Victoria - Colonial: 1854-1900.
Early lines in Central Victoria.

 

As described elsewhere, the first Victorian lines ran from Melbourne to Williamstown. In September 1854, an extension of the line was commenced and, on the 5th of December following, communication with Geelong was established. In November 1855, it was decided to extend the lines, respectively from Geelong to Ballaarat and from Melbourne to Sandhurst via Castlemaine (McGowan's Report for half year ending 31 December 1856). Clearly the extensions were designed to extend telegraphic communication to the goldfields.

This general area had amazing gold deposits. There were so many stories published in the various newspapers that, in today's terms, are still difficult to comprehend. One such is that published in the Mount Alexander Mail of 20 June 1860

"Another Monster Nugget.

The escort today conveys to town a nugget weighing 805oz - found within the last few days at KingowerAbout 15 km south-west of Inglewood.. Thus within the short space of one month we have had to chronicle the discovery of 1,645oz.46.6 kg. of gold in three lumps, all lying in or near what is popularly called abandoned ground — one nugget weighing 600 oz, the second 240 oz, and the third 805 oz. The discovery of these enormous masses of gold in so short a space of time, and in distance with which the interests of Castlemaine are intimately connected, renders it specially incumbent on the inhabitants of this neighbourhood to make arrangements for insuring a thorough prospecting of the locality ... This week the total escort is larger than for some months past, and it is observable that the main increase is from the fields to the west and north-west from Dunolly and from Inglewood. Between these places and Castlemaine there are vast tracts of ground only partially worked but known to be auriferous and areas equal in extent, which, though as yet innocent of the digger's pick and shovel, are often pointed to as containing unimaginable deposits of wealth. Let but an effort be made corresponding to the real importance of the thing to Castlemaine".

In his Report to December 1857, McGowan noted (p. 6) "one of the lines contemplated for construction in 1858 was that from Castlemaine
to Ballaarat embracing en route Maryborough, Dunolly, Creswick, etc." .

The Gazette of 9 April 1858 announced the tender for constructing the Castlemaine to Ballarat telegraph line has been awarded to J. Snowball for £62 per mile. The Star of 26 May 1858 elaborated the Gazette announcement with more details:

"The contract for the extension of the telegraph from Castlemaine to Ballarat has been taken by Messrs Snowball and Co. - the contractors for the new Court House and other public buildings in Sandhurst. The work will be commenced on Monday next and, as there is no doubt it will be vigorously proceeded with, we may expect in the course of about four months, that two óf the most important gold fields of the Colony viz. Bendigo and Ballarat, will be in immediate communication with each other".

On 19 January 1858, the Bendigo Advertiser, in replying to an opinion about the extension of telegraph lines beyond Bendigo to Epsom stated:

"It would be more desirable, at present, that any telegraphic extension from the Sandhurst Station should take the direction of other goldfields, than that the funds available for the purpose should be expended in the manner suggested by our correspondent. There can be no question that benefits of an inestimable nature would accrue to the trading community of Bendigo by the wires being carried on to Echuca so as to afford the numerous overland parties with stock who enter Victoria at that point, an immediate means of communication with us. It is undeniable, also, that it would give the police facilities, which they do not at present possess, for the apprehension of horse and cattle stealers, as well as bushrangers and other malefactors who hover about the borders ready, after having committed depredations here, to escape into the sister colony. Again, if any extension is to take place from Sandhurst, one of the first steps should be to connect us with the McIvor Heathcote, Mt. Ida and Goulburneast of Seymour goldfields. The sum of £15,000 has been placed on the Estimates for the extension of main lines of telegraph and, while we may reasonably claim that a portion of it shall be devoted to the works of which we have spoken, we do not know that we could show good grounds for claiming any extension just now in the immediate locality".

In February 1858, residents of the Dunnolly area noted at a public meeting that "they had received an assurance that the telegraph would be extended to Dunolly within a few months".

On 23 February 1858, the Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser stated:

"Specifications and plans had now been invited, and were in forward state, for the construction of the line from Sandhurst to Echuca, from Castlemaine to the Avoca via Newstead, Tavistock and Maryborough; also from Newsted via Gainsford to Ballarat. It also supposed that there would be sufficient funds to complete the line from Maryborough to Dunolly.

