Railway
History.
On April 8th 1884
The Villiers Railway League unanimously agreed that the League …”reaffirm
their previous action in asking for a railway from the ports of Belfast
[Port Fairy] and Warrnambool, through Koroit to some point on the Ararat
line between Dunkeld and the Wickliffe road.”
This action made Koroit a hub for district farmers. Construction of
the line started in late 1888 and it was completed in 1890.
The Correspondence books of the Construction branch of the railways
indicate that in 1889 contracts were let for 12 gate keepers' cottages
between Warrnambool and Belfast [Port Fairy].
A satisfactory
resolution came for the cropping farmers with the joining of the line
to the northern route.
Farmer preferred to send their produce directly to Geelong rather than
to the sea ports where it would be on shipped to Geelong.
Along
the line are remnants of the eight small stations where produce was collected.
The area grew and shipped wheat, oats, malting, peas and beans, potatoes,
turnips, hay, and grasses
Some thought the line so beneficial that they felt farmers should not require compensation for it passing through their property.
Materials for
the line were sent to both Warrnambool and Port Fairy by sea.
107,000 jarrah sleepers were shipped from Western Australia to the contractors.
For a time, the soon to decline ports, handled large quantities of railway
materials. J. Wilson and Company supplied 5,100 tons of equipment to the
project.
The line came to
provide an important recreational aspect to the area.
Special pleasure trains ran to the seaside towns for Sunday school picnics,
school excursions and social gatherings.
While from Toolong Road to Badhams Lane there is still significant bushland
other parts of the line reflect a different heritage.
The line closed in 1977.
