Wingello:RailwayHistoryNotes

Compiledforthe150thAnniversaryoftheopeningoftheGreatSouthernRailwaytoGoulburnon

27May1869

CompiledbyDugaldandJanetBlack

ii

ThesenoteswereoriginallypreparedonbehalfoftheMarulanandDistrictHistoricalSocietyforaneventheldonSunday5August2018tomarkthe150thAnniversaryoftheopeningoftheGreatSouthernRailwaytoMarulanon6August1868.TheyhavebeenupdatedtoincludeinformationreceivedafterthiseventforinternetpublicationbytheAustralianRailwayHistoricalSocietyNSWDivisionasacontributiontomarkingthe150thAnniversaryoftheopeningoftheGreatSouthernRailwaytoGoulburnon27May1869.

Titlepageimage: BuildingsonUpplatformatWingelloon20

June2018

Above: GeneralviewofWingellostationlookingintheUp

directionfromtheUpsideofthelineon3October2017.

1

IntroductionConstructionofthesingletrackGreatSouthernRailway(GSR)

startedatLiverpoolin1857andwasopenedtoMossVale(then

calledSuttonForest)on2December1867.Constructionofthe

extensionfromMossValetoGoulburnwasunderwaywell

beforethisdate.AtthetimetheNSWGovernmentpreferredto

havetherailwaysbuiltbyprivatecontractorswhowere

engagedtobuildsectionsoftheline.1

Theresultofthispolicywasthatthetemporaryterminusat

MossValewasinthemiddleofSection5,whichwentfromthe

WingecarribeeRivertojustbeforethepresentsiteofExeter

station.Section6wentfromtheretobeforethecrossingof

Barber’sCreek,whileSection7includedthecrossingof

Barber’sCreekandextendedtoGoulburn.Thus,Marulanwas

partwaythroughSection7.

ThecontractforcivilworksinSection6waslettoMessrs

RobertForster&JamesRobertson13January1864,while

constructionofthetrack(includingtheballast)wascoveredby

acontractlettoMessrsLarkin&Wakefordon23May1866,

whichextendedfromMittagongtotheendofSection6.2

1Longworth,J.(2018)“BundanoonontheGreatSouthernRailway–Part1”.AustralianRailwayHistory.Vol.69.No.970.Pp17-28.AustralianRailwayHistoricalSociety.August.2Ibid.

2

Section6includedseveralculvertsandtimberbridgesbutno

majorstructures.

ThecontractforSection7,includingtrackandballastaswellas

civilworks3,waslettoMessrsCain&Bloomfieldon20

November1864andwasre-lettoMarkFaviellon28December

1864.4IncontrasttoSection6,thissectionincludedseveral

majorbridges,includingtwoovertheWollondillyRiverandone

overMulwareePonds,aswellastheoneoverBarber’sCreek

nearpresentdayTallong.

WhentheextensionfromMossValetoMarulanopenedon6

August1868theonlyintermediatestoppingplacewasat

Jordan’sCrossing(nowBundanoon).BetweenBundanoonand

Marulan5thefollowingstoppingplacesopenedsubsequently:

• Wollondilly/Kareela.• Penrose(2ndsite).• Cable’sSiding/Penrose(1stsite).• Wingello.• UringallaLoop.• Barber’sCreek/Tallong.• Morrice’sSiding.• MedwayJunction.

3Singleton,C.C.(1969)“TheCentenaryoftheOpeningoftheSouthernLinetoGoulburn”.AustralianRailwayHistoricalSocietyBulletin.Vol.XX(NewSeries).No.379.May.4Dept.ofRailwaysInformationBureau(1967)“MainSouthernLineMaps”.RevisedEdition.August.5Ibid.

3

InformationonthehistoryofWingelloisgiveninthis

publication.Otherpublicationsinthissetcover(1)Marulanand

MedwayJunction,(2)Wollondilly/Kareela,PenroseandCable’s

Siding,and(3)Uringalla,Barber’sCreek/Tallong,Morrice’s

SidingandthebridgesoverBarber’sCreek.Articlesin

AustralianRailwayHistoryhavebeenpreparedbyMrJim

LongworthdetailingthehistoryofBundanoonandnearby

sidings.67

AstrafficlevelsontheGreatSouthernRailwaygrewitbecame

necessarytoduplicatetheline.Duplicationtookplaceinshort

sections,notinanyobviousorderofpriority.Thedatesthe

duplicatedsectionsopenedwere:8

• FromBundanoontoKareela:13September1915.• FromKareelatoabout300mbeforeTallong:19

December1915.• Fromabout300mbeforeTallongtoMarulan:13

December1915.• FromMarulantoabout3kmbeforeCarrick:26

November1913.

