the Pilbara. This only changed with the roads in the region improving in the 1970s, which moved transport from the rail to the road.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mullewa-Cue Railway Act 1894". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 23 November 1894. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Opening dates for sections from 12. Construction of the W.A. Government Railways network, 1879 - 1931, pages 208-210 Gunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff; Rail Heritage WA; Gunzburg, Adrian (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
  3. ^ "Cue-Nannine Railway Act 1896". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 27 October 1896. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Nannine-Meekatharra Railway Act 1909". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 6 February 1909. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Sandstone Railway". Geraldton Guardian and Express. WA. 22 July 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Mt. Magnet-Black Range Railway Act 1907". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 23 December 1927. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Railway (Mt.Magnet-Black Range) Discontinuance Act 1948". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 21 January 1949. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Meekatharra-Horseshoe Railway Act 1920". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 31 December 1920. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Peak Hill". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Horseshoe Manganese Deposits - Building the new railway", Geraldton Guardian, 16 June 1927, retrieved 31 July 2024
  11. ^ "Meekatharra-Wiluna Railway Act 1927". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 23 December 1927. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Big Bell Railway". The West Australian. Perth. 21 December 1936. p. 18. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Cue-Big Bell Railway Act 1936". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 3 November 1936. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  14. ^ "STATE PARLIAMENT". The West Australian. Perth. 30 May 1918. p. 8. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "RAILWAY WASHAWAY". Daily News. Perth. 1 February 1928. p. 6 Edition: HOME (FINAL) EDITION. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ Western Australian Railways Institute (1977), RIM, The Institute, retrieved 25 July 2012 – May 1978 – front page The Last Farewell – Mullewa Meekatharra line closes, photos front cover and page 7 – including XA 1405 at head of final train
  17. ^ "Railways Discontinuance Act 1980". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 15 October 1980. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  18. ^ details from page 69 Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
  19. ^ date identified with photo differently HRRC (1897), Opening of the Cue-Mullewa Railway at Cue, 20 April 1897, retrieved 29 July 2024
  20. ^ date identified with article different "THE BIG BELL". Murchison Times And Cue-big Bell-reedy Advocate. Vol. 43, no. 508. Western Australia. 18 September 1937. p. 2. Retrieved 29 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Arc Map Network" (PDF). Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Shire of Mount Magnet Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Yalgoo Railway Station Group". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Shire of Mount Magnet Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Cue Railway Station (former)". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Shire of Meekatharra Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  28. ^ "Railway buildings". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.

Further reading

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  • Affleck, Fred (1978). On Track: The Making of Westrail, 1950–1976. Perth: Westrail. ISBN 0724475605. OCLC 6489347.
  • May, Andrew S; Gray, Bill (2006). A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Midland, WA: Bill Gray. ISBN 0646459023.
  • Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R. Australian Railway Routes 1854–2000 2000. ISBN 0-909650-49-7
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