Re: Canberra branch closed part

["Kevin Sewell" <kevinsewell@optusnet.com.au>]

Thanks for that - I knew I wasn't imagining it. Perhaps it was among the
historical photos on display in old Parliament House I read it. Gee I wish I
had a better memory!


David Bromage <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote in message
3AC2DC96.867FEBF8@fang.omni.com.au">news:3AC2DC96.867FEBF8@fang.omni.com.au...
> Philip Shortus wrote:
> > I heard there was a railway between the existing canberra station and a
> > canberra civic station which was only open for 1 year?
>
> It was always part of Walter Burley Griffin's plan that Canberra should
> have a central railway station. His original 1911 plan included three
> suburban railway lines radiating from Civic and suburban tram lines. The
> plan showeda railway parallel to Northborne Ave to Dickson (Lonsdale St
> and Ijong St would have been part of the track bed), then heading north
> west towards Hall. It was to terminate at the border, where NSW would
> extend the Yass line to meet it.[1]
>
> A standard gauge line from Kingston to Civic was opened in 1921. It
> crossed the Molonglo River near Russell, but the angle of the bridge was
> to be its undoing. The line ran along what is now Amaroo St in Reid,
> through Glebe Park and along what is now Alinga St. Compare the very
> flat Amaroo St with the undulating Booroondara St, the nest street
> north.
>
> The station was in what is now Garema Place. The end of the line was at
> about Bunda St, where the Department of Transport and Regional Services
> building now sits. During construction of this building, some rails and
> sleepers were found buried.
>
> The Molonglo River flooded in 1923, and due to incorrect placement of
> the bridge piers, there was a washaway. Rebuilding the line and
> alternative routes were proposed, but political interests prevented this
> from happening. King O'Malley in particular was strongly opposed to
> rebuilding the railway. The line was closed but remained in place for
> several years. It was dismantled by 1928.
>
> There was also a proposal for a line off the Cooma line into where
> Tuggeranong is now. This was to serve the new township and a proposed
> munitions factory.
>
> As a matter of interest, there was also a 3'6" gauge construction
> railway from the brickworks in Yarralumla to Parliament House, opening
> in 1923. There were later extensions to Kingston power station and
> civic. The line was closed and dismantled after 1927, although some
> rails were found during the construction of new Parliament House in
> 1980.
>
> Cheers
> David
>
> [1] Schedule 9 of the Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 reads "In
> the event of the Commonwealth constructing a railway within the
> Territory to its northern boundary, the State shall construct a railway
> from a point near Yass on the Great Southern Railway to join with the
> said railway, and the Commonwealth and the State shall grant to each
> other such reciprocal running rights as may be agreed upon, or as in
> default of agreement may be determined by arbitration, over such
> portions of that railway as are owned by each."
> There were serious proposals for this in 1914, 1923, 1959 and 1966.