Thetimberbridgesandtheironbridgescarryingthesingleline

werereplacedwithsteelbridgesonbrickpiersorbrickarch

structuresduringduplicationwork.

6Longworth,J.(2018)Op.Cit.7Longworth,J.(2018)“BundanoonontheGreatSouthernRailway–Part2”.AustralianRailwayHistory.Vol.69.No.971.Pp14-21.AustralianRailwayHistoricalSociety.September.8Dept.ofRailwaysInformationBureau(1967)Op.Cit.

4

HistoryofWingello

Wingellostationinsingletrackdays,circa1900.

(GregWatsoncollection,TallongCommunityFocusGrouparchive)

PresentdayWingellowasidentifiedasapotentiallysuitable

siteforastationwhentheGreatSouthernRailwaywasbeing

plannedasitwaslocatedataplacewheretherailwaywould

intersectwiththeOldArgyleRoad(thefirstmajorroadthrough

thearea).However,whentherailwayopenedbetweenMoss

ValeandMarulanon6August1868thethenvillageofWingello

wasabout10kmawaytothewest-north-west,onThomas

Mitchell’sGreatSouthRoad.9Fromarailwayperspectivethe

developmentsatpresentdayWingellowere:10

9Parr,L.(2009)“Wingello”.ISBN:0-9594611-1-6.10StateRailAuthorityofNSWArchivesSection(2009)OpCit.

5

• 1June1871:Acrossingloopandsidingopened,named

WingelloSiding.Thesidingwasadeadendextensionofthe

loopattheGoulburnend.

• 1882:AplatformwasaddedontheUpside,oppositethe

crossingloop.

• 1882:Aloadingbankwasconstructednexttothesidingand

aporter’shouse,broughtfromBowning,wasre-erected.

• 1883:Thestationbuildingwithadjoining

“outof”shedforparcelswasbuilt.

• 1August1885:ThenameWingellowas

firstmentionedinthetimetable(thePost

Officeopenedonthesamedate).

• 1888:ASignalEngineer’sdiagram

showingthetracklayoutin1888ison

page24.11

• 24July1890:Thestationwasinterlocked

(thispreventssignalsshowingindications

whichconflictwithsettingsofpoints).

• 12September1895:Theyardwasremodelledwithadead-

endRefugesidingofftheloopattheSydneyend.

• 1902:Anew“outof”shedwasbuilt.

• 6May1910:Acabinwithkitchenfacilitiesfortheofficerin

chargewasaddedtothestationbuildings.

11NSWTrackandSignalDiagrams,Ver.4.ARHS,NSW.

6

• Withtheopeningoftheduplicatedlineon19December

1915,anewDownplatformandstationbuildingswere

providedandasignalboxwasaddedontheUpplatform

(beforethistheleversoperatingpointsandsignalsat

Wingellohadbeenintheopen).

• Twodeadendrefugesidingswerealsoprovided.Therefuge

sidingsenabledaslowtraintobestowedtoallowafaster

traintoovertake,butastrainshadtobackintothem,

puttingthemawaywasaslowprocess.ASignal&Telegraph

Engineer’sdiagramshowingthetracklayoutin1957ison

thenextpage.12

• Withduplication,thegoodssidingwasmovedfromits

originallocationattheGoulburnendofthestationtothe

SydneyendandacrosstotheUpsideoftheline.Anew

loadingbankwasprovided,butnogoodsshed.Originally

thegoodssidinghadaloopconfigurationwithadeadend

spurattheSydneyendadjacenttostockyards.Thislasted

until2002whentheconnectiontotheUpmainlineatthe

Goulburnendwasremoved.

• 1945:Electriclightingwasinstalledatthestation.

12NSWTrackandSignalDiagrams,Ver.4.ARHS,NSW.

7

8

MaypoledancerstrainedbyReneBerry,thestationmaster’swife

(maypoledancingwasapopularactivityatthetime)(CourtesyLornaParr)13

• 6March1965:Miraculouslythestationbuildingssurvived

theChatsburybushfirewhichdevastatedmuchofWingello.

