Sydney Morning Herald, Monday July 4th, 1892.
THE NYNGAN TO COBAR
RAILWAY.
THE LINE TAKEN OVER BY THE
GOVERNMENT.
THE MINISTER FOR WORKS ON THE
GOVERNMENT POLICY.
[BY TELEGRAPH.]
(FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER. )
COBAR, Saturday.
Tho Nyngan to Cobar railway was formally
opened for traffic to-day by Mr. Lyne, Minister for
Works. The ceremony was to have taken place in
the morning, but, owing to the heavy rain which fell,
it was postponed until the afternoon.
The railway, as probably will be known, forms
part of the line which shall eventually extend to
Wilcannia and Broken Hill, and thus connect with
the South Australian railway system. The terminus
at Cobar is in Jindara-street, at a distance of 458
miles from Sydney.
The line has its junction with the Great Western
Railway at a point 378 miles 9 chains 38 links from
Sydney, and terminates at Cobar at 459 miles 36
chains 59 links, being a total length of 81 miles 27
chains 21 links. The height of rail level at Nyngan
station is 568ft above high water spring tides,
Sydney, and at Cobar it is 803ft, giving a rise of
235ft towards the latter place. The highest point
of the line, however, is 1034ft, situate about four
and a half miles beyond Mount Boppy station. The
earthworks upon this section are very light, con-
sisting principally of shallow banks, there being
only 742,000 cubic yards or about 9200 cubic yards
per mile of excavation taken to embankments of
which 642,000 cubic yards were obtained from
side cuttings. The curves number 63, vary-
ing from 20 to 320 chains radius, 13 being
of the former radius. The straight portion is 64
miles 32 chains in length. The ruling grade is 1 in
100, of which there is a total length of 10 miles the
total length of level being 12 miles 32 chains. The
steel rails used on this extension are flanged, and
weigh 60lb to the yard. There are three stations
and three sidings. The whole of the land passed
through belongs to the Crown, with the exception of
a few portions of a total area of about 70 acres held
by the trustees of the North Cobar Copper Mining
Company and other private owners, situate at
the Cobar end of the line. Although no large
streams or creeks are crossed, yet the drainage area
to be provided for by openings in the railway is of
very great importance, and especially so when taking
into consideration that this a light, cheap line; the
difficulty being met by introducing a very large
number of box drains 3ft by 1ft 6in , and, where
the embankments are of sufficient height, 6ft,
10ft 6in, and 14ft timber openings, in some
instances, on concrete piers. For the first time
in this colony the railway boundary fencing
has been dispensed with, the only fences provided
being those around buildings in station grounds,
where a post and seven-wire fence has been erected.
Rabbit-proof stops have been placed at the inter-
section of the line with boundaries of large runs,
and connected with the wire netting on either side.
Where level crossings at public roads are necessary
warning notice-boards have been erected as a pre-
caution to travellers. Leaving the main line at
Nyngan this railway turns sharply to the left about
a quarter of a mile beyond the Bogan River cross-
ing, and thence running alongside the main road
and through the traveling stock and other reserves,
has almost a straight run for a distance of 28 miles.
Nymagee road siding, which has been placed on the
down side of the line, is at 390 miles 65 chains.
Here, as well as at Thorndale siding, at 394 miles 72
chains, but upon the opposite side, accommodation
has been provided for a few trucks. The railway
thence passes by No 1 tank at Hermitage Plains,
from which a supply of water is obtained for the
locomotives, pumped up into a circular wrought-
iron tank, having a capacity of 20,000 gallons,
erected on a brick tower 21ft 6in in diameter,
on the right of the line at 398 miles 1½ chains. The
first station, named Hermidale, is reached at 405
miles 49 chains. Here on entering the station
ground is a level crossing, the stationmaster's resi-
dence, built of timber and containing four rooms
with verandah, being situated near the boundary
fence on the left-hand side. The passenger-station
building, a weatherboard structure with iron roof,
contains a general waiting-room 20ft x 10ft, ladies'
waiting room 12ft x 10ft, and ticket office 13ft x
10ft, and has a platform 150ft long by 15ft wide in
the centre and 12ft wide at the ends, which are
ramped. There is also a wool-loading platform 2
chains in length x 25ft in breadth, constructed of
earth with timber retaining-walls and ramped ap-
proaches, and also two sidings. Proceeding onward,
the main road is again followed closely, being passed
over several times, diversions being made to save
unnecessary crossings, and the railway passing to
the left of Muriel Tank at 418 miles, and across
[Mulga] Creek on six 14ft timber openings at 425
miles 31 chains a place called "The Gap " is reached,
at 428½ miles. To the left of the line and opposite
432 miles 22 chains a tank and dam have been
constructed by the department to hold 5,000,000
gallons of water, obtained from a catchment area on
Mount Boppy of 170 acres. Close by is the next
station, named Mount Boppy, at 432 miles 32 chains.
Tho buildings here are similar to those at Hermidale
and the general yard accommodation is the same,
with the addition of a goods shed (36ft x 16ft ) built
of timber and iron, with side platform 4ft wide, and
end platform 60ft x 12ft and also small trucking-
yards and races for sheep placed opposite the goods
shed. Leaving this station and passing to the right
of the old Boppy tank at 436 miles, the line winds
about a little, and Meryula siding (placed on the
down side) is reached at 446 miles, accommodation
being provided for a few trucks. Further on Yanda
Creek is crossed by a timber viaduct, consisting of 12
14ft openings. The line thence again follows closely
the main road to within four miles of Cobar, which
is at 459 miles 28 chains, where the large terminal
station ground is planned so as to be capable of easy
extension for future requirements. The sheep
and cattle yards and siding for trucking stock,
placed on the up side, are separated from the
station ground by the old Bourke-road, where there
is a level crossing with cattle stops. In the capacious
station-yard are the following buildings, &c:
Engine shed, 109ft x 40ft, with storeroom 36ft x
8ft, built of timber and iron, on concrete founda-
tions, covering two lines, with engine pits; tank and
pumping house; coal stage, 150ft x 15ft;, engine
turntable, 60ft in diameter, and carriage shed of
timber and iron, 127ft x 30ft. Opposite to these are
a wool-loading bank 2 chains long x 25ft broad, and
a goods shed 50ft x 16ft, built of timber and iron
on piles, with 6ft side platform and end platform
60ft x15ft. The passenger station building, a.brick
structure with iron roof is approached from Rail-
way-parade, opposite Linsley-street, and also from
Bourke-road, and contains a general waiting room
20ft x 15ft, ticket and parcels office, 18ft x 15ft. ;
ladies' waiting room, 15ft x 15ft , with
yards, sheds, lamproom, &c. 'The platform is
330ft x 15ft, and there are verandahs to both plat-
form and road fronts. Adjacent to the Bourke-road
is the stationmaster's house, constructed of timber
with iron roof, and containing 5 rooms, with
verandah. The station being situated in a flat posi-
tion, the ground has been thoroughly trenched and
drained by culverts. Water is laid on to the station
and from the Government reservoir and pumped to
the necessary elevation for supplying the locomotives.
In addition to the general water supply along the
line, galvanised iron tanks have been provided at all
passenger station buildings. Messrs H T Smith
and W H Finlayson are the contractors for the
general works upon this extension, Messrs H
Turnell and R Barber for the station buildings, and
Mr Weeks for the engine tanks and brick towers.
THE OPENING CEREMONY.
Tho pastoralists and others had driven in from the
surrounding districts, and the town was full. A
large number of people assembled at the Railway
Station at 3 o'clock, and, owing to the fear of more
rain, the ceremony here was brief. The Mayor,
Alderman Hogan, briefly introduced Mr. Lyne, and
alluded to the fact that the people had tried hard for
many years to get steam communication to Sydney.
He spoke of the private scheme which was put
forward by the proprietors of the copper mines, and
also mentioned that when Mr. Lyne was previously
in office he had determined to accept a tender for the
line to Broken Hill , but, unfortunately for the dis-
trict, he left the department three days before the
tender would in ordinary course have been accepted.
He regretted that Mr. Lyne's successor did not see
his way to construct the line. Had he done so their
mines would now be working, and the district would
be populated. If there had been population they
would have heard nothing about rabbits.
Mr. Lyne then broke a bottle of champagne over
the wheel of the engine amidst general cheering and
the loud shrieking of the engine whistle. He made
a short speech, wishing prosperity to the district, but
he went over the same ground again in a long
address delivered subsequently in the Commercial
Hall. It had been resolved that a number of toasts
should be submitted in the hall instead of in the
goods shed at the railway station, as at first intended,
and an adjournment was accordingly made for that
place. The meeting proved to be a popular one in
many respects. A long table ran the entire length of the
building, and upon it had been placed bottles of beer and
spirits with which to discuss the toast list. The audience
contained a large proportion of the rough element,
and those people at once accepted the propagation
which had been made as an intimation that there
were to be free drinks, and accordingly helped them-
selves. In front of the audience were a number of
ladies and a number of quiet citizens. From the
back benches, however, there was more or less inter-
ruption during the whole of the proceedings, but
notwithstanding this Mr. Lyne obtained a good
hearing. He spoke in response to the toast of the
Ministry for over an hour and a quarter, and in con-
sequence the remainder of tho toast list was omitted.
