Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company
Encyclopedia
The Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria
, Australia
. The company was founded on 20 January 1853 to build Australia
's first railway broad gauge
line from Melbourne to the port of Sandridge (now Port Melbourne). The first engineer for the line was William Snell Chauncy
, but he was forced to resign in 1845 due to problems with his work, such as the failure of piles on the railway pier. James Moore
C. E., a nephew of Sir William Cubitt
(under whom he was engaged on the South Eastern
and Great Northern
railways in Britain and presumable learnt his trade there) was then appointed in March 1854 as Chief Engineer for the Hobson's Bay Railway company
. It was said of Moore that he was a man of whose abilities rumour speaks favourably. and was responsible for designing the railway line between the city and the pier main deep-water pier on Hobson's Bay at Sandridge
.
The line was opened in September 1854 (three years after the discovery of gold at Ballarat) and ran for 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the Melbourne
(or City) Terminus (on the site of modern day Flinders Street Station
), crossing the Yarra River
on the original Sandridge Bridge to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne
). Work began on laying the railway in March 1853. Trains were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company of the United Kingdom
, but the first train was locally built by Robertson, Martin and Smith, because of shipping delays. Australia's first steam locomotive was built in ten weeks and cost £
2,700.
- a time when both Melbourne and Victoria undertook massive capital works, each with its own gala opening. The inaugural journey on the Sandridge line was no exception. According to the Argus
newspaper
's report of the next day: "Long before the hour appointed ... a great crowd assembled round the station at the Melbourne terminus, lining the whole of Flinders Street
". Lieutenant-Governor
Sir Charles Hotham
and Lady Hotham were aboard the train - which consisted of two first class
carriages and one second class - and were presented with satin
copies of the railway's timetable
and bylaw
s.
The trip took 10 minutes, none of the later stations along the line having been built. On arriving at Station Pier (onto which the tracks extended), it was hailed with gun-salutes by the warships HMS Electra and HMS Fantome.
over which the line crossed).
In 1857, the Company opened a 4.5km line from the present-day Flinders Street Station
to St Kilda
, to meet up with the St Kilda to Brighton line being built by the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company
. William Elsdon
had been appointed Engineer in Chief, and designed the line. His name is engraved into the parapet of the bridge at Park Street.
Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company absorbed two other private railways in suburban Melbourne, St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company
and the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company
in 1865. The combined company was known as the Melbourne and Hobsons Bay United Railway Company. The combined company was in turn taken over by the Government of Victoria
in 1878 to become part of Victorian Railways
.
Both lines became part of the Melbourne suburban electrified network
during the 20th century.
Most of both lines were converted to standard gauge
light rail
in 1987 as tram routes 96
and 109
.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The company was founded on 20 January 1853 to build Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's first railway broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line from Melbourne to the port of Sandridge (now Port Melbourne). The first engineer for the line was William Snell Chauncy
William Snell Chauncy
William Snell Chauncy was an English civil engineer responsible for a number of important engineering works including the first steam railway opened in Australia.-Early life and work:...
, but he was forced to resign in 1845 due to problems with his work, such as the failure of piles on the railway pier. James Moore
James Moore (engineer)
James Moore was an engineer responsible for the first steam railway to operate in Australia.James Moore C.E. was a nephew of Sir William Cubitt, under whom he was engaged on the South Eastern and Great Northern railways in Britain, and presumably learnt his trade there...
C. E., a nephew of Sir William Cubitt
William Cubitt
Sir William Cubitt was an eminent English civil engineer and millwright. Born in Norfolk, England, he was employed in many of the great engineering undertakings of his time. He invented a type of windmill sail and the prison treadwheel, and was employed as chief engineer, at Ransomes of Ipswich,...
(under whom he was engaged on the South Eastern
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
and Great Northern
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
railways in Britain and presumable learnt his trade there) was then appointed in March 1854 as Chief Engineer for the Hobson's Bay Railway company
Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company
The Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia. The company was founded on 20 January 1853 to build Australia's first railway broad gauge line from Melbourne to the port of Sandridge...
. It was said of Moore that he was a man of whose abilities rumour speaks favourably. and was responsible for designing the railway line between the city and the pier main deep-water pier on Hobson's Bay at Sandridge
Sandridge
Sandridge is a small village and civil parish between St Albans and Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.-Early history:...
