Episode description
In the last weeks of July 1865, the population of Southern Queensland watched with increasing interest and confidence, the anticipated completion of the first section of the Southern and Western Railway. Looking back at that era, it is still easy to discern the excitement and pride that had manifested in the colonists of Queensland as they read reports in the local papers of the approaching opening.
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Podcast transcript
Introduction to the hosts
Annette: Hello and welcome to the first Queensland Rail podcast. Our podcast is very much like the beginnings of Queensland railways in 1865. A journey into the rich tapestry that is the story of Queensland, a story of iron and steel of timber, and tin, and most importantly, people, people think about the railway and the iconic images of the steam train, rolling stock railway lines, stations, but so much of our history is a result of hard work and vision of people. Not only nearly 160 years ago but even today. My name is Annette and with me is Greg. Greg, would you like to introduce yourself?
Greg: And do you think you are in it? Well, for those who don't know me, my name is Greg Hallam. I'm a historian for Queensland Rail. I've been working with the story of the Queensland railway staff for the entire of my 21st century literally. And I've been working professionally in the historical field and cultural heritage field for over 25 years now. A little bit of additional background to it. I am a third-generation railway family member here. Although my wife her family, her railway precedent beats me hands down because her great-grandfather started here at Toowoomba, in 1899. I am here at Toowoomba, in the engine shed. So I'm part of that great family of the Queensland railway people, I'm very proud to be a member of.
Annette: So I've been with Queensland Rail for 14 years now. I've had many different roles. But now I work in our community partnerships team, which I like to say is the nice and fluffy of Queensland Rail. My team and I conduct community education. So we go out to the schools and kindergartens and community groups and educate the kids on rail safety. I personally get to do the kindergartens and I love how excited our little kids get about anything to do with Queensland Rail. We also do community partnerships, which means we talk with charities and community groups and see how we can assist and start partnerships with them. Added bonus Greg, so I get to work with you. And you seem to have an answer for every left field historic question I can throw at you.
Greg: Oh, well, that's what I can best by putting that as with any year comes much experience. And well, as I say, in the world of history. I mean, we're as much storytellers as interpreters and things like that. And as I said, it's my job to help. It's my job to answer the questions, and more importantly, bring a lot of those interesting, fascinating stories to life.
Annette: Greg, would you like to explain where we're recording our first podcast today?
Greg: Oh, pretty much home in the house for me and a lot of ways and this is to have a railway station. It's a beautiful Italianate-style building that was built by Godsall in 1874. Up here in Toowoomba. It's actually straight up near Queen's Park or Scottsville Street which is named after him. It's one of a handful of masonry stations in Queensland. The central core where we are today was actually built in 1874. Like many things in the railways, it's been added to over the years and things have been taken off. 20 years ago, they did a lot of conservation work on the station here. And the basis of it is 1874. It was a previous structure here from 1867. That was pretty much a timber and tin, a very humble station because the colony ran out of money in 1866. And a much more humble to have a station came as a result.
Annette: Do you want to tell us about 'The Loft' where you work?
Greg: Oh, yes, The Loft is one of those very humble railway affairs anyway. And actually, it's really a bit of survivor because, as I said, before, so many of these stations and we've been added to over the years when you see like the cobbles and compilations of different buildings very humble little affair though, but it was actually the guards Loft as it was called. And it's there was also an adjoining part building that used to be for Porters. So the railway porters who used to work here, and it's a survivor from an earlier time, there's a part of that's 1908.
The other part is 1914. And it's really just a survivor, because there's a lot more buildings around there, when you see papers and things like that. Go back in time, but, but that's the interesting thing, like so many of these places, and buildings, you know, the cultural heritage people will tell you, I mean, these places, they're books, they're stories, and you can look at a building, and they will tell you a story, things added to things taken away from and a historian or someone like that, or a person understands like the heritage architects in that these places tell stories to them, and they speak to you. And they tell you a story about you know, what's going on the uses of the building the various changes and things like that. And it's quite remarkable. I think, here we are, you know, the early part of the 21st century.
This is a building that was built, you know, really towards the mid to latter part of the 19th century. And we've got all this wonderful technology here. But you know, when it was built in the 1870s steam trains to telegraph, the electric telegraph. And it was really again of you know, linking the world and bringing everything connecting together again, connecting Queensland. So isn't it great, you know, 150 years on, we were in a place that is still worth doing their purpose as well. Remarkable.
The commencement of the railway in Queensland
Annette: This week marks the 156th anniversary of the Queensland Railways. And we thought, let's start a podcast. No, actually, what better way to start than to look back at where it all began and ended at a place called Bigges Camp, now fondly known as Grandchester
Greg: Bigges Camp. it really is a wonderful place. You know, it's so people say to me, "You know what why does the railway end, you know, nowhere near Brisbane or anything like that?" No, we're not even within 'Cooee', of the place and, again, it's gonna be one of those things because we're in Queensland, Queenslanders are different. And I said, we even come to the railway story.
But I think one of the things is when you look back, you know, that time, back then the Brisbane Courier and the papers of the day, they were looking forward to the commencement of the railway in Queensland, the introduction of the really the industrial revolution to Queensland. And the headlines of the paper were really, really anticipating this was epoch-making. And this was something important, you know, I mean, the Brisbane Courier back then actually said, be that as it may, we in common with the whole community, how with pleasure, the inauguration of the railway in Queensland, it was history. And the thing that got to realise too, and at that stage as well is that people were looking forward, you know, to the railway coming to Queensland, but it wasn't done in isolation. And I think that's the important thing.
