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Great Southern Railway

Great Southern Railway of Western Australia (1894)
Overview
Main state(s)	Western Australia
Dates of operation	1886 (1886)–1896 (1896)
Successor	Western Australian Government Railways
Technical
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Route map

The Great Southern Railway was a railway company that operated from Beverley to Albany in Western Australia between 1886 and 1896. In 1896 the Western Australian Government Railways took over the company, and kept the name for the route.

Land development

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2014)

The Great Southern Railway project was directly tied in with developments of lands related to agriculture.

Construction

The Beverley-Albany Railway Act 1884, an act by the Western Australian Legislative Council and the Governor of Western Australia, assented to on 13 September 1884, authorised the construction of the railway line from Beverley to Albany.

The first sods for the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge railway were turned on 20 October 1886. This occurred simultaneously at Beverley and Albany by Lady Broome and the Governor Sir Frederick Broome respectively. The final spike was driven on 14 February 1889, 122 miles (196 km) north of Albany. The official opening of the line was on 1 June 1889.

The construction of the railway was significant for the development of economic activity in the region and led to the establishment of grain and sheep grazing, along with the development of towns such as Katanning, Broomehill, Tambellup, Cranbrook, Mount Barker and Woodanilling.

There was some initial debate over where the railway line should be placed. In the end, the link was made from an existing line ending at Beverley because it was the cheapest option. This devastated residents of the town of Kojonup, who initially hoped the line would pass through their town and follow the Albany Highway.

Conversion to diesel

Steam locomotives were withdrawn from mainline work in Western Australia in 1971 – the process of removing steam from the Great Southern line had serious economic effects upon the towns of Narrogin and Katanning where extensive barracks and services relative to steam operations were closed down after this date.

Present

Currently the line is managed by Arc Infrastructure. The majority of movements are CBH grain trains out of the Albany and Wagin depots. Aurizon currently operates a woodchip train between Albany and Redmond.

See also

• Midland Railway of Western Australia § Land development

References

• Affleck, Fred (1978). On Track: The Making of Westrail, 1950–1976. Perth: Westrail. ISBN 0724475605. OCLC 6489347.
• Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R. Australian Railway Routes 1854-2000 2000. ISBN 0-909650-49-7

Notes

1. West Australian Land Company (1896), Agreement for purchase of the Great Southern Railway and other interests of the company in the Colony dated 24 December 1896, Sutton, Ommanney & Randall, retrieved 26 May 2012
2. Goodman, R. W; Albany Historical Society; Australian Railway Historical Society (1963), The Great Southern Railway : a short talk delivered to the Albany Historical Society on 14th February, 1963, retrieved 26 May 2012
3. Western Australia; Hordern, Anthony, 1842-1886 (1886), Contract between the Government of the Colony of Western Australia and Mr. Anthony Hordern for the construction of a railway between Beverley and Albany on the land grant system and other purposes : dated 25th October, 1884, Waterlow & Sons, printers, retrieved 17 February 2014{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
4. West Australian Land Company (1890), The West Australian Land Company, Limited (Great Southern Railway of Western Australia.) : descriptive prospectus of company's land, Stirling Bros. & Co., Printers, retrieved 17 February 2014
5. West Australian Land Company (1896), Agreement for purchase of the Great Southern Railway and other interests of the company in the Colony dated 24 December 1896, Sutton, Ommanney & Randall, retrieved 17 February 2014
6. "Beverley-Albany Railway Act 1884". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 13 September 1884. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
7. Bollans, A. R. (Alan R.); Australian Railway Historical Society. Western Australian Division (1989), One hundred years of the Great Southern Railway of Western Australia, Australian Railway Historical Society, Western Australian Division, ISBN 978-0-9599690-6-1
8. "Item R4967-A – Dieselisation of Great Southern Railway". State Records Office of WA. Retrieved 4 June 2018.

External links

Media related to Great Southern Railway (Western Australia) at Wikimedia Commons

• "The Great Southern Railway of Western Australia". Retrieved 16 December 2005.

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 removedSee also: Agricultural railways ♦ Wheatbelt railways

• Defunct railway companies of Australia
• Railway lines in Great Southern (Western Australia)
• Railway lines opened in 1889
• Agricultural land development schemes
• 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia