An alternative rail line

While construction of a transcontinental railway from Adelaide to Darwin was proposed almost as early as the Territory was granted to South Australia it took many years of procrastination before any section of the railway south from Darwin was built. The line north from Port Augusta in South Australia was started in 1878 and by 1891 it had only reached Oodnadatta. Here it languished until 1929, when it was extended to Alice Springs.

The beginning of the Darwin end of the line was mired in government inaction, and private proposals which came to nothing. Finally in 1877 the way seemed clear, except for a requirement to introduce coloured immigrant labour for the construction work. When in 1882 the appropriate bill to allow this was passed, followed the year after with the passage of the Palmerston (Darwin) and Pine Creek Railway Bill, the way seemed clear. Construction did not begin for another four years. The line to Pine Creek was finally completed in October 1889. And there it too languished.

When the Commonwealth Government took over control of the Northern Territory from South Australia in 1911, one of the conditions was the completion of the north-south rail line. Unfortunately no time limit was placed on this. The line south was extended as far as Birdum by 1929. There it remained. The North Australia Commission in its report to the government suggested an alternative route to the long proposed north-south corridor. That route would travel across New South Wales and Queensland, missing South Australia completely. That scheme too was put aside and forgotten.

World War II would result in the survey and building of the Stuart Highway so that military supplies could be hurried north to Darwin. This was a massive combined effort by the road departments of South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. But it did not eventuate in the rail line south being completed. That would be delayed until the 21st century and private enterprise.

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