Bairnsdale to Orbost Railway
The 1850s was the start of an era for the Victoria Railways, as they made their introduction into the construction of various significant railways. In 1858, the construction of a railway lines from Melbourne to Bendigo and from Geelong to Ballarat started to serve the flourishing population in the goldfields regions. These services would also serve farmers, major businesses and residents along these new lines and in the goldfields.
From the 1850s, coastal ports were used by the settlers in the East of East Gippsland. However, the use for these ports became less as the settlers started to move into the river valleys further from the coast. The rapid growth of the population in the new settlement areas resulted in a demand for the construction of a railway line in order to move their goods which included timber, maize, stock and daily produce to the Melbourne market.
Construction of the railway began from Oakleigh in 1871. Later, it was extended up to Morwell in 1877 and Bairnsdale in 1888 which became one of the busiest stations beyond Dandenong.
There were problems with the approval of the railway line between Bairnsdale and Orbost, specifically the cost. The Railways Standing Committee recommended the construction of the railway line form Bairnsdale to Bruthen then on to Orbost having a length of 60 miles (97 km) at an estimated cost of £391,360. The construction of the Bairnsdale to Orbost railway line started in 1912 and was opened to the public on the 10 of April, 1916.
One major obstacle in constructing the railway line was the nature of the land. Since it is characterised as being hilly, it was estimated that large volumes of earthworks were needed. Amendments of plans were made in order to minimise the cost of the project. As a result of the rural conditions many of the initial designs for the bridges had to be modified. This project was considered to be one of the most expensive undertaken by the Victorian Railways at the time and was led by Maurice E Kernot.
The only remaining station left is the Bairnsdale station which remains in service today. Very little remains of the other stations as only sign boards can be seen at a few of the stations. However, most of the magnificent bridges constructed as part of the railway line remain. For example, the Nicholson Bridge was renovated and adapted as part of the East Gippsland Rail Trail.
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Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Engineering Heritage Marker (EHM) |
| Award Date | 21 August 2016 |
| Heritage Significance | This railway is significant because it provides an example of the high standard of civil structures and bridges that were being constructed at the beginning of the 20th century. Construction of this railway was considered one of the most expensive railway extensions of that era as it required approximately 1,530,000 cubic metres of earthworks and the crossing of three major rivers. Completion of the works with the techniques available at that time required an enormous number of labourers and horses. |
| Nomination Document | Available here. |
| Ceremony Booklet Ceremony Report |
Available here. |
| Plaque/Interpretation Panel Image | Available here. |
