TEROWIE STATION REVISITED
Where Ruling Gauges Met Station Buildings Remaining Rail Line Grant.txt
" The township of Terowie, situated in the Hundred of Terowie, 1,634 feet above sea level and 139 miles north of Adelaide, was proclaimed on August 9 1877. Originally named 'Shebbear' it soon became integrated with the private town of Terowie, which had already been in existence for several years. Predominantly owing its existence to the fact that a change of gauge in the railway system had occurred . The arrival of the Railway in 1880 brought prospects of life to Terowie, for it created employment for many families. For ninety years it was the terminus of the broad gauge railway from Adelaide, but has now lost this position as the new terminus is now at Peterborough, on the new trans- continental standard gauge line. Terowie has had a garadual decline. During World War 11 the Terowie Oval was used as an Army camp for troops moving north to Alice Springs and Darwin The coal from Leigh Creek was transported by rail through Terowie and once passengers and freight for the East-West, and northern stations to Alice Springs and Broken Hill passed through the town. All rail freight moving either North or South had to change gauges or "Tranship" at Terowie, including, Coal. ( Via The Coal Tippler) and Passengers on The Broken Hill Express, in the early days all goods had to be transferred by hand (Transhippers) from one train to another , narrow for North bound traffic and Broad for South bound Traffic. The 1960s was the most prosperous years for the Railways at Terowie. All of the railway staff, about seventy men and their families, have moved to Peterborough, Out of about a dozen shops, only a delicatessen and Road House and Hotel remain in business , the rest were vacated some time ago. Ninety years later the departure of the railways in 1970 virtually deprived the town of the benefit and opportunities it had bestowed; installations and buildings have mostly been demolished and the lines torn up. In this New Millennium little remains to remind us that Terowie was once an important railway town most of which including Station Buildings and Platforms and a few Kilometres of broad gauge track, have all been Vandalised and will soon disappear taking their history with them, what is left should be taken over and preserved , Time is Running Out !!! Terowie had a reported population of 900 in 1886,which rose in later years to 1,300 in the town and district. The serious drought of 1914 and the trend to larger holdings in later years dramatically reduced the district population and the town became almost entirely reliant on its one industry, the railway. When this was removed in 1970, population receded to under 200 . Terowie today, relies on the small numbers of Tourists that detour through the town from the Main Adelaide Broken Hill Highway (The Barrier) a small farming community in the area also helps the few remaining businesses to continue, The opening of a Restored Railway and Station would bring new life back to this historic Railway centre where The Ruling Gauges Met meaning Broad and Narrow , Broad gauge from the Southern Areas Burra, Adelaide and Narrow Gauges from The North , Broken Hill and Peterborough to Quorn and beyond. Most of this information has been researched from history books and other knowledge bases, some comment has been added by My self R.V.Stirling , I do hope the facts are correct.
Permission is Granted to use this Email: Thanks and congratulations to the thoughtful folks who have taken the trouble to gather, and publish, the information they have on Terowie. A couple of years ago,in a sudden fit of nostalgia, I decided to drive in off the main road and take a look at the old place. I had last been there about 65 years before, when I was a kid, living in Port Augusta. By far the strongest memory of the place that I had, was of the most beautiful pies ever created, available from the refreshment rooms on the platform. That, and the hissing of the steam locos, the crowds of people changing trains -all seemed quite fresh in my memory. Come to think of it, I was there once more a few years later, although I was still little more than a kid. That time, I was on a troop train, heading for Darwin, and although I don't recall getting a pie at the refreshment room, but the army would have been feeding us, and its unlikely they would have been feeding us delicious Terowie pies. One thing that took my eye on my more recent visit, was the bronze plaque on the platform, commemorating the visit of General Douglas MacArthur during WWII, and surprising me with the information that it was on that very spot that he uttered that timeless promise "I will Return" referring, of course, to the Philippines. I don't think I had had any firm idea of where the General had made that promise - I just hadn't ever thought of it being at Terowie. We live and learn. I am still a little surprised that this bit about the plaque did not get a mention in your pages on Terowie. Perhaps you could include it somewhere? Thanks again for the time you people have put into the project, and please accept my best wishes. Jeff McKenzie, Kalgoorlie, West Aust., (retired engine-driver, Commonwealth Railways, later Aust. National). Jeff Mckenzie austrail@aurum.net.au
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Thursday, 05 April 2007
