The following paper was presented to the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society on the 8th of November 1997 on the occasion of the Centenary of the arrival of the railway to the Boulder townsite – by Douglas C Daws. J.P.
It is reproduced here with his kind permission.
This paper is a short essay on the extension of the railway to the Boulder townsite in 1897. It is not a story about the famous ‘Loopline’ which came about some 4 years later.
Railways were introduced to Western Australia in the early 1880’s and developed extensively following the discovery of gold in the southern part of the State in the early 1890’s. Railways were seen as the best way to provide communications and freight transfer to the rapidly expanding goldfields in an era when roads were primitive and heavy motor transport was yet to be invented. These early gold mining towns became very vocal in their claims for a railway service to their district and there was fierce competition and lobbying to the government of the day for the extension of the rail network to their town or district.
Leaving aside the construction of the Geraldton to Northampton railway in 1879, the first railway in the ’Colony’ was not opened until 1st March 1881. This was the line from Fremantle to Guildford via Perth. Extensions were gradually made into the adjacent agricultural districts with the line opening to Beverley in 1886, Northam in 1888 and to Geraldton in 1887.
Boulder Railway Station – Kalgoorlie Western Argus 13 March 1906, page 24
During the period just prior to and immediately following the institution of responsible government, on 21st October, 1890, prospecting for gold was energetically and successfully pursued and resulted in the rapid additions to the discoveries of the Murchison and Yilgarn districts. To assist the development of the resources so discovered naturally became the main object of the Government and Bills were speedily passed for the construction of lines towards these two goldfields. We’ll ignore the lines to the Murchison. The rails were quickly laid from Northam to Southern Cross – a distance of 170 miles (270 kms) – the latter being the principal gold producing centre in the colony to that time. The extension was opened on 1st July, 1894. There was a strategy formed at the time, although never realised, to extend the line to the Coolgardie Goldfield and thence northwards to ultimately junction with the Murchison rail system. In any event, the line from Southern Cross to Boorabbin was opened on 1st July, 1896 and from Boorabbin to Kalgoorlie on 1st January, 1897.
To quote from page 1904 of the Critchley Parker Special Edition of the Australian Mining Standard of 1905:-
“A short suburban line from Kalgoorlie to Lakeside, passing along the world-famed Golden Mile, and serving the mines and their immediate population, was constructed, and opened on 8th November, 1897. It was, in the first instance, laid more on the basis of a tramway than as a railway, but has since been brought up to the standard of a first-class suburban line for goods and passengers, the road having been duplicated, and interlocked signals installed, and substantial buildings erected with every convenience for the large traffic which is carried.”
To quote further from the Australian Mining Standard and for the record:
“Subsequently, on 17 th March, 1902, the Brown Hill loop-line, of 4½ miles, traversing the outer side of the “Golden Mile,“ and connecting with the Kalgoorlie-Lakeside line at Hannan Street and Kamballie Stations, was built and opened for the convenience of the mines and population on the North-Eastern side of the ridge of hills wherein the celebrated gold deposits are worked. A branch connection of 12 miles from Kalgoorlie to Kanowna, then at the height of its alluvial fame – was opened on the 15th June, 1898. “
In fact the rail to Kanowna had been completed and was used for service from December 1897 but was not handed over by the contractors until the 15th June, 1898. Perhaps as a result of some clause in the contract. I might add that the rail to Broad Arrow was also completed for use in December 1897.
Now let us look at the environment on and about the 8th November 1897. According to Arthur Reid’s “Those Were the Days”, the papers recorded October 26th as ”one of the most unpleasant days experienced on the fields. Nor-West winds cause clouds of dust; some business places closed.” And again on an unspecified, but early, date in November…”To-day was the worst ever experienced in Kalgoorlie, almost all the business places had to close on account of the blinding dust“.
Boulder Railway Station -Kalgoorlie Western Argus 16 June 1903, page 50
On the 12th October, 1897 J.M. Hopkins had easily defeated W. O’Connor in the election for the Mayoralty of Boulder and we know from contemporary newspaper reports that he led the discussions with representatives of the Government Railways.
I am aware that one of your ‘Eastern Goldfields Historical Soc) Life Members, G. Spencer-Compton has written about the Boulder ‘Tramway” and included amongst his writings was the statement that.
”Without fuss or ceremony of any kind the lines were put into use for passengers on 8th November 1897 – one class only and the fare 6d “.
He was, of course, correct. The introduction of the line to the State rail system was a very quite affair. It has been suggested that this was as a result of the way the spur to Boulder was constructed and used and an analogy has been drawn to the construction of Anzac Drive. I don’t know about that but the contents of some of the news stories of the day perhaps give this argument some credence.