However,theAssistantStationMaster’scottagewasoneof

manybuildingsinWingellodestroyedthatdayandthe

HousingCommissionlaterbuiltareplacement.

• 2November1986:Boombarriers,warninglightsandbells

werebroughtintouseatthelevelcrossing.

• February2007:ThemanuallyoperatedsignalsatWingello

werereplacedbyautomaticsignals14andon23February

13Parr,L.(2009)Op.Cit.14AustralianRailTrackCorporation(2007)“MossValetoWingelloResignallingandTrainControlConsolidation”.SAFENotice2007.No.2-408.NSWTrackandSignalDiagrams,Ver.4.ARHS,NSW.

9

200715thesignalboxwasclosedasitwasredundant.The

Uprefugesidingwasalsoremoved.

• 2018:AllthebuildingsontheUpplatformandthewaiting

shedontheDownplatformarestillstanding.Thegoods

siding(withoutloadingbankorstockyards)andDown

refugesidingarealsostillinplace,mainlyforstoringtrack

maintenancemachines.

SheltershedonDownplatform,25June2018.

StaffingWhenthepassengerplatformopenedin1882thePorterin

ChargewasGeorgeGibbons.16In1889,heexchangedplaces

withAbrahamHenryLeMesurierfromCoolac.However,MrLe

MesurierstayedonlyafewmonthsasEdwardEvanstookover

asOfficer-in-ChargeinSeptemberofthatyear.17

15WingelloVillageAssociation(2018)“GlimpsesofWingello”.ISBN:978-0-646-98271-7.16Parr,L.(2009)Op.Cit.17Ibid.

10

TrafficstaffonrecordinGovernmentGazettes18asbeingbased

atWingelloatthreeyearlyintervalsbetween1890and1938

(whenthepracticeofGazettingfullstafflistsevery3years

ceased),asat31Decemberintheyearshown,were:

1890: EdwardEvans(Officer-in-Charge),WillisCavanough(NightOfficer)

1893: WilliamFulton(Officer-in-Charge),JamesKelly(NightOfficer)

1896&1899:FrankMitchell(Officer-in-Charge),ThomasPorter(NightOfficer),MrsM.Johnson(Gatekeeper)

1902: ThomasBingham(Officer-in-Charge),MinnieJohnson(GatekeeperandPlatformAttendant)

1905: FrederickSmith(Officer-in-Charge),DanielPauley(NightOfficer)

1908: FrederickSmith(StationMaster),LeslieMarkham(NightOfficer),MinnieJohnson(Gatekeeper)

1911: PhilipY.Berry(StationMaster),FredS.Barker(NightOfficer),MinnieJohnson(Gatekeeper)19

InAugust1912,MrA.DuffisreportedastransferringfromMarulan,wherehewasNightOfficer,toWingelloatthesame18GovernmentGazetteofNSW(variousdates).No.400,24June1891,p4741;no.424,27June1894,p4136;no.505,28June1897,pp4536&4542;no.551,5June1900,pp4380&4387;no.287,3June1903,pp4153&4162;no.174,6June1906,p41;no.80,17June1909,pp3350&3361;no.95,21June1912,pp3976&3993;no.101,4June1915,pp3284&3304;no.80,27June1918,pp2982&3002;no.88,20June1921,pp3632&3655;no.81,26June1924,pp3071&3073;no.85,28June1927,pp3133&3136;no.154,13October1930,pp4185&4187;no.97,26June1933,pp2228&2230;no.104,23June1936,pp2536&2538;no.96,27June1939,p3163.19MinnieJohnsonmayhavebeenbasedat(1st)Penroseatthisdate.

11

grade.20However,heevidentlydidnotstaylong,ashewasnotlistedintheGovernmentGazetteasbeingatWingelloin1914.