We can scarcely avoid thinking that some mistake must have occurred in the report of the latter part of this reply — surely it is not intended to make the extension from Castlemaine to Ballarat before that to Dunolly. If such a course were adopted, it would be a gross injustice to both Maryborough and Dunolly. Castlemaine is already in telegraphic communication with Ballarat, via Melbourne, whilst Dunolly is without any telegraph at all and that, although it has been promised the same for upwards of twelve months. The expense, too, of the line from Maryborough to Dunolly would be inconsiderable and the interests of the two towns would be much forwarded by the intercommunication.

We would go further and advocate the extension to KingowerMaldon and KorongWedderburn area. because these places are peculiarly in want of a telegraph, being left so bare of all police support. The best route from Castlemaine would be by TarrangowerOn a line from Dunnolly and Castlemaine, Carisbrook and Maryborough to Dunolly and Avoca. Between Avoca and Maryborough the line might branch off to Daisy Hill (Ed. just below Maryborough) , thence to Burn BankNW of Clunes and Fiery CreekBeaufort. This would at once connect Castlemaine with Ballarat and the expense would be about a third of the sum of that via Gainsford, whilst the line would run through more populous districts.

It is to be hoped the Government will cause another examination before rashly adopting the course indicated by Mr. Ebden. If it be left to Mr. McGowan, we may safely trust that such will be the case".

By May 1858, the lines nominated in the 1857 Report had been altered because, by then, tenders had been let for two lines:

    1. a line from Castlemaine to Ballaarat via Guilford, Daylesford and Creswick;

    2. a line from Castlemaine to Avoca via Maldon, Dunolly, Carisbrook and Maryborough.

By June 1858, McGowan reported that "The lines diverging from Castlemaine and Sandhurst are progressing, on the whole, satisfactorily; but considering that the contracts for these lines are being executed during our winter months, it cannot be expected that the same progress should be made as would be attainable were the works to be prosecuted during the more favourable season of the year".

Gold discoveries in the general area were becoming more frequent. For example, at Hard Hills, Dunolly, a 22 ounce623 grams nugget was found. Hence those areas needed rapid communication facilities. The short branch from Maryborough to Avoca was originally viewed as an extension of this circuit primarily intended to service the goldfields. In 1859, the Lamplough rush and subsequent discoveries gave Avoca a vital population and commercial centre. For example, from 1859 to 1870, gold worth at least £2,500,000 - and perhaps three times that amount - was sent from Avoca to Melbourne. Both Maryborough and Avoca were developed through the gold rush and both were the centres of their region's commercial and administrative life.

In McGowan's Report for 1860, he notes that

"The short line from Maryborough to Creswick via Back CreekLater changed to Talbot and Clunes was opened with Back Creek in 21 January 1861 and will probably be opened with Clunes on or about 5 February. This line would have been opened at a much earlier date but for the delay occasioned through there being no provision for stations at the time of its completion (the vote having been previously exhausted ...

The short extension from Dunolly to TarnagullaShady Creek was opened on the 1st November 1860 but the decease of the late manager at Tarnagulla occasioned a temporary interruption to the business of the office which was not fairly opened until the 18th November since which date the communcation has been regularly maintained".

Not only did this line make telegraphic sense but huge nuggets were also being discovered in the area around Talbot - ranging from 5.0 kg to 8.3 kg with a number of "smaller" nuggets between 1 kg and 2 kg. Indeed Talbot was becoming a very substantial town with six streets of stores. Even so, the operation of the line lacked efficiency for some time. For example, The Age of 17 October 1870 noted that "Complaints still reach the newspapers from persons interested in the telegraphic communication between Ballarat and Clunes. An important message took exactly two hours and a quarter to send from Ballarat to Clunes and about two hours and a half to get an answer".

Yet another extension was also sought at about the same time - from Tarnagaulla to Inglewood and so establish a basis to complete that northerly connection.

 

Inglewood.

The final line in this area was that to Inglewood. There were two possibilities for linking to Inglewood - one from Sandhurst and the other from Tarnagulla.