People have been following the story, the railway in Queensland since the Parliament debated, its creation, the inauguration, and everything like that, going back to 1863. The newspaper accounts are told that this railway was being built and how and where. But everything about that railway, and what made it unique, is it had to be imported from overseas.
And one thing I always like saying to people who grew up with Hornby train sets and Meccano sets and everything like that, when they were younger, they have to say, you would have loved to be there in 1865, because everything was imported from Britain, apart from the timber, and there were local workers involved in it. But so much had to come from Britain. And it was absolutely remarkable when you think about it, it came from half a world away, it was charted on ships, sailing ships, and you think there were steam engines broken down into component parts, and they're coming out on the decks of Clipper ships, you know, large canvas ships from halfway around the world. And they bought everything over with them as well, too.
And the other thing too, and you can't think of Queensland being totally cut off from the world or isolated, and that State of Origin time, people still like to tend to think that sort of thing as well. But the world of the 1860s was a time of great technological change. It was social change, as well when you read the papers, you know, from the beginning of the railway in July of 1865. They were carrying in the newspaper accounts, the stories of the report of the assassination of President Lincoln, you know, at the end of the American Civil War, so even that had taken place, what, two, three months before that they were having the full newspaper accounts. So the time, you know, the railway had been introduced to Queensland was been seen as some great scientific, technological marvel that was being introduced.
But people also had an understanding basically, of what else was going on around the world at that stage, so it wasn't cut off wasn't isolated, or anything like that. And I know in this world of the internet, Instagram, and all those sorts of things on Facebook, you know, we're talking about connection. And when we go back to, you know, 150 - 160 years ago, the electric telegraph was there, it had made the world so much smaller. And the other great engine of change, that was literally the railway that went with it.
We've got to remember Queensland was a large colony that was enormous, with a very small European population, most of that clustered in the southeast of the state, I think it was about 35,000 people or something like that. And it was an enormous, you know, it's an enormous colony. We'd only separated from New South Wales back in 1859. And so, you know, we're really into the piece with the railway story in that.
But what had happened was that the then Premier of Queensland (Premier Herbert) in 1862, and 1863, he travelled over to London, and he actually found at that stage, there was available money, credit, you know, and the government could take out these very, very large loans, you know, from the London money market. And basically, it was done with reasonable terms, and without great difficulty, you know, so it was public money that was available and funding of a railway would be enormous for it anyway. So when he returned to Queensland, he actually promoted a government-controlled railway, which would basically, you know, take it out of private enterprise hands and the government would direct the railway where it would go and everything like that.
Now, a key supporter of us in Queensland was an Ipswich-based solicitor and politician, Arthur McAllister. He actually became the Speaker in the house in the Queensland Parliament. I think his nickname was also 'Slippery' Mac, you know, so we won't go into politics and that. But, he'd actually he'd actually pushed very hard and it went to the Public Works Department if my memory serves me correctly. For the construction of the railway and everything like that. McAllister was Secretary for Lands and Public Works. And it was basically these two had so much of an important impact on your first railway, the type of design, and even the early station buildings.
So in 1863, in May, they introduced the first Bill into Queensland into the Parliament, and it passed with a very small majority in the Legislative Assembly, which was the Lower House then. And then the Legislative Council. We used to have the Upper House and it went there in September of 1863. And it was it was fought, you know, because people said, "Why are we going for...?" "What's this question of 'gauge'?", and they opted for the Three Foot Six (inches) gauge (1067mm).
The consultant who actually worked on it at the time, brought him from overseas and his name was Abram Fitzgibbon, he was Irish. A very interesting character indeed. And he was quite famous or infamous, because when he was called to Parliament to actually talk about this choice of gauge because the idea was you know, "Why go for a narrow gauge and the standard gauge four foot eight and a half then being used in New South Wales, five foot three, and in Victoria and, and he was quite wonderful and Fitzgibbon, actually, he must have kissed the Blarney Stone. It was remarkable.
This man, he actually said to the Queensland Parliament, it's better to go 500 Miles at 15 Miles an hour than 250 miles at 25 miles an hour. And when you hear someone like that saying, look, I can get you so much more for so much less than what you want, sort of thing, and basically, for the Queensland Government, they realised at that stage, look, we've got this amount of money, we're going to borrow and spend and we've been told by you know, this engineer, he will give us this, and that's what the entire thing about, you know, the question of gauge came around to as well anyway, you know.
In 1863, I think it was December when Fitzgibbon was appointed our first Commissioner for Queensland Railways. And he reported directly to Arthur McAllister as well and actually called for tenders for the first section of our line, which is 33.8 kilometres in the modern currency. About 21 miles, I think it was in the old currency as well, from Ipswich to a place a the Little Liverpool range. And the contract was let early in 1864, to be into construction and everything like that. The company that won the contract was Peto, Brassey and Betts. They were a worldwide construction firm, that had actually been building since the 1840s. I think it was, they were constructing railways literally around the world, South America, Russia. They've constructed many of the great trunk works in Britain. They were in the United States, and even in Europe, and then in the Australian colonies, as well.
