History of the railway in Trundle
Moves to have a railway line constructed which would pass through Trundle and give the district an efficient and modern means of transport to the major centres of the NSW began as early as 1891. The residents presented a petition to the Minister for Public Works asking that a proposed line from Parkes to Condobolin be taken via Trundle.
The instigator of this drive was Mr Thomas Looney of "Glenmore". Tom Looney had the advantage of having worked with the Victorian railway system where he reached the rank of station master before coming to the district in 1890. His background knowledge and enthusiasm was of great benefit in the campaign to convince the government that a railway line should pass through the district.
In August 1892, Mr Gillist, Examiner of Public Works Proposals, reported in favour of a direct line via Bogan Gate to Condobolin, as the route passed through 238,000 acres of Crown Land. The residents of Trundle then formed a Railway League to which each member subscribed 1 pound. During 1892/93 this League actively lobbied the Government to have the line taken via Trundle, but eventually Parliament decided that the line should pass through Bogan Gate. The section to Bogan Gate opened on December 15, 1896, and the extension to Condobolin on March 16, 1898.
Having been defeated in this first attempt to obtain a rail service to the town the residents then began to lobby for a line to be constructed from Bogan Gate to Trundle. The question of a branch to Trundle had been considered when the Parkes to Condobolin extension was before the Public Works Committee. However, the Committee considered that that the area was well serviced by the facilities at Bogan Gate.
In 1898 settlers from the Bullock Creek/Bulbodney area presented a petition indicating that they were prepared to make up any deficiency between working expenses and revenue to the value of 1,275 pounds ($2,550) per year for five years on a line from Bullock Creek (Tullamore) to Bulbodney.
In July 1899 the residents of Trundle re-formed the Railway League. The reformed League was headed by Mr Croft, Chairman, and J. O'Brien, Secretary/Treasurer. Members of the League paid an annual subscription of 7/6 (75c). It was decided to appoint delegates from Trundle, Bullock Creek and Bulbodney to travel to Sydney to urge the Minister for Public Works to approve early construction of the Trundle to Bulbodney Line. George Little was chosen as Trundle's delegate to Sydney.
The Minister sent Railway Commissioners to report on the proposed project, however, their verdict was unfavourable and so the Trundle residents joined with those of Bullock Creek and Bulbodney in guaranteeing a contribution against loss. They were prepared to contribute, if necessary, at a rate of 2c per acre within five miles of the line, 1c for 5 to 10 miles and 0.5c for areas 10 to 15 miles away from the line. In consideration of this a survey was made from Bogan Gate to the vicinity of Lansdale. The proposal was referred to the Public Works Committee by the Legislative Assembly on December 13, 1899, and in July 1900 a Sectional Committee was sent to the area to take evidence concerning the proposed railway. Evidence given included the figures which showed that in 1897 there were 359,850 sheep and 2,700 cattle in the district and 5,400 bales of wool had left the district. In 1898 the numbers of sheep had risen to 360,091 while cattle remained the same. The drought of 1899 had caused a drop in the numbers of sheep by approximately 100,000. At the time there were 87 small and 97 large landholders in the district. Mr J.J. Miller, manager of the F&S Co-op Assoc. volunteered the opinion that:
"Given railway facilities an area of 2,500 acres would support a family in comfort; owing to the present lack of transport it was impossible for either farming or grazing to pay. . . Enough wheat could be grown in the district to supply the entire wants of NSW."
The Sectional Committee, in October 1900, found that: "it was expedient to construct the line conditionally on the landholders in the district who benefited by the line contributing annually towards the deficiency between revenue and the annual charges for interest and working expenses, 1.5d in the pound ($2) on the unimproved value of the land within 5 miles of the line. . . 1d (1c) in the pound ($2). . . beyond 5 and within 10 miles. . . and 0.5d in the pound. . . beyond 10 and within 20 miles. . . such tax to be a charge on the land until the line becomes self-supporting." Their findings were accepted and an Enabling Act, No. 88 of 1902, was passed.
It was urged that construction of the line should begin without delay. Not only was the line sorely needed but work was sorely needed for those men afflicted by the drought. Slowly the wheels of bureaucracy began to turn and preparations for the rail line began to be made.
In 1903 the residents of Trundle, Bullock Creek and Tottenham presented Tom Looney with an illuminated address as a mark of their appreciation of his untiring work over the many years it had taken to make the prospect of a railway line through district a reality.
Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday 2 May 1904, TRUNDLE, Saturday: A large railway meeting was hold at Bullock Creek yesterday, over 100 farmers attending, when it was unanimously resolved to use the utmost endeavour to urge the Minister immediately to commence construction of a railway and have it completed to Trundle for the wheat season. It was pointed out by many wheat growers that this season they had missed the best market, being unable to deliver owing to scarcity of teams.