The Mayor presided, and on the platform were the
members of Parliament on a visit to the district,
the local aldermen, and a number of prominent
citizens.
The MAYOR prefaced his remarks by giving, on
behalf of tho municipal council, a formal welcome
to their Parliamentary visitors. They looked upon
the day as the salvation day of the district. Eight
or nine years ago Cobar was prosperous and had a
population of 3000. Mining was active and business
flourishing. The copper mines submitted a plan to
tho Government of a line from Nyngan to Cobar, but
unfortunately for them the Government of the day
was defeated. Then the price of copper was re-
duced, and the company had no longer resources
with which to construct the railway. But the
Broken Hill mines were discovered, and eventually
the Government resolved to construct the railway.
He reminded the audience of the part Mr. Lyne had
taken in bringing the work to completion, and
stated that if the Jennings Government had
lived but a few days longer it would have
been completed long since. He did not, however,
dwell upon the merits or demerits of the Govern-
ment, but submitted the toast of " The Queen,"
which was drunk with cordiality.
The toast of "The Governor" having been
honoured, the MAYOR next asked the audience to
drink the toast of the day, which was the health of
the "Present Ministry of New South Wales." He
insisted that Ministers were honestly endeavouring
to do what was right, and to make the colony as
prosperous as possible. He presented Mr. Lyne with
an address of welcome from the public ol Cobar.
The citizens desired to convey their deep sense of
gratification to Mr. Lyne for the warm interest he had
always evinced in connection with the construction
of the line of railway to Cobar. They felt sure that
had Mr. Lyne's successors in office in the year 1887
not delayed the construction of this railway, the Cobar
district would not have suffered to the extent it had
by the rabbit plague, and the copper and mining
industry would in all probability have been flourish-
ing and given employment to hundreds of miners.
The citizens regretted that circumstances had not
been favourable for the continuance of this line of
railway to Broken Hill, as they were when the Public
Works Committee decided upon recommending the
construction of this section, but trusted that the land
laws would be so altered as to enable small settlers
to avail themselves on more favourable terms than at
present of the special areas around Cobar, which
would greatly promote settlement. The address added
that the citizens were pleased to find the Govern-
ment taking such a deep interest in the welfare of the
colony, and hoped that bright and better days were
in the near future.
Mr. LYNE was received with cheers. He stated
that he was much pleased with the address and pro-
ceeded to congratulate the citizens on the
opening of the railway. He sincerely trusted that
their wishes would be fulfilled to the fullest extent,
and that the advent of the iron horse into the town
of Cobar would bring prosperity to the district. No
matter what they produced, whether wool, wheat,
grapes, or anything else, unless they had fair and
reasonable communication with the seaboard it would
be impossible that the district could be a prosperous
one. For many years past the food of the people
had been grown in other colonies and countries, but
it was the endeavour of Ministers that the
country should be its own producer. By help of
railways in the heart of the country they could send
produce to the consumers at cheap rates and in a
quick manner. If they could connect the metropolis
by railway with the silver mines, and have Albany,
and not Melbourne and Adelaide, the last port, they
would be quite entitled to do so. Their object in
doing this would be twofold. They would open up
the country, and give quick communication from the
mines to the seaboard. They would enable miners in
Newcastle to send coals to the mines at Broken Hill,
and would open up forests which were unequalled in
Australia to the woodcutters and sleepermakers.
Even if they did not obtain at once a large
return for the money invested they would
at any rate assist in developing the country. He
had been blamed for being a rather expensive
Minister as far as public works were concerned ; but
so far as they were reproductive public works he
could not spend too much money, provided tho money
was judiciously expended. They had borrowed
largely for the construction of public works ; but,
notwithstanding what the financial people in Eng-
land said, he maintained that we had in railways and
water supply good value for our money. With re-
gard to the very large area in the Western plains it
was absolutely necessary to make railways, and they
could do this more cheaply than they could construct
a macadamised road. We should extend our com-
munication with the interior by means of cheap
railways. He had been asked to define what were
cheap railways. Well, had the copper miners con-
structed a railway they would not have spent £5000
a mile on it, but probably £1000 or £1200. That
would have answered all necessary purposes for
years to come, and when they desired stronger rail
ways they could replace the light lines by strong ones
at a cheap rate. Their experience was that, however
cheap at first they desired to construct a railway,
before it was finished it generally cost about
twice as much as it ought to. There
was a screw loose somewhere, or lines
should not cost as much money as they did. When
he called for tenders for the Nyngan to Cobar line
some years ago they were sent in for £1475 per mile.
