Kalgoorlie
Transwa
Eastern end of the station in November 1930
General information
LocationForrest Street, Kalgoorlie
Coordinates30°44′46″S 121°28′01″E / 30.7460°S 121.4669°E / -30.7460; 121.4669
Elevation1,234 feet (376 m)[1]
Owned byTranswa
Operated byTranswa
Line(s)Eastern Goldfields Railway
Trans-Australian Railway
Distance653 kilometres from Perth
Platforms3 (1 side, 2 bay)
Construction
Structure typeGround
AccessibleYes
History
Opened8 September 1896
Services
Preceding station Transwa Transwa Following station
Bonnie Vale
towards East Perth
 Prospector Terminus
Preceding station Journey Beyond Following station
Perth
One-way operation
 Indian Pacific Rawlinna
towards Sydney
TypeState Registered Place
Designated14 December 2001
Reference no.1279

Kalgoorlie railway station is the easternmost attended station in Western Australia, located at the eastern terminus of the Eastern Goldfields Railway. It serves the city of Kalgoorlie. Beyond Kalgoorlie, the line continues east as the Trans-Australian Railway.

Establishment

View from the station in May 1931
Sunrise over Kalgoorlie Railway Station, 27 May 2021
WAGR P class locomotive with the Kalgoorlie Express at the station in 1935

Construction of the railway station and yard was begun in the late 1890s, as part of the extension of the Eastern Goldfields Railway from Coolgardie in January 1897.[2] The station was formally opened by the Governor of Western Australia, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Gerard Smith KCMG, at a ceremony held on the station platform on 8 September 1896.[3]

In the early stages of the development of railways in the Eastern Goldfields, it was the junction for the following railways:[4]

In 1917, Kalgoorlie became a break-of-gauge station when the Commonwealth Railways' standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway from Port Augusta opened. This ceased on 3 August 1968, when the Eastern Goldfields Railway was gauge converted.[8][9]

Loop line

Surveyed in 1899,[10] the line went from Kalgoorlie station.[11] Due to costs and passenger decline, in 1920, some of the stations listed below were reduced in status by ceasing to be booking stations: Hannan Street, Golden Gate, Brown Hill and Trafagar.[12] In 1921, fares increased.[13] In 1930, the passenger service was closed.[14][15]

  • Maritana Street Bridge
  • Victoria Street
  • Hanbury Street – the junction

Western side:

  • Robert Street
  • Coombe Street
  • Halfway
  • Kallaroo

Inner western side

  • Hainault
  • Fimiston
  • Horseshoe

Boulder Loop

  • Golden Gate – junction
  • Dunlop Crossing
  • Clancy Street
  • Boulder railway station
  • Forrest Street
  • Ivanhoe Crossing
  • Kamballie – junction

Eastern side

  • Trafalgar
  • Hillend
  • Brown Hill[16]
  • Croesus
  • Williamstown[17]

Platform

The platform was the longest in Western Australia, 527 m[18]

It was eclipsed by the new East Perth Terminal platform, built for the 1969-70 extension of standard gauge into Perth.[19] At each end of the main platform are bay platforms; the three to the east (adjacent to the former water tank and signal box) were where Boulder loop line passenger services arrived, and the western one is where the current Prospector services terminate. The eastern bays were converted to standard gauge for Trans-Australia Railway, prior to the extension of the standard gauge line to Perth.

Location and commemorations

Due to it being the western terminus of the Trans-Australian Railway, the station has been the location of a number of commemorations and ceremonies from the opening of that railway in 1917 and since.[20]

Services

Kalgoorlie is served by the Transwa Prospector rural train service and the Indian Pacific. It was also previously served by the Kalgoorlie Express, The Westland and Trans Australian.

The Prospector service runs to and from East Perth once or twice each day.[21]

Indian Pacific

The Indian Pacific also stops here. It runs once a week each way between East Perth and Sydney Central.

See also

References

  1. ↑ WAGR Timetable 1964, pg9
  2. ↑ "Kalgoorlie Railway Station". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. WA. 22 April 1897. p. 11. Retrieved 23 March 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "To-Day's Proceedings. Reception of the Guests. The Week's Programme". Kalgoorlie Miner. 8 September 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Kalgoorlie Railway Station". Kalgoorlie Miner. 5 May 1899. p. 4. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Opening of Boulder Line Extension". The West Australian. Perth,WA. 12 November 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Local and General". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. 9 December 1897. p. 12. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "The Opening Ceremonies". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. 24 March 1898. p. 11. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  8. ↑ May, Andrew S; Gray, Bill (2006). A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Midland, WA: Bill Gray. p. 262. ISBN 0646459023.
  9. ↑ History of Rail in Australia Department of Infrastructure & Regional Development
  10. ↑ "KALGOORLIE AND BOULDER". The West Australian. Vol. 15, no. 4, 045. Western Australia. 16 February 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 11 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ David Paton Printing; Golden Mile Loopline Railway Society; Eastern Goldfields Historical Society (W.A.) (1983), Historical notes and commentary on the Golden Mile Loop Line Railway, D. Paton Printing, ISBN 978-0-9591843-0-3
  12. ↑ "KALGOORLIE-BOULDER CITY BROWN HILL LOOP LINE". The Evening Star. Vol. 20, no. 6984. Western Australia. 29 January 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 11 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ "BOULDER-BROWNHILL RAILWAY LOOP". The Daily News. Vol. XXXX, no. 14, 512. Western Australia. 15 September 1921. p. 5 (THIRD EDITION). Retrieved 11 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ "MINES LOOP LINE". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. 36, no. 9575. Western Australia. 1 August 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 11 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ↑ "MINES LOOP LINE". Western Argus. Vol. 36, no. 2096. Western Australia. 5 August 1930. p. 11. Retrieved 11 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ↑ "Brown Hill Loop Line". Western Mail. Vol. XVII, no. 847. Western Australia. 22 March 1902. p. 34. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ↑ "Williamstown, Kalgoorlie". Western Mail (Western Australia). Vol. XVII, no. 858. Western Australia. 7 June 1902. p. 38. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "Kalgoorlie Railway Station". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. Vol. 2, no. 126. Western Australia. 22 April 1897. p. 11. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ↑ "The Railway Station at Kalgoorlie". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 11 July 1934. p. 16. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  20. ↑ Institution of Engineers, Australia. Western Australia Division (2001), Trans-Australian Railway : national engineering landmark, commemorative plaque unveiling ceremony, Kalgoorlie-Western Australia, Tuesday, 27 November 2001, Kalgoorlie Railway Station, Institution of Engineers, Australia, W.A. Division, retrieved 23 March 2013
  21. ↑ "Prospector Timetable" (PDF). Transwa. Public Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
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