History
Before line construction (1872-1889)
In July 1872, a request was issued to the local shire president that a meeting be held on the prospect of a rail line to Briagolong, with a petition being organised by Michael Feely and Michael Landy of Stratford and Briagolong residents. Around 1877, the Stratford Railway League were making calls for a railway line from Welshpool to Omeo, passing through Sale, Stratford and Briagolong. December 1880 saw a public event held in Briagolong, headed by Landy, to hear the opinions of local residents, preceding a banquet to be held in Maffra.[2]
The railway commissioner, Thomas Bent, visited Briagolong on 22 October 1881, and according to the recollections of Marjorie Kelly, was "happy to grant Briagolong its railway". There was much debate over where the railway line was to terminate — in Maffra or in Stratford.[2] Ultimately, Premier Duncan Gillies proposed that the line end in Maffra, with the Railway Construction Act 1884 providing for a line from Maffra to Briagolong.[3] In 1885, 30 people attended a public meeting where it was argued that Stratford and Briagolong had a closer connection. One attendee, John McDonald, said that there was a virtual desert between the towns of Stratford and Briagolong, whereas the landowner at Bushy Park intended to subdivide his land, which would cause a larger settlement being necessary to purchase the land.[2]
Despite the fact that construction on the Maffra railway line had already begun, Stratford residents remained staunchly opposed to a Maffra and Briagolong rail connection. At a meeting, they argued that a line from Stratford would only be a quarter of the cost than the Maffra proposal, due to the fact that no bridges would be required, and that the ground was more level.[2] The Gippsland Farmers' Journal reported on 22 July 1887 that the Premier at the time, Duncan Gillies, responded to a request asking for the line to end in Stratford by saying that he "could not now see his way to propose any alteration in the route adopted from Maffra".[4]
On 6 July 1888, the contract for construction of the line was issued to Mr D Monro and Co, costing £122,966. The first sod was turned 13 days later in Briagolong. In December 1888, a group of Briagolong residents gathered in the Mechanics Institute to advocate for extending the line to Dargo, which had been part of the Welshpool to Omeo proposal.[2]
Operation (1889-1952)
The Briagolong railway line was initially opened on 7 August 1889. A flood of the Avon River on 3 August 1891 overflowed the bridge on the railway line, causing the line to close.[5] 2 weeks later, it was reported the bridge had been washed away, and that "a considerable sum of money" would be needed to replace the bridge.[6] After this flood, the railway bridge was rebuilt, and the railway line reopened on 21 December 1891.[2][7] The Avon River bridge flooded twice again in 1893 and 1894, until a new iron bridge (previous bridges had been wooden) was constructed in 1895.[2][8]
The line was reopened in 1897, which was celebrated by a Maffra banquet. The banquet was attended by Gippsland North MLA Allan McLean, where he spoke about the history of the line. McLean said that the government led by Duncan Gillies had initially refused to put the Briagolong line on a costing estimates list for constructing rail lines across the state, but the Speaker had intervened to put it to a committee vote, owing to what McLean called "the splendid accumulation of statistics by the prominent residents of the district". The Railway Commissioner, according to McLean, successfully advised the government to put the Briagolong line on the estimates list without a vote, leading to the construction of the line.[9]
In a 1909 Victorian Railways report, the railway line was reported as costing £5138 per mile, excluding rolling stock.[10] On 10 November 1911, a group of young people were brought before the Children's Court in Maffra, charged with putting obstacles on the railway line.[11] Passenger services on the Briagolong railway line closed in November 1930.[2] On 25 April 1936, there was a public meeting held in the Shire of Maffra hall in regards to the "likely closing" of the railway line. G. Bennett, president of the Briagolong Progress Association, said that the closure of the line would have a serious effect on Briagolong. B. Kelly, a representative of rail commissioners, said that while the line was not being closed, "some lines must eventually close themselves", and that if people did not use the line, it might have serious results.[12] The railway line was closed on 16 July 1952.[1][2]
