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Queensland Rail

Description

History

The decision to build a railway in Queensland was made after it was realised that the current condition of roads in the state was rapidly deteriorating, making means of transport such as dray carts and the like difficult to navigate. The use of such transport was also made impossible during large wet spells as the roads became extremely muddy, causing carts to be bogged. Although a transport committee was established in 1860 to deal with the abysmal condition of current roads, it was not until 1863 that serious talk was made regarding the establishment of funds to build a railway line. Finally, the Moreton Bay Tramway Company was established to build a line from Ipswich to Toowoomba, however the funds needed to start this line could not be raised. So, once again the idea was put on-hold, until finally, after much political debate the Australian Government agreed to finance the line.

Many people may wonder why Ipswich and not Brisbane was chosen as the starting point of this new railway line, and this can be put down to several factors including the fact that:

– Transport between Brisbane and Ipswich was well established and reliable

– Ipswich at the time had a large influence over the state of Queensland

– The government already had plans that had been developed for a similar line from this point.

Finally in January 1864 the contract for the construction of the Ipswich to Grandchester line was awarded to famed British company, Peto, Brassey and Betts for the sum of 86,900 pounds. In February of the same year the first sod was turned at North Ipswich by Lady Roma Bowen, wife of the current Governor. The construction itself was supposed to be a fairly straight-forward process in the beginning, with the tracks running from the North Ipswich site along the Bremer River to Grandchester. However, when residents in the Ipswich area were made aware of this route, there was outrage, as they had previously been promised a road/rail bridge over the Bremer River, to replace the small inadequate pontoon that was currently in use. As such the plans were altered and construction began with the added inclusion of a new bridge over the River. As well as this bridge three smaller river crossings were also constructed during this section of the line. In the beginning materials used to construct the line were sent from England to Ipswich where they were manufactured into parts for the line and then were shipped up the river on a barge or pulled up the already completed line by horse-drawn tram.

In April 1865, the first unofficial railway trip travelled along a portion of the newly erected track. This trip ran from the beginning of the line at the North Ipswich Workshops and stopped at Guilfoyle’s Gully, near Walloon. Altogether, it was a distance of approximately 12km. Finally, on Monday the 31st of July, 1865 the official opening of the first section of the proposed line took place. Much fanfare was had with dignitaries, political figures, numerous speeches, music and a luncheon being held in honour of this most important occasion is Queensland’s history. The train journey itself, rather than leaving from North Ipswich, this time travelled from the new and partly constructed Ipswich Station and made its way through to Grandchester where the festivities were held for those travelling aboard. The journey took 66 minutes and was celebrated with approximately 500 guests from around Queensland as well as the Governor and Lady Bowen. After the line was declared open by the Governor, normal services resumed for the public the very next day, with two trains travelling each way daily, excluding Sunday’s, from Ipswich at 7.00am, Walloon at 7.40am and arriving at Grandchester at 8.30am. The train made only one return journey, which left from Grandchester at 1.00pm and arrived in Ipswich.

In celebration of 150 years of railways in Queensland various events were held in 2015, including re-enactments, steam train journey’s, exhibitions and much more. One such event was the Grandchester Steamfest which was a free event held on Sunday the 26th of July. The Workshops Rail Museum hosted a number of interesting events for both families and train enthusiasts including: The Railways Exhibition from the 15th of June to the 6th of December; Steam Train Sunday: held on the 5th of July and the 23rd of August; and a Railway Heritage Conference was held from the 25th to the 28th of July 2015.

References (offline)“Triumph of the Narrow Gauge” by John Kerr

“Behind the tin fence” edited by Veronica Macno, Geraldine Mate and David Mewes

"Final Gauge” by Robyn BuchananReferences (online)Getting to Ipswich - a historical look [YouTube, Queensland Rail, accessed 12/02/2024]Railway Archaeology Ipswich (Qld)

Images

Ellenborough Street from railway line, Ipswich, c.1984

Historical Marker, Ipswich To Walloon Railway Line, Collins Street and North Street, Brassall

Ipswich Little Theatre re-enactment of the first rail journey from Ipswich to Bigge's Camp, Rosewood, Ipswich,1965

Ipswich Railway Station, Union Street, Ipswich, 1965

Memorial to mark the beginning of the first railway line constructed in Queensland, North Ipswich, 1970

Part of the re-enactment of the opening of the Ipswich to Grandchester railway line, North Ipswich, 1965

Picnic train for Railway Workshops staff from North Ipswich, 1916

Puffing Billy before relocating to Queens Park, North Ipswich, 1969

Railway Workshops, Ipswich, 1887 (1990s)

Re-enactment of opening of the Ipswich to Grandchester railway line, North Ipswich, 1965

