Fiery debates over rail line
In part 1, I wrote of the December 1873 proposal for a Railway Line from Sydney to the Illawarra that would pass along the Port Hacking River valley. Sydney businessman Alexander Stuart, who entered the NSW Parliament in December 1874, had, one year...
Part 3 in the series by John Arney, of Helensburgh and District Historical Society
The Illawarra Railway Line, (originally via the Port Hacking Valley), that was proposed in December 1873, heralded the beginnings of a major political struggle between the project’s supporters and its detractors. That “battle” continued in earnest for a little over eight years. It should be noted that in these intervening years the preferred route was changed from the Hacking Valley, (passing through today’s Audley), to the present route of the drainage divide that leads from Sutherland to Bottle Forest (Heathcote) thence Waterfall and the Illawarra.
Most readers will be familiar with the relatively gentle rise of the Railway from Sutherland to Waterfall, a route with shallow cuttings and few creek crossings. From Waterfall the line was then to pass through “4 miles of rugged country”, through six tunnels before joining the Hacking Valley at Lilyvale, 2.7km northwards of today’s Otford Station.
The first casualty of this parliamentary conflict was William Forster, the member for Illawarra, who held the seat from 1872 to 1874. Forster did not support the notion of a Railway to the Illawarra and was dismissed by the people at the poll of 1874. Next came Samuel Gray who occupied the seat until 1880, followed by Alexander Stuart from 1880 to Oct 1885. Both Gray and Stuart were ardent supporters of the railway.
One central character in the battle against the railway plan was John McElhone, member for the Upper Hunter who, in the 1877 electioneering campaign, had told his constituents that “I pride myself on having been the chief obstructionist in the Assembly”. McElhone claimed that the Illawarra railway would not pay and was designed purely to fatten the pockets of a few landholders.
In April 1878 the push for the railway came to a head in Parliament when, in a late night session, Samuel Gray attempted to introduce a discussion on the project. A debate ensued between Gray and McElhone that soon became heated, with each member calling the other a liar. It culminated with McElhone moving across the floor of the Parliament where it was reported, “Mr. M’ELHONE continued to threaten Mr. Gray and Mr. Charles, saying, “Come outside, and I will show you.” I will punch your head, you and your brother-in-law.”—[The hon. member walked to the door of the ante-chamber, inviting the two hon. members referred to follow him and fight.]” (Note: Samuel Charles was the member for Kiama and husband of Samuel Gray’s sister, Sarah.)
The Sydney Morning Herald’s report on the above incident is at the National Library is available to read via Trove.
Debates in Parliament, often fiery, continued until September 1882 when a tender for £258,419, for the first 23 miles and 12 chains of the Illawarra line was awarded to C. and E. Miller. This contract was for a single line from Macdonaldtown to Waterfall.
The Millar Brothers did not complete this work, they were paused by the Government after reaching Como and the contract for the continuation of the line was later awarded to the contractors William Rowe and William Smith.
