East Maitland to West Maitland railway 1857-1858
When the Hunter River Railway Company was formed, the intention by the Company and subsequently by the NSW government, was to see a railway that extended from Newcastle through Maitland to Singleton and beyond. On 2 February 1856, for example, the Maitland Mercury reported that a party of government surveyors had been working from West Maitland toward Singleton and had pegged out the intended railway line past Lochinvar and as far as Harpers Hill. On 13 February 1856, it reported that a levelling survey had been completed as far as Singleton.
The first step, however, was to realise the extension of the railway from East to West Maitland.
The expectation was that the building of this next section would commence soon after the opening of the Hexham to East Maitland link that occurred on 30 March 1857. However, work stalled. On 5 May 1857 a Mercury article recorded the frustration of local residents and businesses, noting that the ‘neglect was inexcusable’.
Finally, on 27 June 1857, the Mercury published a notice stating that, at the expiration of forty days from the publication of the notice, work was to commence on the continuation of the railway from East Maitland to West Maitland, and that the plans could be viewed at the office of the commissioners at Sydney and at the office of the clerk of Petty Sessions at East Maitland.
On 9 July 1857 there was a call for tenders for the construction of ‘two miles and sixty-seven chains’ (4.5 km) of railway between East and West Maitland.
The contractor for the extension was Mark Faviel (who also held the contract for the erection of the Newcastle Lighthouse). The first turf was turned on 14 September 1857 at East Maitland. Work had also commenced at the West Maitland end of the line. Completion of construction was expected in three months.
Progress at East Maitland was slow. It was only by mid-November that preparations for the bridge over Melbourne Street (Morpeth Road) had commenced. By early January 1858, it was only half completed.
On 22 March 1858, Mr Bell, the engineer and William Wright of Newcastle marked out the ground for the West Maitland station at the Elgin Street crossing. It was to be a brick building of about 70 feet in length, with a verandah and platform in front. It would house the necessary offices for a railway station and there were two waiting rooms, one for the exclusive use of female passengers.
West Maitland Railway Station, 1877.
In early May, the mouth of Wallis Creek was closed and a new cutting to the river was made to facilitate the alignment of the railway. Heavy rain soon after the cut was made, caused a rise in the creek and the restriction at the new Wallis Creek bridge caused inundation of the farm land on the upstream side of the railway. During the night of 11 May, the pent up waters rushing under the bridge eroded the bed, deepening the cut. A petition of the farmers and land proprietors of Louth Park, Dagworth, Ravensfield, Fishery Creek, and nearby places was sent to the railway commissioners requesting that the creek bed be lowered to its previous depth to save them from ruin. The cutting was subsequently made three feet deeper.
Part of the parish map of West Maitland, 1885, showing the old and new mouths of Wallis Creek.
(Parish maps: NSW Land Registry Services | HLRV (nswlrs.com.au)
By the end of June 1858, ballasting of the line had been completed beyond the High Street crossing and by 13 July, the West Maitland Railway Station and goods shed were complete. At the same time, a permanent station building was being erected in East Maitland, with an entrance via stone steps from Day Street. The Mercury of that day gave a lengthy word picture description of the railway between East and West Maitland.
By 26 June 1858 the line between East and West Maitland was nearing completion and preparations were in hand to declare a general holiday and a grand celebration for the opening. 22 July 1858 was the date selected and a letter of invitation was sent to the Governor General.
The celebrations at the opening of the East to West Maitland railway line are the focus of Part 6 of my account of the building of the Great Northern Railway.