Annette: Is this the one who was famous for always coming in ahead of schedule,
Greg: Not necessarily this crowd, but there are many contractors later on in the period, who prided themselves on doing that. Peto, Brassey and Betts, actually, had been constructing work in the New South Wales colonies and came here and yeah, they're quite, they're quite a remarkable company, I think, in the 1860s. And again, I'd have to check this up. I think they had a worldwide construction workforce of around 150,000 spread around the world. They were building railways everywhere. And it was really a case, you know, even in this day and age, you know, you can go to certain companies or something like that. Basically, if you need a railway, and, you know, this is how you do it sort of thing. You know, it wasn't flat pack, I can assure you of that anyway, but ship pack, ship, that's why you do it sort of thing. So they were awarded the contract that was for 86,900 pounds. Precisely.
Annette: How much in today's money is 89,600 pounds?
Greg: Oh, Annette. I knew you would ask me that anyway. It's difficult to equate or equal in this day and age. There are various, you're probably I think you told me, using very historical formulas and things like that. It is a difficult thing. One thing I particularly didn't dislike was back in the 1960s. And, the 1970s. They used to decimalise the currency. So! What was seen as 89, 000 pounds. They would make it you know, $178,000. Which you can't do. Basically, the easiest way of really thinking about, it would have been a multi-billion dollar project in today's terms and everything like that, which we still see for railway projects in this day and age, don't we?
Annette: I'm just impressed that they closed the contract in January. And then, what, 18 months later, it's open the railway line.
Greg: Well, that's an interesting story. But as we know, Annette, to actually get from cutting the first sod, (which Lady Bowen did) to actually getting the first engine on the first official trains on the 31st. July, it's still a bit of a story, of course, you would appreciate it anyway. But, I mentioned before about Lady Bowen and she actually turned the first sod at a special ceremony on the 25th of February 1864. So you think about they're awarded the contract in January. And you know, within a month or two, well, six to eight weeks, they're actually inaugurating the railway work so they got into it and started.
Importing materials, and the workers, from Britain
Full steam ahead? A very funny pun, Annette. Well done anyway, Annette in it so that's quite good. So yeah. Why didn't we make the rail here? Did we not have the foundries or anything? We didn't, no.
That was the interesting thing and Annette, well done and thank you for bringing it up straight away. But we didn't have the industrial capacity for it. If you look at places like Brisbane or Toowoomba, here or other places, making rails, making iron, and that it was a big, heavy-duty industry, and you got to remember that stage Britain did pride itself on being the workshop of the world. And they were the industrial revolution that started there, you know, in the latter part of the 18th century, early 19th century.
So the components and basically the technology that was being advanced, therefore make the rails to make everything was being done there. And it was actually quite easy to procure stuff from half a world and bring it here as well. They actually charted the ships and what came out here was, you know, there was one ship it came out on was the Commodore Perry. It was a vessel charted by the Queensland Government. And it brought out all the equipment and personnel for the fledgling railway.
And the other thing is that the railway that came here was in a lot of ways almost like a built for spec railroad as well, too. They'd been constructing railways for two generations in Britain, the rest of the world, in Europe. And what came out, it was very much a British or an English colonial railway. The interesting thing, and I think, you know, this is where I really like exploring the social history side, as we call which is the people's history and that is how did we get this railway? It's what we mentioned earlier on its people, and it's about people. Well, that was it. I mean, this railway that we had here, and we're starting commencement within the work, and that Annette, it was lock stock and boiler barrel.
Labourers
It had to be bought from Britain which included the people that went with it. I think the labourers who were brought here, their story is incredible. They were actually recruited halfway around the world, there was actually an agent, operating in, in Britain, his name was Henry Jordan. And he used to go out and basically, you know, to go get people to come to Queensland, you know, the people who came out they called 'Jordan's lambs', because basically, you know, what they were told, in Britain or places like that, or even Northern Europe, you know, this is what Queensland is, like, you know, and what they got here and what I saw was a completely different world literally sort of thing you know, but they specifically went for in this day and age like as skilled or specialist workers, railway navvies, as they call them, were the construction workers.
And they were valued for these incredible skills. You know, manual labour is to build a railway. They actually came out here and they were expected to work a 10 hour day, they were paid 35 shillings a week and 35 shillings was enormous money for that period. I think when the first AIF went over in the Great War for Australia. They were called five or six 'Bob' day tourists or something like that. There were some of the best paid soldiers in the world. And I mean, that's half a century after this. And so, you know, they had to really pay big money to get people to come here to build this railway, you know, and it was they needed a lot of incentives to bring him out there as well, too, you know, so, yeah,
Annette: I checked into this one as well trying to value it. Yeah. And from what I can see, it was 20 shillings equals one pound. So they got one pound 15 shillings a week. Were they working six, or seven days a week?
Greg: They used to work six days a week. Generally, they'd have Sunday off or the Sabbath or something like that, although, being the railway navvies and the sort of, well basically the misbehavior that used to get up to and were renowned for from a couple of generations and things like that was it was not always a day of rest or anything like that.
Locomotives
The other thing too is the life is the locomotives and things like that. And then, again, with the railway being like the Hornby set the mechanics and everything like that. It was actually imported from Britain. They bought four steam locomotives initially, from they were little engines from the Avonside engine country, the interesting thing is, for those who are really interested, have a look at the first locomotives that were built for the Norwegian railway on a three foot six gauge because that's where the idea of been pioneered and really imported from by Fitzgibbon, and others.
