Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company

Main article: Railways in Melbourne

The Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia.

Alexander Thomson, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council, introduced and mentored a bill to incorporate the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company,[1] which was passed in February 1853.[2] Thomson was one of the directors and presided at the first shareholder meeting.[3]

Work began at the Geelong end in 1854 but progress was slow due to a labour shortage caused by the Victorian gold rush,[4] so the Victorian government hired out 100 prisoners to the company at a daily rate of five shillings each. They were housed in prison hulks moored in Corio Bay.[2]

English engineer and surveyor Edward Snell undertook the survey and design of the line, including a station and extensive workshops at Geelong, and a number of bluestone and timber bridges.[5]

On 25 June 1857 the company opened its railway line from Geelong to a temporary terminus called Greenwich, on the Yarra River at Newport, where passengers were obliged to transfer to a steamer for connection to Melbourne.[4] In 1859 train services were extended through from Newport to Spencer Street Station after the Victorian Railways opened the Williamstown railway. However, the company continued to operate at a loss, and in June 1860 was sold to the Government of Victoria for £800,000.[4] The Geelong-Melbourne railway then became part of the network operated by the Victorian Railways.

References

  1. ↑ "Prospectus of the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company". The Argus. 29 September 1852. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  2. 1 2 Harrigan, Leo J. (1962). Victorian Railways to ‘62. Melbourne: Victorian Railways Public Relations and Betterment Board. p. 31.
  3. ↑ Serle, Percival (1949). "Thomson, Alexander". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 theme.aspx?lvl=3&IRN=449&gall=454 "Geelong & Melbourne Railway Co" Check |url= value (help). Museum Victoria. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Snell, Edward, The life and adventures of Edward Snell, Tom Griffiths (ed), Angus & Robertson and the Library Council of Victoria, Melbourne, 1988.
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