Ongerup Branch Railway
Encyclopedia
A 94 km branch line to Ongerup
from Tambellup
on the Great Southern Railway
main line between Perth
and Albany
was opened on 6 January 1913 to serve the growing agriculture industry and closed on 13 October 1957. It was authorised for construction under the Tambellup-Ongerup Railway Act 1911.
A timetable from 1937 shows 2 trains per week leaving Ongerup on Tuesdays at 06:55 and Fridays at 04:00. Lengthy connections of around 12 hours were available at Katanning
for Perth, arriving approximately 30 hours after leaving Ongerup.. In 1918 a barracks was constructed on Eldridge Street for railway workers based in Ongerup. The building survived the closure of the railway and now houses the Ongerup / Needilup
District Museum that was opened in 1978.
The line went via Tambellup
, Dartnall, Toolbrunup, Pallinup, Gnowangerup
, Formby, Kebaringup, Borden
, Laurier, Toompup and finally Ongerup.
Borden and Laurier came into being as sidings on the new railway in 1912. Water supply for the trains was provided at Formby
Ongerup, Western Australia
Ongerup is a town located 410 km south-east of Perth and 54 km east of Gnowangerup in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.- History :The name Ongerup means Place of the male kangaroo in the local Noongar language....
from Tambellup
Tambellup, Western Australia
The townsite of Tambellup is located in Western Australia's Great Southern Agricultural region, 317 km south-east of Perth on the Great Southern Highway where it crosses the Gordon River...
on the Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway (Western Australia)
The Great Southern Railway was the name of 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 this company and the railway route also kept the name.- Construction :The first sods for the...
main line between Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
was opened on 6 January 1913 to serve the growing agriculture industry and closed on 13 October 1957. It was authorised for construction under the Tambellup-Ongerup Railway Act 1911.
A timetable from 1937 shows 2 trains per week leaving Ongerup on Tuesdays at 06:55 and Fridays at 04:00. Lengthy connections of around 12 hours were available at Katanning
Katanning, Western Australia
Katanning is a town located 277 km south east of Perth, Western Australia on the Great Southern Highway. At the 2006 census, Katanning had a population of 3,808.-History:...
for Perth, arriving approximately 30 hours after leaving Ongerup.. In 1918 a barracks was constructed on Eldridge Street for railway workers based in Ongerup. The building survived the closure of the railway and now houses the Ongerup / Needilup
Needilup, Western Australia
Needilup is a town in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia that is situated between Ongerup and Jerramungup along the Gnowangerup-Jerramungup Road....
District Museum that was opened in 1978.
The line went via Tambellup
Tambellup, Western Australia
The townsite of Tambellup is located in Western Australia's Great Southern Agricultural region, 317 km south-east of Perth on the Great Southern Highway where it crosses the Gordon River...
, Dartnall, Toolbrunup, Pallinup, Gnowangerup
Gnowangerup, Western Australia
Gnowangerup is a town located south east of Katanning in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The townsite was first gazetted in 1908 under the spelling of Ngowangerupp. Local dissatisfaction with this spelling led to it being altered to Gnowangerup in 1913.A branch railway from...
, Formby, Kebaringup, Borden
Borden, Western Australia
Borden is a small town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The town is located south east of the state capital, Perth and north of Albany, Western Australia on Chester Pass Road...
, Laurier, Toompup and finally Ongerup.
Borden and Laurier came into being as sidings on the new railway in 1912. Water supply for the trains was provided at Formby