The cost of this contract was £133,311, but there had
to be added for lowering grades £20,000, and extra
work £20,000, for station buildings £7000, for water
supply contract £5000, and other extras, making the
contract finally £249,728 for 80 miles of railway.
When he first thought of those railways he intended
that they should cost about £2200 a mile. Some
cheaper means must certainly be devised for
carrying the lines of railway through the
country, and the time was not far distant
when they must have communication, starting
at Armidale and ending at Dubbo or Wellington,
which would bring additional traffic to this line.
Referring to Broken Hill, he asked why should
Melbourne want permission to coin silver? What
had she to do with silver coinage when she had
no silver? If silver were coined anywhere it
should be in Sydney. We should have railway
communication with our own silver-fields and our
own mines, and get the profit from the coinage.
Do not let all the silver be exported to the other
end of the world. He insisted that Ministers
had endeavoured to make the expenditure of
the colony keep within the revenue. Their
sister colony of Victoria had placed upon
the broad shoulders of Mr. Dibbs a loan
of two millions of money. He could give them
credit for doing it. Their Treasurer thus admitted
that Mr. Dibbs was a popular man, and one of
financial ability. Our neighbours had thus reaped a
harvest of two millions of money on the money
market, which would relieve them at the present
moment. (At this point there was some confusion,
and the Mayor appealed for order.) The securities
of the colony were better now than at the time when
Ministers took office, and he was sure they would be
better in a short time. (A Voice: "They ought to
be.") He had perused the list of recognised
companies in which trust funds could be
invested. They were railways and public
companies, and the interest was 1½ and 2 per cent.
The selling price of stock was from 98 to 100.
There was no reason why our debentures, if one
worked on the same basis, should not be worth 115
or 120 at the present time. As we get better known
he was sure our debentures would rise in the money
market. It had been said that if he went on accept-
ing tenders for public works at the same rate as he
had lately been doing, he would soon be in as sad a
plight as his predecessor. Last year the Treasury
paid for public works 480,000, and at present they
were paying £300,000 a month to carry out
public works initiated by their predecessors.
They had decided not to start an unem-
ployed relief works, and he for one did
not intend that works of that kind should be carried
out. He did not think it was his duty to do this :
but, as far as he could force on legitimate public
works that had been previously sanctioned by Par-
liament, he would do so to the fullest extent, and
the officers in his department had been hard at work
getting plans ready. He had during the last three
months had very much work put in hand so as to
give as much employment as he could. He had had
a return prepared showing the amount involved in
contracts since 1st January, 1892, and this reached a
total of £659,735. If he added the tenders
ready for acceptance, viz., the railway to
Burwood-road, and Cootamundra to Temora, it
would be increased to £813,735. They had carried
out public works in a proper manner, and there was
no ground for that extravagant expendlture of which
they had been accused by their opponents. This
Ministry, with the exception of Mr. Barton, all re-
presented country constituencies ; and if ever there
was a Ministry likely to favour the country, it was
the Ministry in power. They took an interest in the
country. He was there that day to open a
railway, and see what their wants were. It
was the duty of the Ministry to see
every part, and see what reforms could be
carried out. Not only the Ministers, but members
of Parliament also, were travelling through the
colony to see for themselves what was right and
what was wrong. He referred to the advantages
which a system of water irrigation would give to the
country, and pointed out that such works as these
must be first done by Government, and the public
must afterwards buy water from the Government.
The present Ministry, however, .was not going to
bring in a land tax. How much could they pay for
a land tax in tho country? (Cries of "Nothing.")
He objected to a land tax because of the expense
in collecting it. He could promise them a local
government bill. This would provide the machinery
for the collection of a land tax. When they had got
the machinery, and the Government found there was
not sufficient money coming in from the ordinary
revenue, then would be the time to tax the people
who owned freehold land, and not before. Finally,
Mr. Lyne insisted that the Government had not come
into power to bring in legislation of a theoretical
character, but they intended to carry on the Govern-
ment in a proper and legitimate manner, and to
bring in practical legislation.
Mr. Kidd shortly addressed the meeting, congratu-
lating the citizens on the opening of the railway.
The chairman intimated that the other toasts on the
list would be dispensed with, and the proceedings
closed with cheers for the present Government.
It has been arranged for the present that mixed
trains shall run between Cobar and Nyngan three
times a week, and a number of cheap excursions
from Sydney are announced. A children's picnic,
which was partly interfered with on account of the
rain, is to be repeated in a fortnight's time. During
yesterday Mr. Lyne and Mr. Kidd visited the
hospital and the Huntingdon Mill gold mine, and
Mr. Kidd received one or two deputations relating to
postal requirements. The members left at 8 o'clock
this morning by special, and will arrive in Sydney on
Monday morning.
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