1914: JamesMurphy(StationMaster),HaroldM.Johnson(NightOfficer),VolneyS.White(JuniorPorter),MrsHerminnieJohnson(CaretakerandGatekeeper)

1917: JamesMurphy(StationMaster),HaroldM.JohnsonandHenryBushell(NightOfficers),WalterJeffery(JuniorPorter–SupernumeraryStaff),MrsHerminnieJohnson(Gatekeeper)

1920: AubreyM.Denning(StationMaster),HenryBushellandSydneyJ.Goodall(NightOfficers),EricJ.Penfold(JuniorPorter),MrsHerminnieJohnson(Gatekeeper)

1923: SamuelG.Potter(StationMaster),HenryBushellandWilliamO.Cowe(NightOfficers),WalterJ.Wheeler(JuniorPorter)

InSeptember1924,HenryBushelltransferredtoYassJunction,

havingbeenNightOfficeratWingellosinceaboutMay1915.He

andhiswifeweregivenabigsend-offattheWingelloHallon

Saturday,13September1924.Hehadbeenactiveinthelocal

community,ashehadbeeninvolvedintheWingelloProgress

AssociationandatStAndrewsChurchofEngland,sohis

farewellfunctionattractedalargecrowd.Peoplecamefrom

Marulan,Penrose,CanyonLeigh,TallongandGoulburnto

attend.21

20GoulburnEveningPennyPost(1912)“Marulan”.27August,p4.21GoulburnEveningPennyPost(1924)“PopularRailwayOfficer.FarewelledatWingello”.25September,p6.

12

1926: ArthurG.Lainson(StationMaster),AlbertC.NicholsandRonaldJ.Kingston(NightOfficers),FrederickA.C.Wheeler(JuniorPorter)

1929: JohnA.Devine(StationMaster),RonaldJ.KingstonandEricJ.Penfold(NightOfficers),FrederickA.C.Wheeler(JuniorPorter)

1932: JohnA.Devine(StationMaster),HerbertT.MooreandEricJ.Penfold(NightOfficers)

1935: AlbertH.P.KrempinandEricJ.Penfold(NightOfficers)

On31May1937,MrandMrsWalterH.Sayersandfamilywere

givenafarewellsocialattheWingelloHallasMrSayerswas

transferringtoPortlandstation.22ItisunclearwhatMrSayers’

positionwasatWingello,excepthewas“Trafficstaff”,anditis

knownhewasatWingelloinOctober1936.23Hewasalsolisted

inGovernmentGazettesasoneoftwoNightOfficersatTallong

in1926and1929.

1938: CecilHook(StationMaster),AlbertH.P.KrempinandJosephM.W.Bizant(AssistantStationMasters)

Informationonnamesofstaffafter1938islimited.However,it

isknownthatin1985theStationMasterwasMrFarrelland

therewerefiveemployeesatthestationaltogether.24In

addition,itisknownthatwhenthesignalboxclosedon

22GoulburnEveningPennyPost(1937)“Wingello.SayersFamily”.15June,p7.23GoulburnEveningPennyPost(1936)“LongService.FortyYearsaRailwayman.WingelloNews”.15October,p7.24SouthernHighlandsNews(1985)“CentenaryisaSurprise”.31July.

13

23February2007,therewerefourstaffatWingellowhosejobs

werelost.25

InformationaboutWayandWorksemployeesisalsolimited.In

thestafflistspublishedintheGovernmentGazetteseverythree

yearsbetween1890and1938,WayandWorksstaffwere

shownasbeingassignedtolongsectionsoftrackorsimplyto

anarea,suchasGoulburnArea.

Newspaperreportsareanothersourceofinformationanda

reportfromOctober193626showsthatArthurJefferywas

abouttoretireasaGangeratWingello,wherehehadbeen

basedsince1911.

Ontheeveofhisretirementfromtherailwayservice,MrArthur

Jeffery,PerWayGanger,wastenderedapresentationbyhis

fellowemployeesandstaffatWingellostation.MrJeffery,whois

64yearsofage,joinedtheserviceatBolivia[nearGlenInnes]in

1894and,afterworkinginvariouspartsoftheStatefor15years,

hewasappointedgangeratWingelloin1911,whichpositionhe

hasheldeversince.

DuringhisstayatWingelloMrJefferymademanyfriendsand

wasextremelypopularwitheverybody.Hischeerysmileand

happydispositionwillbemissedbyhisfellowworkmen,allof

whomwereinattendancetopaytheirtribute.…25WingelloVillageAssociation(2018)Op.Cit.26GoulburnEveningPennyPost(1936)Op.Cit.

14

MrHook,StationMaster,paidadeservingtributetoMrJeffery’s

longassociationwiththeRailwayDepartment.…Otherswho

spoke…wereMessrsW.H.SayersandJ.Penfold,Trafficstaffand

H.Jeffery,A.Dignam,T.WestburyandT.Halley,PerWaystaff.