Their first couple of engines I think one's name, one of their names, was 'Haakon' or 'King Haakon'. It was exactly the same sort of engine design that was built there for use in Norway that basically was transplanted here to Queensland. There was a difference. And I went to Norway back in 2018. I went to the last section of three foot six gauge there. The Setesdalbanen and I think the railway is near Kristiansand, and my Norwegian is terrible. I apologise for that, of course, but the locomotives and they had these wonderful photographs on the wall in their office with the volunteers. I took a look at them and they are the same design as the engines that we had for our first railway in Queensland. And these Norwegian fellas looking at me with open eyes. They said: THAT is very interesting, Greg?, and I said, yes, it is.
But their engines were a bit different because they are what we call them tank engines. Side tanks that carry water, and small bunkers. Our engines were different. We had a tender behind (bad joke), but they had a tender, but the big difference is I pointed out to them: Guess what they used to have open cabs in Norway in the snow. But in Queensland, they looked after us, they had a big sun shade basically or they had a roof covering over the footplate where the driver and the firemen used to be as well. Very similar.
And basically it was a standard design as well to you know, is it was really lovely. It was so like coming home in a way I said, you know, our railway story back to really where it began there in Norway. Everything else again, came from overseas, the passenger carriages and everything like that. They came from, I think it was the Ashbury works over in England. They had to buy everything. The remarkable thing is still gets me in this day and age. You know, I like to have a look at it. And I said everything you know, like the ticket, the ticket books, the rule books, the signaling, the railway employees, all the professional railway people were imported from Britain along with their families and everything like that. So it's quite remarkable.
And our first locomotive, Irish. I had in years on when I look at this photograph, it's a lovely little one. And I was told many years ago by Gaelic speakers, it's called ' Faugh-a-Ballagh', which means get out of the way, clear the way. It's an old Irish Gaelic thing a couple of theories about it. One, it was the motto at the Regiment of the Governor of Queensland, George Bowen, which is the Irish Guards 'Faugh-a-Ballagh', 'clear the way!' Another one could have been with the Irish who actually came here to help build a railway funkadelic you know, clear the way as well. So there's quite a couple of other stories that go with it as well.
Workforce
Annette: Earlier, you said we imported our workforce and our engines from England. Did we have Irish come with English as well?
Greg: Ahhh! To be sure! Yeah, actually, that they that was the recruitment that went with it. It was remarkable. Because, you know, the British Isles and a lot of Irish you know, were navvies and things like that. So I said, with Faugh-a-Ballagh that was here. And when you actually go back to the story of the building of the railway here, a lot of railway construction camps when they came up the range and everything like that. They were based on nationality.
So you'd have English camps, Irish camps, there was one called Crowshaws camp. They even have what they called Scandinavian camps, but they are actually probably from North Germany. And you know, so people will be brought under basically from their home country and that and they work in these camps here for obvious reasons. You have language and culture and everything like that. So the Irish were definitely here. And on quite a few occasions later on, they were known for having literally a Donnybrook, especially on St. Patrick's Day, they used to have a riot as well. And it's all documented. As I said, it was a pretty wild time obviously to be around here and Annette anyway.
Annette: Taking full advantage of that watering hole in Grantchester, I'm sure?
Greg: Well, exactly, right. They provided their own as well too. You know, but I suppose why did the line to get go to Bigges Camp? Grandchester it was very simple. That was basically because the line was contracted in five separate stages to construct the railway to build it bit by bit and get it up here to Toowoomba and Bigges Camp or Grandchester was at the foot of the Little Liverpool range. When you would have driven up here today you would have come over Marburg and places like that the Minden range if that's all part of the Little Liverpool Range, so basically they wanted to get a first section of railway line open or a paying section they called it anyway
Bigges Camp
Annette: So what exactly is a paying section?
Greg: Put simply, get a section of line open and basically get traffic on it. Get passengers, get goods on, and start paying for the paying for construction bill paying for the interest, and things like that. Exactly sort of thing you know, so it's a standard practice to get that first section line open and off we go. Oh, while we did the other question you asked me a little while back was about Grandchester, you know this thing about Bigges Camp/Grandchester, where that came from? Very simple.
You couldn't have the name of the terminus of your first railway in Queensland running a place called Bigges Camp, "B-I-G-G-E-S". So they played with it. And as they are marketing people in this day and age would surely love that as well. They Latinized it so they use like they use Latin words to change it.
So Bigges and the play on that became Grand. Chester is the Latin word for a camp or something like that. And that's where the name came from. Bigges Camp was changed to become Grandchester. That's why today's Grandchester although you go to the railway station there it's also got formerly known as Big Scamp as well anyway and people still call Big Scam Grandchester, you know, they just play around with that sort of thing.
I think one of the questions you had early on was, "You know, when did our first train officially run?" And that was actually on 11 January 1865. Again, it was with Faugh-a-Ballagh. They lit it up at North Ipswich and it did a test run with a wagon in the carriage I think if memory serves me correctly, and it took Ipswich by surprise. They didn't know that this test run was being done or anything like that.