As early as 28 September 1860, The Argus reported:

"Mr. Manders and Mr. Hildreth also yesterday attended, as a deputation, upon the Postmaster-General, for the purpose of applying for the extension of the telegraph from Tarnagulla to Inglewood.

The Postmaster-General said he had some personal knowledge of Inglewood, having himself paid it a visit on the opening of the gold-field when he was favourably impressed with the features presented by the district. His conviction still was that, sooner or later, Inglewood would develop itself as a permanent township and the centre of a gold-fields district. But, as he said then he repeated now, the Government must have tangible evidence of the permanency of the district before venturing upon expensive public works of the character proposed.

He had referred the matter to the Superintendent of Telegraphs, by whose judgment with regard to the opening of new lines he was bound to some extent, and he represented that a line to Inglewood at the present time would not pay expenses. The cost of the extension to Inglewood, including the erecting of an office, would be £1,500; and the working expenses In 1865, total cost of maintenance at Inglewood was £595 with 1,877 messages transmitted and cash revenue of £213.would be from £300 to £400 per year.

Mr. Manders, as a miner, had no hesitation in saying that the worst at Inglewood was past, that there would be a gradually increasing population and that the place would become permanent. He was strongly of the opinion that, 12 months hence, Inglewood would be one of the greatest and best gold-fields in Victoria and that even then, Inglewood would be only in its infancy.

The Postmaster-General said he should be glad to see all the expectations of the deputation realised and, whether in or out of the Government, he should be ready and willing, at all times, to advance the interests of Inglewood. The Government was only waiting for tangible evidence of the place becoming permanent before taking such measures as might be necessary for the accommodation required.

Mr. Hildreth inquired whether, in the event of statistics being sent down from Inglewood to convince the Government of the permanent character of the district, it would place a vote on the Estimates for the works now applied for? The Postmaster-General said the Government would take an open vote for the extension of existing lines of telegraph and, if anything new arose in Inglewood to warrant the extension of the line to that place, it was quite possible for the Government to provide for it out of the open vote. There was no doubt of Inglewood having the telegraph at no distant day, because it lay between Tarnagulla and Swan Hill, which it was desirable, owing to the traffic across the Murray at that point, should be in possession of telegraphic communication with the metropolis.

The deputation expressed their thanks and withdrew".

The Inglewood Branch was extended from SandhurstBendigo direct to Inglewood in the following year. The Inglewood Advertiser of 20 September 1861 reported "The telegraph to Inglewood is now completed as far as the contractors for the line (Messrs A. S. Rust and Co.) are concerned and they deserve credit for the manner in which the work has been done; they have finished their contract within the time specified and we are given to understand by persons competent to judge that the line will bear favourable comparison with any other in the colony. The insulators are of improved make, being German porcelain instead of glazed earthenware, as generally used, and the posts, which are box, are on the whole as good a lot as we have ever seen used. The telegraph office is being erected very fast and, should there be no delay in forwarding the instruments, etc., we may fully expect to have the line in operation in a fortnight". The Telegraph Office opened about mid-October.

Tenders were called in June 1876 "for the supply and erection of Telegraph Poles along the railway line between Sandhurst and Inglewood". In August 1876, advertisements were placed in newspapers for "Men to sink Telegraph Holes between Sandhurst and Inglewood". Construction of this second line was completed in 1877 and a new office was opened. This new created a connection to the earlier line linking Dunnolly through Maldon to Castlemaine at the southern end of the Swan Hill line as well as to the Wycheproof line.

The subsequent lines.

The above developments established the basis for other lines to be established - especially:

Details of the ways each of these subsequent lines extended from the basis shown above to the definitions of the lines in 1889 can be found by following the hyperlinks.

Copies of the original maps of the lines completed by 1864 are included in McGowan's 1864 Report.

The 1890 classifications.

By 1890, the lines constructed in the early parts of the 1860s had been shuffled in various ways. Hence it is not as easy to validly claim a particular line could be allocated to a given number in the 1890 classification. Some which may claim a degree of parallelism are:

Line 13: Melbourne through Footscray test box, Castlemaine to Sandhurst (quadruplex).
Line 15: Melbourne through Footscray tests box, New Gisborne, Macedon Railway,
Upper Macedon to Kyneton (connected to No. 158 Daylesford).