Fromthe1913ElectoralRollthereweresevenmenlivingin

Wingellowithanoccupationwhichwasclearlyrailwayrelated

(excludingmenwhogavetheiroccupationas“labourer”as

thereisnowayofknowingfromtheElectoralRollswhothey

workedfor),andwhereitcouldbesaidtheirjobswereactually

atWingello.At1September1959thisnumberhadrisento15,

andwasstableat16at6July1961.However,thenumberhad

declinedtoeightby18September1965.Nameswhichareon

the1959,1961and1965ElectoralRollsareRobertJames

Brown(Ganger),KelvinJohnCostello(AssistantStation

Master),ThomasWilliamHalleyandRobertArthurWestbury

(bothlistedas“Railwayemployee”).Additionalnamesonboth

the1959and1961ElectoralRollsareSidneyCharlesMaltby

(StationMaster),JohnWilliamCarter(AssistantStationMaster,

whowaslivinginPenrosein1965),JohnCotterill,JohnReuben

Garbutt,JosephHillGarbuttandHamiltonAllestonRobertson

(allFettlers),andAndrewReive(listedas“Railwayemployee”).

Additionalnamesonboththe1961and1965ElectoralRollsare

ErnestJohnCollins(listedas“Railwayemployee”),JohnWilliam

MillerandJohnMuller(bothFettlers).

15

Postalfacilitiesatstation

In1882,GeorgeGibbonsthePorterinChargeatWingello

platformwrotetothePostalDepartmentaskingforaPost

Officetobeestablishedashewasgettingandsending15to20

lettersperday.InMarch1883hewasgiventhepositionof

ReceivingOfficeKeeper,withanincreasedsalary.27

In1884,GeorgeGibbonswroteaskingfortheReceivingOffice

tobeupgradedtoaPostOfficesopeoplecouldregistermail

insteadofhavingtogotoMarulantodoit,buthisrequestwas

refused.In1885,agitationincreasedwhenresidentssentina

petitionaskingforaPostOfficeatthestation,insteadofa

ReceivingOffice.Theresultofthis,andrepresentationfromthe

localmemberoftheParliament,wasthatthePostOffice

opened,andGeorgeGibbonswasappointedPostMasteron

15July1885.28Fromthisdateuntil1April1911,whenthePost

Officewasmovedtoseparatepremises,thehighestgraded

RailwayofficeratthestationwasalsothePostMaster.

27Parr,L.(2009)Op.Cit.28Ibid.

16

Platformscales25May2018.

Signageunderverandahroof25May2018.

Developmentofpresentvillage29

Therailwaywasthecatalystforthedevelopmentofthevillage

ofWingelloatitspresentlocation.Railwayconstruction

workersarrivedinJanuary1865andconstructionwork

providedatemporarysourceofemployment.Thetimber

industry,supplyingsleepersfortherailway,providedmore

permanentemployment.

Aslateas1883thereweredoubtsWingellowouldsurviveonce

thetimberwascutout.Thepopulationlargelycomprised

railwayworkersandafewsettlerswhiletimbergettersand

bullockdriverswerelivingatBomballoway,about4kmtothe

south.

29Parr,L.(2009)Op.Cit.

17

However,thevillagedidsurvive,withtherailwayofferinga

steadysourceofemploymentfromthetimethestationopened

in1882.Inadditiontothepostofficefacilitiesdescribedinthe

previoussection,aschoolopenedin1885.Bytheearly20th

Centurytherewasageneralstore,abicycleshop,ablacksmith

andabutchershop(onlythecombinedgeneralstoreandpost

officeisstillinbusinesstoday).AMechanicsInstituteHall

openedin1902,acrosstheroadfromthestation,andan

AnglicanChurchwasbuiltin1914.

Levelcrossingwithgeneralstoreacrosstheroad.2April2019.

18

Aidedbythepresenceoftherailway,by1910orchardand

forestryindustrieshaddevelopedaroundWingello.These

thriveduntiltheChatsburybushfireof6March1965.Thisfire

destroyedabout80percentofthehousesinWingelloand

causedlossoflife.Thevillageeventuallyrecovered,asdidthe

StateForest,buttheorchardindustrynolongerexists.Today

thevillagecontinuestothrive,butindependentlyoftherailway.

LevelcrossingwithMechanicsInstituteHallacrosstheroad.

2April2019.

19

DownGoulburnDayTrain(formedbyanEndeavourDMU)at

Wingelloon11January1997.