Imagine in this day and age it was like with NGRs or something like that rolling out mysteriously in the middle of the night or something like that or some new train. This is in broad daylight and the noise of the first whistle shrieks apparently took a lot of people in Ipswich by surprise. Apparently, local kids, however, turned up who don't obviously, have decided not to go to school for the day, they actually got a free ride as well, too. And our Community Education team? I'm sure we'd love to hear about that sort of thing anyway, in it. So here, so that was it.
Opening the first section
Annette: That's just fantastic. So in January of 1865, we ran our first train. So that is literally less than 12 months from when they turned the sod?
Greg: Exactly, you know, so it just gives you an idea like, you know, this incredible, you know, energy that would have gone with it. And, you know, it certainly wasn't a smooth path building a railway. It's not something for the faint-hearted, as I've told many a person over the time and everything like that.
Annette: Less sixty-hour work week is not for too many people?
Greg: Well, we went back to newspapers of the day, I mean, again, we spoke about the sense of excitement that was building, building, building for the commencement of the railway in Queensland. Now on the 25th of July, Queensland Times, said that preparations are being made for officially welcoming the railway age. They declared a public holiday. That was to be on Monday, the 31st of July.
And you mentioned before that you were talking about invitations, you know, and people who were being invited to events and everything like that, they actually sent 500 invitations out, or are issued by Samuel Wilcox, who was on behalf of Peto, Brassey and Betts, the contractors that are actually authorised or they're going to run four special trains and to carry all the invited guests, the official parties, the locomotives, of course.
The first four locomotives
Those first four, do we actually know the names of the first four? We do know the names of first, we do actually. This is interesting because Queensland never had a big policy of naming locomotives. So unlike the British and other parts of the world, first of all, we mentioned Faugh-a-Ballagh before, again, pardon my Gaelic, we had a lady Bowen, named after the, the wife of the Governor, there was also Pioneer because it was the first one or the beginnings. And the other one was, there was Lady Bowen. There was Premier, and Premier because it means Premier, Premier and Pioneer. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. And Premier was basically not so much after the 'Premier' of the day, but also because again, a first or something like that, you know, Premier, so number one, so you can see, you know, the thing was there, basically, you know, it was about, you know, the importance, the beginning and everything like that, that went with them.
So, they decided that they'd actually with the opening, they would have the big official event, as I mentioned, 500 invitations are sent out and everything like that. Yeah.
Annette: So they've come down. Where did they catch the first train from? Did it start in Ipswich or start up at Bigges Camp?
Greg: They certainly did. Yeah, the train services actually, really began on the actually began on a Saturday, the 29th of July, and on Sunday, the 30th of July, and that was to bring people actually to to Ipswich for the event. So they actually ran trains in from Bigges Camp, carrying people to come down from Toowoomba and places like that. So they ran back to Ipswich, Ipswich was going to be the place where all the first trains departed from and GranDchester was going to be, you know, the place where that major opening event was going to be held from as well to there in it anyway.
Grand opening event
Annette: So what was the grand opening event that they were all headed to?
Greg: Oh, Annette, I knew you'd love this one anyway. That was basically, it was going to be held in it was they erected a large temporary marquee and it was at the railway works where they were building a tunnel through the little Liverpool range. And it was the Little Liverpool tunnel still there today still used as part of the Western Line. There is actually Grandchester, as the station was bypassed on the opening day before trains ran up towards these tunnel works.
And so it was so when people actually got there, like at the train and see the tunneling works being done this tunnel being dug, they actually walked up the hillside to a large they called a plateau or hillside that overlooks the railway works. So you actually could look back down towards Grandchester or Bigges Camp. You'd look towards the tunnel works where the navvies would have been working. And there was this huge marquee that was there. Apparently, it was all decked out in greenery. You got 500 people coming in for a very big champagne fueled event and everything like that. And there was also the great big banner in Gaelic that was strung across the entry to the tent and again my pardon for my Gaelic and that. A 100,000 welcomes. So you asked about the Irish influence before? it was there as well too and anyway.
Annette: A lot of Irish people who are working on the railway? A big influence, there?
Greg: I know there several generations of them are still with us in Queensland Rail as well, Annette. But yeah, so that was the opening. The 31st of July was actually the official date that was set for the event. Newspapers are very good about that because they talk about it being a lovely fine and clear day.
So it was a beautiful typical Queensland, winter day and everything like that. Just like today oh yeah, pretty much so actually here and the trains that were going to depart and everything like that. There was one at 10am, 10.20 10.41, okay, so it was definitely minutes apart. The vice regal train, however, which is one carrying the governor, Governor of Queensland, and the official party there, was to leave at 11am. And apparently, there's large crowds that actually gathered outside for actually gathered outside of the Ipswich railway station for the event and everything like that.
The other interesting thing was the papers of the day we're looking at, was saying, "Well, what was it like?", you know, the opening of the railway, the Daily Guardian, actually, it said that, accepting a little more than the ordinary bustle of a railway terminus at home. There was not a great deal to distinguish the scene yesterday of our first grand adventure into railway locomotion.
Now the Train Guards were just like railroad guards usually, I love this description because you know, it reminds me of so many railway guards I grew up with big bluff, good-humoured looking fellows with big beards, you know, Although the papers said they have lousy uniforms, and a paper describes them as abominably ugly costumes. And they said they should have had something like a smart fitting suit that was provided for them or something like that, that would have been preferred as well, you know, and so that's what they obviously decided. And all I can say is, you know, criticism of the railway uniform began very early in Queensland history should appreciate
Annette: At least, now, our Winter uniform is quite nice.
