Eastern Railway Stage 2

Statement of Significance

The route was part of the major eastern link for all rail transport in Western Australia from 1896 until 1966, and gave rise to the establishment of settlements and industries in the hills district. The place has been part of a railway reserve heritage trail since 1988 and is highly valued by the local and wider community as a walking, cycling, and bridle trail. The trail is intensively used for recreational purposes and provides important historical reminders of an era when the Hills community was linked to Midland by rail.

Physical Description

The place was formerly the Stage 2 section of the former Eastern Railway that now comprises a popular heritage walk trail system between Bellevue and Chidlow’s Well. The rails and sleepers have long since been removed, and the route now comprises low gradient bridle and walk trails that follow the paths left by the original railway lines. The trails include remnants of associated railway infrastructure including cuttings, embankments, sidings, loading ramps, culverts, spur lines, and platforms. A series of information shelters house interpretive material relevant to the railway history and local flora and fauna.

History

In 1881, the first stage of what became known as the Eastern Railway was completed by the State government and ran between Fremantle and Guildford. Shortly after the opening of this section, funds were approved by the Legislative Assembly for the construction of Stage 2, which extended the line to Childow's Well. The use of dynamite was used to create cuttings and embankments for the new railway. Infrastructure included sidings, platforms, loading ramps, and bridges. In February 1883, problems were encountered at a point on the proposed route north of Nyaania Creek which became known as ’Devil’s Terror‘, where the ground consisted of soap stone and pipe clay. Likened to quicksand, a three metre rail would sink under its own weight and the sides of the cutting would collapse. The engineering solution to this challenge was the permanent realignment of Nyaania Creek from its original course to several metres south of the railway track, with an embankment designed and constructed to keep water away from the railway line. Work was completed on stage 2 of the Eastern Railway in 1884. However, the section through the Darling Range included some difficult curves and steep grades. In the 1890s, as traffic on the route became increasingly heavier, these defects began to take their toll. The authorities realised the impossibility of running an efficient goods service to the Goldfields over a line with such steep grades, and newly appointed Engineer in Chief, C.Y. O’Connor identified and surveyed an alternative route with work commencing in 1894 on the Eastern Railway Deviation (P2660 RHP). Stage 3 of the Eastern Railway which stretched from Chidlow's Well to York was constructed by Edward Keane and completed in 1885. During the 1950s, bus travel between Midland and the various settlements in the hills gradually became more popular and rail patronage began to decline. By 1952, the Mundaring Weir branch had closed, and the Stage 2 section of the Eastern Railway closed in 1954, followed by the original route between Midland and Mundaring in 1958. In 1988, the Commonwealth/ State Bicentennial Commemorative program saw 17 Heritage Trails established across the State that were funded by the Commonwealth and Western Australian governments and were known collectively as the W.A. Heritage Trail Network. The Railway Reserves Heritage Trail was developed as part of this program by the Mundaring Bicentennial Community Committee, at which time the areas around the original township railway stations were rehabilitated. Part of the heritage trail encompasses the former route of the Stage 2 Eastern Railway. Beginning at Bellevue, following the route along both sides of Great Eastern Highway joining up at Mount Helena to form a unique 41km loop following the original railway formations before extending out to Wooroloo Reserve.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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