Ongerup Branch Railway

The 94.1-kilometre (58.5 mi) Tambellup to Ongerup branch line from the Great Southern Railway main line between Perth and Albany was opened to Gnowangerup on 1 July 1912, and finally through to Ongerup on 6 January 1913. The line was developed to provide direct access for the expanding wheat production area to the port at Albany. The line was authorised for construction under the Tambellup-Ongerup Railway Act 1911.[1][2][3]

A timetable from 1937 shows two trains per week leaving Ongerup on Tuesdays at 06:55 and Fridays at 04:00. Lengthy connections of around 12 hours were available at Katanning for Perth, arriving approximately 30 hours after leaving Ongerup.[4]

The line went via Tambellup, Dartnall, Toolbrunup, Pallinup, Gnowangerup, Formby, Kebaringup, Borden, Laurier, Toompup and Ongerup.[4] Water supply for the trains was provided at Formby.[5]

In 1918 a barracks was constructed on Eldridge Street for railway workers based in Ongerup. The building survived the closure of the railway and now houses the Ongerup and Needilup District Museum, opened in 1978.

In 1986 the Gnowangerup Railway Station building was closed as a working station and remained unused until 2000, when it was dismantled and moved to the Lily Vineyard, near Borden, where it was rebuilt in 2003 as a restaurant.

The section of line from Gnowangerup to Ongerup was closed on 13 October 1957.[6] The Tambellup to Gnowangerup section was closed in July 2007.

Named locations on line
  • Tambellup (252 miles)
  • Dartnall (257 miles)
  • Toolbrunup (264 miles)
  • Pallinup (269 miles)
  • Gnowangerup (276 miles)
  • Fornby (281 miles)
  • Kebaringup (287 miles)
  • Borden (295 miles)
  • Laurier (300 miles)
  • Toompup (306 miles)
  • Ongerup (311 miles)

Notes
  1. "Tambellup-Ongerup Railway". Albany Advertiser. 30 July 1913. p. 4. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  2. Tambellup-Ongerup Railway Act 1911 (State Law Publisher) p91 Act was no 11 of 1911 and also has reference 1911-1 Geo V No 22
  3. Gnowangerup-Ongerup - builder Vincent Brothers, contract let 19.9.1911, line opened 6.1.1913 - in table Construction of the W.A Government Railways network, 1879-1931 - page 210 - in Gunzburg, Adrian and Austin, Jeff (2008) Rails through the Bush: Timber and Firewood Tramways and Railway Contractors of Western Australia Perth, W.A. Rail Heritage WA. ISBN 978-0-9803922-2-7
  4. Western Australian Government Railways Timetables from 10 May 1937 Until Further Notice Australian Timetable Association (Previously Australian Association of Timetable Collectors) - June 2000 issue of The Times page 9.
  5. "Enquiries. Land for the Formby Water Supply Catchment Area for Tambellup - Ongerup Railway. BMA, WAWA". State Records Office of WA. Series S211 - Files - General, Item 1915/0669 v1. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  6. The Ongerup Branch Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, May, 2002 pp163-170
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