Locomotive number one
Greg: Exactly right. And we mentioned locomotives before? Apparently, locomotive number one came out from its engine shed at Ipswich popping on the whistle.
Annette: Interestingly, it wasn't how do I say it?
Greg: Not Faugh-a-Ballagh? Now that was interesting, because again, you know, it was the numbering the locomotives and the naming, you know, Faugh-a-Ballagh was number two locomotive number one, I think it was was I don't think it was Lady Bowen. I'll have to check the history notes on it anyway.
But yeah, but apparently it came out and they have been polished until they gleam. They were absolutely beautiful. You know, newspaper accounts say how beautifully they're all polished and everything like that. The other thing, they had like lots of greenery hanging off and like their had, evergreens. And they said, there were palm fronds hanging off the locomotives, are polished up decorated, absolutely beautifully, sort of thing you know, for, for the big event.
We mentioned before, Annette about the locomotive number one coming out, and they trains moving out before it with them, you know, The Viceregal train? Well, the first one to actually move down to Ellenborough Street, which is in Ipswich, the original Ipswich station, that's at 1005. They all ran late on the day, too. That's, that's something not to be anyway. But it was our first adventure into the railway era and everything like that.
They're train that conveyed the vice regal party it left a bit later, after 11 o'clock to rousing cheers. There's also a special salute from cannon that the Ipswich volunteer artillery had set out. So I mean, imagine in this day and age, you know, train setting out for a new journey, and you've basically got, you know, couple of cannon firing off as well, too, you know, so I don't think workplace health and safety would approve somehow without anyway, you know, so that was.
So, it left and the newspaper accounts was, you know, it was a beautiful day. The morning indeed, the entire day continued remarkably fine and clear. Each train passed through the multitudes of people that had assembled so they're all there to see, you know, the first steam train set out and everything like that, they all want to witness history, you know, with the departure of those trains.
The papers, they actually said, it was, you know, it was, yeah, they couldn't help but feel it was on the happiest, most cheering auspices that the first Queensland railway was being opened anyhow, you know. Interestingly enough, there were accounts that not all the trains ran out, you know, passengers on the train, they actually left people behind on platform. That's probably explained by the fact that was our first mass transit event or something like that, and just trying to get people on the trains and yeah, a lot of them you know, are turning up for the first time for this special event.
So I don't think in this day and age, I don't think any of it would be you know, well received, you know, people are being left behind for a special event or something like that. They're heading out on the train that went with it anyway, you know, but yeah, but yeah, it was it was still very much an experiment and I guess you know, your opening your railway for the first time in Queensland, it was the first time we've done it basically as well.
So they travelled out to Bigges Camp, there's nothing remarkable about the countryside there was no grand or glorious scenery or anything like that. One traveller on the train as she described it as dull, dreary and monotonous you know, saif it consisted of a dreary flat of scrub and forest and endless vista of skeleton like Gum trees, rugged looking Ironbark trees. Occasionally, you could see you know, through the window, you know, through the open window. It's the glimpses of a cottage or a shanty in the bushes that was described.
The thing I always loved that there was surrounded by up banana trees or growing corn as well, you know, looking after the home garden. So yeah, so it was it was remarkable. The line? Well, again, with that thing about the narrow gauge, it was sharp curves, you know, steep pinches and climbs and everything like that. The, some of the people who travelled on from the Brisbane Courier were a little bit worried because they thought the ride was a bit rough and everything like that, and they're running around for the curves and everything like that.
Annette: Going at a much faster pace than what they were used to as well.
Greg: Annette, bang on exactly! This, I mean, was the first time in Queensland, probably that they'd actually seen the speed limit. I mean, on the day that they're probably getting up to 35 - 40 kilometres an hour and some of the timetabling that we've got, I mean, some of those trains can run at about 45 kilometre an hour, getting close to, you know, 25 - 30 mile an hour. And I mean, as fast as you know, people have travelled them literally with a racehorse or something like that.
So, so literally, you know, it was travelling, and it's travelling fast for the first time. And it really good with your observation, about that combination of things about, you know, people's understanding of it, like newspapers, the thing I loved was they described as basically the engine drive was like a jockey.
And they're trying to compare it to something that they were familiar with. And I said, like, the driver in the engine was like a jockey on a racehorse, you know, and he's you moving levers and throttles and everything like that. And basically, he was very careful with it and you know, observing speed, speed restrictions and things like that. And that was the thing that I loved about like, he was like a jockey on a horse. And that's the thing I love, you know, people comparing it to something that I'm very familiar with, so readers can have a look and try and understand what they are witnessing.
So I said like a jockey on a horse, you know, so I always have a mental image. A lot of engine drivers I grew up with and everything like that. Yeah, I couldn't imagine them being jockeys anyway. Yeah, you described them earlier. They don't sound like a jockey to me. They certainly don't anyway, but yeah, so anyway, yeah.
But the line was described as a bit some dips and steep climbs. And, yeah, there's a couple of tight curves. And that, you know, the train could only get around somewhere about eight miles an hour, which is what about 12 - 13 kilometres an hour in the modern currency. The newspaper correspondents? Wonderful. The train made a very graceful sweeping around it, indeed, if anything connected with locomotives can be called graceful, or at a stately pace or something like that. Anyway, so yeah, that was quite remarkable.
