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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:34): I wish to speak about something a lot less controversial—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! That wasn't controversial. The Hon. Mr Hood.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: —although it has been the source of some controversy over the years, sir, and that is the South Australian Railways.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: That's right; you can hear the chamber shudder as I mention that topic. There have been great changes to South Australian railways since the 1920s, and I would like to outline in a bit of detail the effect that these have on us today. South Australia has a unique and very colourful railway history; indeed, it is unique in the world. It was the first iron rail railway in Australia between Goolwa and Port Elliot, back in 1854. It was initially horse drawn, of course, and moved goods between Port Elliot and the River Murray paddle steamers. The railway between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, which opened in 1856, was the first government built and owned steam railway in the entire British Empire.

From the 1860s, tracks started expanding throughout country areas, initially for mining and agricultural produce. This was done with cheaply-built track that could carry only very small trains with light loads. Each track extension was approved and financed by parliament through a specific bill in each case. This process continued through to the early 1900s. It was often said that a particular member of parliament insisted that railways be extended to their local electorate. Indeed, the rivalry between different members of parliament was such that the commissioner for railways was constantly under pressure from the ever-changing views of different majorities in parliament. The railways simply did not function efficiently as a result and by 1920 they had decayed to the point of imminent collapse.

Such was the frustration that parliament itself agreed that there was a need to appoint a commissioner with sufficient power that he or she (he at the time) would not have to endure constant interference from parliament. In 1922, William Alfred Webb was appointed the new commissioner for railways. He was from the United States and had been the general manager of operations with the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad and had advised the US government on railways during World War I.

William Alfred Webb's authority was such that he later built a new Adelaide railway station with neither parliamentary approval nor the correct appropriation of money, it is claimed. In fact, it cost three times the estimates. The files were subsequently lost, and no-one has ever been able to find out who actually authorised the construction.

Upon William Alfred Webb's appointment, he made immediate changes to every aspect of the railways. His mantra was that income from goods trains was by ton miles and expenses were by train miles; therefore, it was essential to have big trains in order to turn a profit. He introduced modern signalling, strengthened tracks and straightened curves. A new tunnel with dual tracks was built between Lynton and Eden Hills, replacing two smaller tunnels that can still be seen today; they are now used for growing mushrooms.

For Webb, 'big' was a universal adjective: big locomotives, big wagons and big railway stations. Plans for new locomotives were sought through contacts he had in the USA. Alco, an American manufacturer of locomotives, very generously provided detailed plans and drawings for large locomotives, even though it was apparent that Australian sentiment was such that the tender for construction would have to be granted to an English company rather than an American one. The locomotives were manufactured in England, but the American style can be clearly seen.

The locomotives started arriving in March 1926 and, with a carefully stage-managed presentation, they captured the public imagination to an unprecedented extent. The most impressive were the 500 class 'mountain' engines, which at that time were the largest locomotives in Australia. They burned coal at such a rate that they had a screw-pile automatic coal feeder. A 500 class locomotive and many other magnificent machines can still be seen at the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide.

Family First pays tribute to the many volunteers who maintain and operate the various historical railways throughout South Australia. All the historical railways have large volunteer workforces; they simply could not existing without them. The Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society operates narrow-gauge historical trains between Quorn and Port Augusta, and it provides a spectacular trip through the very steep terrain in that region. SteamRanger runs steam and diesel trains between Mount Barker and Victor Harbor, and trains include the popular Cockle Train along the mid south coast. The Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre at Peterborough is a static display of historical railway items and includes Australia's only triple-gauge turntable.

In conclusion, South Australia has a very unique rail history, one that is not something many people, including myself, know much about. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the very large number of volunteers who make it possible for us to still enjoy today that aspect of our heritage.

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