According to the November 4th, 1897 issue of the Western Argus newspaper and quoting from an earlier issue of the Western Australian newspaper, the Minister of Railways, Mr F. Piesse had made a visit to the Eastern Goldfields and had made an inspection of the line which was being laid between Kalgoorlie and Boulder. To quote from the paper….”Mr Piesse expressed himself as being perfectly satisfied with the progress which was being made with the work. He found the laying of the line had been completed to the “marshalling” station near the Golden Horseshoe – a distance of a little over four miles and a spur line had been put down to the Boulder township. The whole of the permanent way had been completed sufficiently to allow of traffic being put upon it at once. It was not intended, Mr Piesse stated, to construct any platforms or buildings in connection with the line for some little time to come, but the line would be opened for passenger and goods traffic on the 8th of next month, and a regular service would be commenced between Boulder and Kalgoorlie. The arrangements would only be of a temporary character until a fair idea was obtained of the requirements, and then more permanent provision would be made. The line would be conducted on the tram system and only one class of passenger accommodation would be provided The fare which it was intended to charge passengers had received consideration, and had been fixed at 6d each way, irrespective of distance. The number of trams which would be run would be regulated by the ordinary service, and more would be put on as required The opening of the railway would be a quiet affair, Mr Piesse said, and there would be no official function in connection with it…..”
He went on to dismiss complaints about the delay in the introduction of the service stating that the purpose of the line was to carry goods and said that people should for a time put up with the disadvantages of not having a regularly constituted station.
On Saturday 6th November, 1897, a Mr J.T. Short who was the General Manager of Government Railways and accompanied by the Constructing Engineer (Mr Thompson), the District Traffic Superintendent (Mr Lord) and other railway officials visited the area. On the Saturday morning they visited the offices of the Great Boulder mine to meet with several obviously influential mine managers who expressed the wish that, ”the Boulder ore tramway between Brookman’s Boulder and Hannans Star should be immediately brought into use for the carriage of freight and the loading of ore pending the completion of the sidings. The need for the speedy construction of the sidings into the chief mines were quickly explained and as speedily acceded to.” Mr Short expressed the view that it was the desire of the department to meet the mines in every way. We can conclude from the contemporary reports that it was a very convivial meeting with the ‘department’ anxious to accommodate the mine managers demands. The same cannot be said of the meeting held in the afternoon between the railway representatives and the Mayor and Councillors of Boulder City.
I should explain that Brookman’s Boulder was the lease and mine immediately adjacent and to the east of the Golden Gate Station. Much of it now lays under that section of the eastern bypass. The Hannans Star was south west of the Chaffers mine and about 100 metres south west of Kamballie station. Thus the line being asked for by the mine managers ran in a more or less straight line from Golden Gate to Kamballie through the middle of the Golden Mile. The physical line was removed in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s.
But back to the delegation from the railways. They met the Boulder Council at the Boulder Station on the Saturday afternoon and the newspaper accounts suggest that it turned into quite a fiery affair which ended with the Mayor (Hopkins) cutting the debate short and inviting the delegation to adjourn to the Council Chambers. There were several contentious issues raised including the need for provision of station buildings and platform at Boulder, the danger to traffic crossing the railway yards and a concern over a rumour of an intention to construct a loop line around the mines.
In fact the Mayor asked if there was any foundation in the rumour that the department intended to run a loop line around the mines to pick up the passenger traffic? Mr Short replied that when the loop line was constructed the Government had no intention of using it for passenger traffic, and he certainly could not recommend it for passenger traffic at present, though of late it had increased by 50 per cent. Later on, however, if he found that the traffic would warrant a loop line, from a railway point of view, he would have to recommend it. There was not much fear of that at present.
Cr O’Connor asked whether the tram line was ever intended for passenger traffic. to which Mr Short replied: “No, but if we find that traffic would warrant it, it may be used as such.” Cr Byrne then weighed in and according to the Kalgoorlie Miner story … “took Mr Short to task for alleged rapacity on the part of his department – their shuffling with the urgent requirements of the town and their proposal to run a loop line round the mines which would be a great blow to the business people”.
It was at about this point that the Mayor regained control and adjourned to the Council Chambers – presumably for refreshments as certain speeches are referred to. I should add that the General Manager, Mr Short, advised the Councillors that the department had spent the allocated 20,000 pounds voted for the Boulder railway and were not in a position to undertake any additional work.
So, the line to Boulder opened on Monday 8th November, 1897. The following days newspaper carried an advertisement stating that the Boulder tramway was open for passenger traffic and laying out a timetable which had 10 departures a day from Kalgoorlie to Boulder and vice versa. The first train left for Boulder at 7.00 am and the last at 8.20 pm. The trip took 15 minutes. Sunday is shown separately as having only 7 trips so I presume Saturday was regarded as a week day.
They must have been an impatient lot in those days as a letter to the Editor in the Kalgoorlie Miner on the 13th November read….. Sir, – I would like to ask through your columns if it is the intention of the Minister of Railways to give the people who are residing along the main line a passenger service. The tramline has been completed as far as Hannans Star some considerable time, and passengers are being carried from the Boulder township, yet people residing on the leases are compelled to walk to Boulder townsite, or to the crossing on the Boulder road to reach the train. As a large majority of the population out this way are living on the leases close to their work I think we are entitled to a little consideration from the Minister. I am, etc. – A. CHIRNSIDE – Hannans Star, Nov.10
History now tells us that the line to Boulder was an enormous success and rapidly grew in stature to become one of the busiest passenger routes in Australia with not only the Boulder Station but others at several locations between Kalgoorlie and Boulder and around the loop.
But the introduction of rail to the Boulder township was certainly a quite affair and there was never any official opening or ceremony of any kind to mark the occasion.
Moya Sharp
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