On Sunday 7th July 2024 we cerebrated 150 years since regular train services began on the Moolort Railway Line (Castlemaine to Maryborough) on 7th July 1874.
Construction of the line commenced with the first sod turning ceremony at Castlemaine on the 7th Sept 1872. The railway line was constructed over a period of 22 months. Over 300 men were employed in the process being paid 6 shillings and 6 pence per day.
All bridges were initially wooden except for the Deep Creek bridge at Carisbrook. Redgum timber for bridge construction and sleepers came from the Echuca area. The railway was constructed by two separate contractors. The first from Castlemaine to Newstead (23.3 km) cost £49,509 3s 5d and the second from Newstead to Maryborough (31.3 km) cost £51,312 $s 4d.
Additional time was taken for completion of stations and sidings. The Guildford, Newstead and Carisbrook were the initial stations and Moolort, Strangways and Joyce’s Creek being added later.
Mt Alexander Mail 15th April 1873 – Strangways Correspondent
“…..accidents may occur…, by the startling of horses by the trains.”
“Agricultural labour in the district is nearly at a standstill, the dryness of the ground precluding ploughing, and the preparations of the soil for an other crop must be deferred until rain arrives. But the dryness of the weather, though arresting farm operations, has enabled the railway works of the district to be successfully prosecuted, and much progress has been made in ballasting the line, and in forming culverts and embankments. The railway in many places is formed in close proximity to the public road, and it is therefore not improbable
that accidents may occur at first, by the startling of horses by the trains. The horse of flesh and blood is not easily reconciled to his iron namesake and is apt to become unmanageable on the sudden approach of a railway engine. It would tend to obviate, at least to lessen, the probability of accidents from this cause, were the government to plant those spaces intervening between the line and the public road with rapid growing gum trees, which would soon form a screen of perennial verdure, and obstruct the view of the passing trains. Apart from this, and as a further incentive to planting, I may premise that if these spaces are left unoccupied, they will become nurseries for thistles, and other weeds, and a nuisance to the district.” ~ from A History of the Castlemaine to Maryborough Railway By Ken James and David Langley
The last passenger service on the Moolort Line was on 31st July 1977. Goods trains continued to run until the closure of the Castlemaine to Moolort section of the line in December 2004.
Celebrations
– Newstead Arts Hub at the Newstead Station held a 150 years of the Newstead Railway – Community Celebration on Sunday 7th July 2024
– 150 Years of Rail in Maryborough Celebration. At Maryborough Station. Was held Sunday 7th July 2024 organised by the Central Goldfields Visitor Information Centre.
On 7th July 1874, the first train from Melbourne arrived at the original Maryborough station.
CMRT President Janice Simpson was an attendee at the 150th Celebrations at Maryborough Station. She met up with Guests of Honour “Queen Victoria” and “Mark Twain”.
Janice Simpson with “Queen Victoria”
Queen Victoria was the ruling monarch of the British Empire from 1837 to 1901 therefore she was the Queen at the time of open the Moolort Line and the first train to Maryborough.
Queen Victoria didn’t ever visit Australia but was the first British monarch to travel by train. In 1842 she traveled from London to Windsor.
Note: Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh did travel by train on our line between Castlemaine and Marlborough on 5th March 1954 during their tour of Australia.
Janice Simpson with “Mark Twain”
Mark Twain, the American writer, traveled to Australia on a lecture tour in 1895. His reflections of Australia are recorded in his book “The Wayward Tourist: Mark Twain’s Adventures in Australia” described as ” It is a fascinating, sometimes sad, but often very humorous excursion through Australia, its people, its cities and its peculiar histories.”
His book is high critical of the comfort of Victorian trains. His comment on the Maryborough Railway station’ was ““Don’t you overlook that Maryborough station, if you take an interest in governmental curiosities. Why, you can put the whole population of Maryborough into it, and give them a sofa apiece, and have room for more.” This has resulted in Maryborough being known as ” the railway station with a town attached.”