Annette: How would the passengers have felt wouldn't have been a treacherous trip wouldn't have been a nice smooth sailing trip like we have now?
Greg: That's a really good question as well, again, it was about the expectations and what people I do have a mental image of the ladies of colonial Queensland. Yeah, just in their crinolines, or something like that, having a bit of a shriek or something like that. They might have hit a rough patch in the ballast, going around the curve. And that, I guess, we think it might have been treacherous, you know, a bit of a rough ride.
But you know, it was a railway that had been passed, you know, for operation. They were railway professionals all over the place, like the engine drivers, the station masters, everybody, and things like that. They're all the professionals and everything that went with it as well. So although it might seem treacherous to us in this day and age, I mean, it was a railway. They've been building these railways for, you know, for a couple of decades now. It was an imported railway. So the experience was all there and everything like that. So probably, you know, we'd think it might have been treacherous, it would have been would have been a bit of a rough ride and everything like that, no more rougher than they probably were used to. Yeah.
Annette: Okay. we've talked about how quickly our railway was up and running. Do you think that they sped things up a little bit for the opening?
Greg: They would have had pressure put on and definitely try and get their first section. I'm trying to get it out that, you know, the contractors themselves, they've said, Well contract, and you know, how many months you know, to build that first section, like get that up and running. So you know, the pressure then if you go over the contract, we meant you mentioned earlier before you pay for it, Annette. So yeah, which is what you don't want, I think was still remarkable, because, you know, you know, they did talk about the professional, the railway workers apart from the uniforms and things like that.
But, look, although the railway had gotten into service quickly, it was deemed safe for traffic for the carriage of passengers. And I think the remarkable thing is that period, you know, five years 1865 date to 1970, 233 kilometres, of narrow gauge railway was built in Queensland, it's remarkable and look, the railway promoters and builders of the day they had to contend with a newly created colony of a huge area, the tiny population, limited infrastructure, not much in the way of finances because the colony went for openness later on in 1866.
And that there was completing competing political and economic interest, we want a railway, I want a railway, you know, and everything like that. I mean, their work was a significant achievement. And combined with the major engineering challenges presented by the little Liverpool range, and then the main range eventually when the line got up here. I mean, that period of railway construction was absolutely remarkable than earlier in Queensland anyway, so yeah, they have to build many bridges to get our railway going.
I didn't actually there were four major bridges on that first bit of work hard. There's Iron Pot Creek, there's one across the Bremer River Bridge that actually was road rail bridge. So it was combined, you know, so horse and cart with the Iron Horse, actually if you had to cross that and you will lead it, they actually had a flagman escort that train across the bridge with a red flag and basically warning people with that here comes a steam train. So it's literally going walking pace across that first bridge.
There are four other bridges in Iron Pot Creek, there's the Bremer and two others and again, the iron work for that in it. It came from Britain. Again, it was forged in Britain bought here and then assembled, you know, by people who knew how to do these things. There were trestle bridges and a lot of bridges because a lightweight railway that we had here in Queensland made use of a lot of timber as well, too.
Are any of those bridges still standing? They're not now part of the right of ways we call it in the railways used for a bike trail now from Ipswich/North Ipswich to Wulkuraka on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. It's actually before that, and it has made me look forward to seeing you getting out on your bike and with the kids there at some stage and experimenting on it. But the iron work for some of those early bridges is still used on bridges here in Queensland today. It's actually I think, one up near Maryborough, a pedestrian bridge, and they actually use that, you know, part of that iron work was recycled, they used to do that recycle it onto the bridges.
So the spirit of 1865 is still very strong literally in various parts of Queensland sort of thing you know. I'll be honest Annette, as a historian and person, I really wish I could have been there to witness it, you know, because the people that they knew they were making history. I would like to be there to witness it and see people's reactions and that but to get back to that opening day, the first train it stopped at Walloon. It got in at Bigges Camp at 11.06am, and that was just over an hour for a run of 21 miles. So it gives you an idea even with a stop. When they got to Bigges Camp, when they got there, they went the extra mile or two up the line there.
They stopped at Walloon but you know it's an hour for a 21 mile journey. I mean, well, you know that's that's you know, speed and you know, the vice regal party you know, they got into they got in about 1.20pm in the afternoon I think it was. We mentioned before Bigges Camp station in trains, you know, continue up yet to let their passengers detrain and then they can go off on the hillside and have all the fun there at the Grand Marquee and everything like that. Why couldn't they stop at Bigges camp? Well, basically I think it was one of those things because a half completed station think was the give the impression and I think it was to make a statement, I suppose you'd say in this day and age in it.
And the statement was basically about those tunnelling works on the Little Liverpool range railway. And also the railway works and is an interesting story. And I'm happy to tell you now the story is that there was a sapling or there was a seedling that was planted from Moreton Bay fig tree by Lady Bowen on the day of the opening. And the story is that it is still there today. We're fairly sure in the railway actually, we have located where that marquee took place and we're reasonably sure of the location where it was. And I can say one thing today if you know that area and Grandchester in the area beyond there is a very large Moreton Bay fig tree up on the hillside. And the story is correct about that it's entirely possible but we're reasonably confident with historical research. The past couple of years we've identified where the marquee and that wasn't one of these days will divulge you know secret railway historian business or something like that.
