New South Wales Government Railways
Commission overview
Formed1855
Dissolved1932
Superseding agency
JurisdictionNew South Wales
HeadquartersSydney
Minister responsible
A Standard stock electric suburban set, the first passenger train over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932

The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) was the agency of the Government of New South Wales that administered rail transport in New South Wales, Australia, between 1855 and 1932.

Management

The agency was managed by a range of different commission structures between 1857 and 1932, which reported to either the Minister for Public Works or the Minister for Transport.

The inaugural Chief Commissioner was Ben Martindale[1] and, following the enactment of the Government Railway Act, 1858 (NSW) he became Commissioner of Railways. John Rae succeeded Martindale in 1861,[2] and in 1877 Charles Goodchap was appointed Commissioner. The Government Railway Act, 1888 (NSW) set up a corporate body of three railway commissioners to manage the railways and remove them from political influence, resulting in the resignation of Goodchap.[3]

This Board of Railway Commissioners of New South Wales was in place from 22 October 1888 to 4 April 1907, and was replaced by a sole Chief Commissioner of Railways and Tramways until 22 March 1932, when a panel arrangement was restored for a period of nine months, with the Transport Commissioners of New South Wales. On 29 December 1932, the Department of Railways New South Wales was established and Thomas Joseph Hartigan was appointed Commissioner for Railways replacing the functions of the Chief Transport Commissioner.[4] The Department of Railways New South Wales become the official name of the railway and was used on most documentation (drawings & other paperwork), the NSWGR title was still used periodically on public documentation such as advertising and timetables. This continued until the creation of the Public Transport Commission on 20 October 1972. The last Commissioner for Railways was Neil McCusker.

Executives

Chief Commissioner for Railways and Tramways

# Chief Commissioner Term Notes
1 Tom Richard Johnson 4 April 1907 – 3 April 1914 [5]
2 John Harper 4 April 1914 – 31 December 1916[a] [7][8][9]
3 James Fraser 1 January 1917 – 30 November 1929 [10][11]
4 William James Cleary 1 December 1929 – 22 March 1932 [12][13][14][15]

Chief Transport Commissioner

# Chief Commissioner Term Notes
1 Charles Joachim Goode 22 March 1932 – 3 August 1932 [16][17]
2 William James Cleary 3 August 1932 – 29 December 1932 [18][19]
Succeeded by Commissioner for Railways.

Legacy

The agency was succeeded by the Department of Railways on 1 January 1915; and then following the enactment of the Public Transport Commission Act, 1972 (NSW), the Public Transport Commission was formed; later to become the State Rail Authority on 1 July 1980.[20] Further restructures in 1996, 2001 and 2003 resulted in the establishment of the RailCorp, the agency currently responsible for the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network and rural passenger services, and for providing government and commercial freight operators with access to the rails of the Sydney metropolitan area. On 1 July 2013, the operational responsibilities of RailCorp were transferred to NSW TrainLink and Sydney Trains.[21][22]

Infrastructure

The agency built all of their track to the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge and ran its first official passenger train on 26 September 1855, between the Sydney terminal (just south of the current Central) and Parramatta junction (just past Granville) railway stations.

The agency was also a significant electricity generator. It operated several power stations, notably at Ultimo, White Bay, Lithgow, and Zaara Street, Newcastle, until its generation and transmission assets were taken over by the Electricity Commission of New South Wales, on 1 January 1953.[23]

Rolling stock

In 1936, the company owned 1187 locomotives, 457 railcars, 1445 coaches, 172 brake vans and 22,068 goods wagons.[24]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ In December 1914 Harper was granted leave of absence on account of illness, and never resumed the position. Fraser was acting commissioner from January 1915 – December 1916.[6]
  1. ^ Abbott, G J. "Martindale, Ben Hay (1824–1904)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  2. ^ Phillips, Nan. "Rae, John (1813–1900)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  3. ^ Forsyth, J H. "Goodchap, Charles Augustus (1837–1896)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  4. ^ "ACT OF PARLIAMENT ASSENTED TO". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 169. 25 November 1932. p. 4184. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 44. 4 April 1907. p. 2073. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "Mr John Harper". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 29, 483. New South Wales, Australia. 2 July 1932. p. 17. Retrieved 29 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 10. 16 January 1914. p. 297. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 59. 1 April 1914. p. 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  9. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 1. 2 January 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  10. ^ "Appointments". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 81. 1 June 1917. p. 2788. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  11. ^ "Legislative Council". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 16, 575. 29 November 1929. p. 9. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  12. ^ "STATE RAILWAYS". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 9 November 1929. p. 8. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  13. ^ "Probable Chief Commissioner". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 November 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  14. ^ "Mr. W. J. Cleary". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 March 1932. p. 16. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  15. ^ Thomas, Alan (1981). "Cleary, William James (1885–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  16. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 37. 22 March 1932. p. 1044. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  17. ^ "NEW CHIEF TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 March 1932. p. 16. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  18. ^ "MR. CLEARY". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 August 1932. p. 11. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  19. ^ "MR. CLEARY". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 December 1932. p. 9. Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Trove.
  20. ^ "Agency Detail". State Records. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  21. ^ "RailCorp job cuts first of many: unions" Sydney Morning Herald 15 May 2012
  22. ^ "Ruthless RailCorp reforms planned as middle management axed" Daily Telegraph 15 May 2012
  23. ^ "RAILWAYS END 53 YEARS OF POWER GENERATION". Lithgow Mercury. 14 January 1953. p. 4. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  24. ^ World Survey of Foreign Railways. Transportation Division, Bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, Washington D.C. 1936. p. 16.

External links

Media related to New South Wales Government Railways at Wikimedia Commons

Administrating government agencies for rail transport in New South Wales
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