Trundle was made a depot for 10,000 sleepers. In 1904, however, it seemed that the government was about to renege on its undertaking. The following article in The Earth, written by Thurgoon.
“Yesterday morning we received the following wire from our Trundle Correspondent - Great indignation is expressed throughout the district at the action of the Government in offering for sale the sleepers cut for the proposed Bogan Gate to Bulbodney railway line. It is considered a direct breach of faith on the part of the Government. We can readily understand the intense feeling this contemplated action has caused amongst the residents of the district to be served by the line. If ever a people were unfairly dealt with by the Government they are. The line is duly sanctioned, the official turning of the first sod takes place, the Minister for Works is presented with a handsome souvenir for performing the ceremony, a large quantity of sleepers are cut and stacked ready for use, and any sane person would naturally suppose that the line would be in going order in a few months — But no, they have the O'Sullivan crowd to deal with. No start is actually made with the line, the sleepers are offered for sale and the people have been bull-dozed all along."
The outcry at this proposed sale of sleepers must have shaken the Government's resolve because it never took place and the construction of the line went ahead. However, this was not before more delay, the contract for the construction of the first section of the line not being let until October 24, 1905. The first contractor was J. Ahern, but on May 11, 1906 he relinquished the contract and it was taken over by T. Williams. The station buildings at Botfield and Trundle were built by P. Herbert, the Trundle grain shed by Allibone and Ringholm and the trucking yards by Thomas Loftus. The contract for the second section on the line was let to Allibone and Ringholm on March 12, 1907.
Norman, Arthur and Edward Beuzeville contracted to clear the land for the line to Tullamore. In 1906 a quarry was opened at "Ticehurst", the property of F.S. Watts, near The Troffs where rock was quarried and crushed into gravel before being transported by horse and dray to the construction site. Mr Watts also contracted to kill and supply all meat to the gangs working on the line.
The line opened to Trundle on 6th August 1907, to Tullamore on 15 December 1908 and to Tottenham on 17 October 1916. By the time the line had reached Tottenham mining interests had opened up much of the country to the east of the proposed line to Bulbodney and the general impression was that it would be more desirable to build in that direction. Therefore three branch lines were constructed to the Iron Duke Mines (Albert), Caroline Mine and Mt Royal Mine (Tottenham).
The stations along the line were opened in three stages:
Stage One was opened on 6 August 1907:
Botfield was named after S.L. West's property. Botfield Station had a 27m platform on a down loop siding. Opposite was a goods loop with loading bank. Was closed 23 November 1974
Trundle was named after Pastoral Lease first taken up by William Cummings.
Stage Two was opened 15 Dec 1908:
The Troffs was named after Pastoral Holding.
Kadungle was the aboriginal name for a small lizard.
Gobondry was the aboriginal name for the cuba tree.
Tullamore was named after a place in Ireland.
Stage Three was opened 17 Oct 1916
Yethera was the aboriginal word meaning Three Roads.
Middlefield was named after Hugh Strathorn's pastoral property.
Albert (Construction name Dandaloo) named after a series of waterholes near station owned by Mr Albert.
Minemoorong: was the aboriginal word meaning camp.
Tottenham was named after London Suburb.
The opening of the railway can be said to have revolutionized life and land in the district. W.T. Medcalf wrote in 1926:
“The opening of the railway to Trundle brought about a complete change in conditions and might well be considered the beginning of a new chapter in its history.”
No longer were the inhabitants so isolated from the larger towns and cities and, even more importantly, wheat growing became a very attractive addition to the farmers’ options. No longer did he have to depend solely upon wool for his livelihood. A balance between wool and wheat meant a much more stable economic outlook for the area and the town.
George Berry wrote, in 1926, of the flowering of the wheat industry following the Opening of the railway:
"Looking back over the records of the area under wheat each year, it is apparent that there was a marked expansion about the years 1904 and 1905, though actual figures are not easily procurable. In 1908 the area cropped for wheat in what is called the “Trundle police patrol' was 12,876 acres. In that year the yield was set down as 38,862 bushels, which does not look a very encouraging return. In 1909, however, the area lumped to 20,609 acres, and the yield reached 245,554 bushels or nearly 12 bushels an acre. The area then remained stationary till 1913, in which year it moved up to 260,000 acres with an average of nearly 15 bushels per acre." (NSWAg. Gaz., 1926)
Trundle Station Master - Photo above is of John Kershaw taken in 1967 at Trundle Railway Station. He was waiting for the Inspector of Railways to come through. John was the Station Master in Trundle from 1964 to 1977. He was then Transferred to Trangie. The Railway had another station master for about 12 months and was eventually closed down. The Railway was demolished and removed to where I don't know.
Maybe Trundle would like to remember that they once did have a Railway Station and and used to be quite busy. Goods used to be delivered to Trundle Stores and other businesses by rail. Sheep were transported to market every Saturday by rail.