.
The line was opened in September 1854 (three years after the discovery of gold at Ballarat) and ran for 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
(or City) Terminus (on the site of modern day Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
), crossing the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
on the original Sandridge Bridge to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne, Victoria
Port Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km southwest of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government areas are the cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, Port Melbourne had a population of 13,293....
). Work began on laying the railway in March 1853. Trains were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but the first train was locally built by Robertson, Martin and Smith, because of shipping delays. Australia's first steam locomotive was built in ten weeks and cost £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2,700.
Opening
The opening of the line occurred during the period of the Victorian gold rushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
- a time when both Melbourne and Victoria undertook massive capital works, each with its own gala opening. The inaugural journey on the Sandridge line was no exception. According to the Argus
The Argus (Australia)
The Argus was a morning daily newspaper in Melbourne established in 1846 and closed in 1957. Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most of its history, it adopted a left leaning approach from 1949...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
's report of the next day: "Long before the hour appointed ... a great crowd assembled round the station at the Melbourne terminus, lining the whole of Flinders Street
Flinders Street, Melbourne
Flinders Street is a notable street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Running roughly parallel to the Yarra River, Flinders Street forms the southern edge of the Hoddle Grid. It is exactly one mile in length and one and half chains in width...
". Lieutenant-Governor
Governors of Victoria
The Governor of Victoria is the representative in the Australian state of Victoria of its monarch, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level...
Sir Charles Hotham
Charles Hotham
Sir Charles Hotham, KCB, RN was Lieutenant-governor and, later, Governor of Victoria, Australia from 22 June 1854 to 10 November 1855.-Early life:...
and Lady Hotham were aboard the train - which consisted of two first class
First class travel
First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities.-Aviation:...
carriages and one second class - and were presented with satin
Satin
Satin is a weave that typically has a glossy surface and a dull back. It is a warp-dominated weaving technique that forms a minimum number of interlacings in a fabric. If a fabric is formed with a satin weave using filament fibres such as silk, nylon, or polyester, the corresponding fabric is...
copies of the railway's timetable
Public transport timetable
A public transport timetable is a representation of public transport information to assist a passenger with planning a trip using public transport. A timetable details when vehicle will arrive and depart specified locations and may be organised for by route or for a particular stop...
and bylaw
Bylaw
By-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...
s.
The trip took 10 minutes, none of the later stations along the line having been built. On arriving at Station Pier (onto which the tracks extended), it was hailed with gun-salutes by the warships HMS Electra and HMS Fantome.
Subsequent history
By March 1855, the four engines ordered from the UK were all in service, with trains running every half-hour. They were named Melbourne, Sandridge, Victoria, and Yarra (after the Yarra RiverYarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
over which the line crossed).
In 1857, the Company opened a 4.5km line from the present-day Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
to St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
, to meet up with the St Kilda to Brighton line being built by the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company
St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company
The St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia. The company opened a line from St Kilda in Melbourne, Australia to Bay Street in 1859 and Beach in 1861....
. William Elsdon
William Elsdon
William Elsdon ) was an English and Australian civil engineer. He was also an architect and railway engineer.-Family life and education:...
had been appointed Engineer in Chief, and designed the line. His name is engraved into the parapet of the bridge at Park Street.
Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company absorbed two other private railways in suburban Melbourne, St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company
St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company
The St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia. The company opened a line from St Kilda in Melbourne, Australia to Bay Street in 1859 and Beach in 1861....
and the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company
Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company
The Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia. The company opened a line from Princes Bridge railway station in Melbourne, Australia to Punt Road and South Yarra in 1859, Prahran in 1859 and Windsor in 1860, connecting with the St Kilda and Brighton...
in 1865. The combined company was known as the Melbourne and Hobsons Bay United Railway Company. The combined company was in turn taken over by the Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
in 1878 to become part of Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
.
Both lines became part of the Melbourne suburban electrified network
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
during the 20th century.
Most of both lines were converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
in 1987 as tram routes 96
Melbourne tram route 96
Melbourne tram route 96 is a public transport tram and light rail route in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram route carrying 39,700 passengers a day with a frequency of every 10 minutes or less during peak...
and 109
Melbourne tram route 109
Tram route 109 or simply The 109 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs between a terminus in Box Hill and a terminus near Station Pier in Port Melbourne...
.