Steam train beside Woolworths Supermarket, Ipswich, 2000-2005

Tarpaulin shed, part of the old Railway Workshops, North Ipswich, 1980s

Histories

150 Years of Rail in Queensland

Bundamba - Ipswich Heritage Study 1992 Volume 3

Final Gauge: The History of Ipswich Railway Workshops, Ipswich, 1996

From Rail To War: Queensland Railways employees who enlisted Anglo Boer War 1899-1902 & The Great War 1914-1918

Industrial - Dinmore - Ipswich Heritage Study 1992 Volume 2

Industrial - Goodna - Ipswich Heritage Study 1992 Volume 2

Industrial - Ipswich - Ipswich Heritage Study 1992 Volume 2

Industrial - North Ipswich - Ipswich Heritage Study 1992 Volume 2

Ipswich Heritage Study 1992 Volume 2: Inventory of Heritage Items: Aboriginal and Industrial

Ipswich Remembers: military heritage of Ipswich from the 1860s to the 1990s, Ipswich, 1995

Jubilee History of Ipswich: A Record of Municipal, Industrial and Social Progress

Why we love Ipswich

Architecture

Booval Railway Station

Bremer River Rail Bridge

Bundamba Railway Station

Ebbw Vale Railway Station

Grandchester Railway Station

Ipswich Railway Station

Redbank Railway Station

Rosewood Railway Station

Sadliers Crossing Railway Bridge

Images - Ips Heritage Study

Culvert, in gully opposite Gregory Street, North Ipswich, 1991

Hancock's railway siding, North Ipswich, 1991

Heiner Bridge, North Ipswich, 1991

Old Railways Stores building that formed part of the Ipswich Railway Workshops and is now (2013) part of Riverlink Shopping Centre, North Ipswich, 1991

Sign advertising opening of a museum at the old Railways Stores building that formed part of the Ipswich Railway Workshops and is now (2013) part of Riverlink Shopping Centre, North Ipswich, 1991

Stonework at the site of the old Railways Stores building that formed part of the Ipswich Railway Workshops and is now (2013) part of Riverlink Shopping Centre, North Ipswich, 1991

Video

Ipswich - Queensland's Railway City - Chasing Our Past

Ipswich's Industrial Past Through a Museum Showcase - Chasing Our Past At Home

Ipswich's Industrial Past: More Than Railways and Mines - Chasing Our Past At Home

Ipswich: A Journey of Discovery (18 minute version)

Ipswich: A Journey of Discovery (7 minute version)

Mining and Ipswich

The New Ipswich, 1947

Images - Whitehead Studio

Bridge and Railway Yards in flood, Ipswich, 1893

Demolition at Ipswich Railway Workshops, Ipswich, 1910

Derailment on main line between Ipswich and Toowoomba, c.1910

Electric train on the Darra to Ipswich train line, Ipswich, 1980

Railway Engine no.117, Ipswich, 1920s

Organisations

North Ipswich Railway Workshops

Queensland Railways Locomotive Museum

Redbank Railway Workshops

The Workshops Rail Museum (Queensland Museum)

Fun & Games

Children's History Activities: Year 3, Activity 4 - Our Monuments and Memorials

Colouring Ipswich - Transport: A-10 No. 3 locomotive

Ipswich Heritage Education Kit - Unit 4 Transport

Images - Queensland Times

Ipswich railway project, Ipswich, November 1977

Steam train workers, Ipswich, November 1977

Letters & Manuscripts

Minute Book - Ipswich City Council, 1914-1916

Documents

Ipswich Yearbook, Volume 1, 1977-1978

Images - I.X.L. Studio

Lady Bowen, first engine employed by the Queensland Railways, 1860s

Heritage Trails

Central and North Ipswich Engineering Heritage: A Walk / Drive Tour, Judith Nissen & Brian Becconsall, 2022

Guest Curator Collections

Greg Hallam - Historian, Queensland Rail

Connections

Curated CollectionsTransport & Automotive

Linked To

Curated Collections

Transport & Automotive

Images

Government & Non-Government Organisations (14)

Histories

Government & Non-Government Organisations (12)

Architecture

Government & Non-Government Organisations (9)

Images - Ips Heritage Study

Government & Non-Government Organisations (9)

Video

Government & Non-Government Organisations (7)

Images - Whitehead Studio

Government & Non-Government Organisations (6)

Organisations

Government & Non-Government Organisations (4)

Fun & Games

Government & Non-Government Organisations (3)

Images - Queensland Times

Government & Non-Government Organisations (2)

Letters & Manuscripts

Government & Non-Government Organisations

Documents

Government & Non-Government Organisations

Images - I.X.L. Studio

Government & Non-Government Organisations

Heritage Trails

Government & Non-Government Organisations

Guest Curator Collections

Government & Non-Government Organisations

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike Australian License

This licence lets you remix, tweak, and build upon our work noncommercially, as long as you credit us and license your new creations under these identical terms. You can download, redistribute, translate, make remixes and produce new stories based on our work. All new work based on ours will carry the same licence; so any derivatives will also be noncommercial in nature.

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Queensland Rail