Annette: Be interesting to see other than a now like because they walked up and they could see the tunnelling works and they could see the big scam. What it would be like now if we went for a walk and we found this?
Greg: It's lovely, you know, if there's, if that story is true, you know, and I've seen the area you know, at the Moreton Bay fig tree. I hope it's true. Anyway, it's a one on one that's wonderful railway tales that go with it, you know. We're back on the 30/31 July. Sumptuous lunch and lots of champagne toasts, or lots and lots and lots of long-winded speeches, and lots of crossover, the Queen, toast, and everything like that. And then the trains department, they got their guests back at about 6pm And that was in time for that green ball and everything like that. No, do I think he got a bit of an interest in there coming from the clothing variety?
Annette: Yes. So it's just interesting. So they've been out to their luncheon they've had the day they've had their lunch their champagne, they've got back on the train then they're in town. They get back in town just in time for the ball. So are they fully dressed in their ballgown during lunch as well as ready to go
Greg: That's a really good point actually had to ask around and ask my wife about that one as well too. It is possible they might have had a bit of a quick change of provided for them but the lady's and that of course, you know, crinolines and everything like that, the gentleman would have been in their full suits and everything like that. I guess the way one thing is at least they weren't burning coal on the steam locomotives, they burn wood timber. And they did that up until the 1870s. So it shouldn't have been too smoky for them, you know, too black from coal dust or coal smoke or anything like that. But yeah, it's an interesting question. And again, you know, there might have been a quick change involved otherwise, they might have rolled from one to the other sort of thing you know, and yeah, it's interesting.
Annette: I have seen some of those dresses. I can't imagine there's a quick change here with a...
Greg: Crinoline or something like that with the corsets and all those sorts of things. But, yeah, it's a very good point. Annette again, what a pity we could have been there to ask, are you sure you should be going out dressed like that, sort of thing? You know? So exactly.
We talked about this day of age of coordinated travel, the world of gocards, and everything like that. What was more remarkable Annette, was actually, from when that railway opened for Ipswich to Bigges Camp, July of 1865. There was coordinated travel available. We had a coordinated ticket, you know, 156 years ago, you know, allowing you to go from Brisbane to Toowoomba. And we'll have part by train part by stagecoach. And that's how they did. It's quite remarkable, you know, fantastic.
Annette: The forethought, isn't it?
Greg: You know, they've been doing it for a generation or two. And they're getting into it, you know, I imagined the navvies in that they probably celebrated, you know, as well to on the opening that first section the next day, first of August, well, they would have been getting on with building a railway line up the Toowoomba Range, and there are sections there.
You probably would have heard, you know, basically, you know, pick and shovel going on, you would have seen the literally hundreds of workers stretching off into the distance, they're working on the tunnels, you know, the working on those works going up towards Toowoomba, that you might have actually heard, you know, the crump of a blasting powder being used in some of the works and that so you know, would have been that hive of activity would have been continuing off from the first of August and that, there is a lovely, lovely story.
Ellis Frere, Professor Maurice French, a historian in Toowoomba. He came across a lovely account in a book that he wrote called travellers in the landscape and it was about people's visions of, you know, the Darling Downs and that and he came across in August 1865, this lovely account by a lady by the name of Ellis Frere.
She recalled her experience of travelling on a narrow gauge railway here in Queensland and she said: "Next day we sent on the carriage and horses by an early train to Bigges Camp..." and just interesting.
The horse and the carriage were carried on the train to Bigges Camp so they had horse wagons they would put the horses in they would have had like a flat wagon they would have put their carriage on as well so you know coordinated travel and that.
She's described it as "the only piece of railroad yet opened in Queensland...", well railway, thank you very much. The funny thing is you know not quite accurate the gauge is all about 'three feet', well 1067 millimetres and she said, they cannot "with anything wider have managed the sharp curves which frequently occur in the course of the 21 miles", so again, you know the economy measures as we spoke about.
"The carriages take three persons abreast". Well, in this day and age be interested to see how many they could take sort of thing, "but enable them to do the carriages are made to project considerably on either side of the wheels". "So going around some of the sharpest curves one can easily see into the next carriage, but one", I think that might have been a little bit but you know, the idea of the curves, the tight curves and looking to the next carriage and things like that.
The lovely thing that Ellis said is that "an old woman in our carriage was very proud of this little bit of railroad." I think that's just a lovely thing. You know, obviously an older woman, you know, a settler here in Queensland, still very proud of those first, you know, 21 miles of railway.
Well, we spoke about before that little bit of railway was extended further westward. In April of 1866, IT got across the Little Liverpool range. It got through a partially completed Victoria tunnel. So it's the longest tunnel on a single bore on the system. First of June of 1866, they got through to Gatton. However, the major ascent which is up here to Toowoomba didn't open until the first of May 1867. But I'll have to say about that one Annette, as we say that's another story for another time.
Conclusion
Annette: Thanks so much for listening to our first episode. If you've enjoyed the podcast, please leave a comment review or follow us for more episodes. If you have any Queensland Rail history questions you'd love for Greg to cover. Please message us on the Queensland Rail, Facebook, or Instagram pages. This is the Queensland Rail History podcast with a new episode every month. Thanks for listening.