Mundaring Branch Railway Explained

The Mundaring Branch Railway is a historical section of the original Eastern Railway main line across the Darling Scarp in the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) system.

Name variation

It has had a number of names in WAGR records – including:

• Smiths Mill Line (locality later known as Glen Forrest) after the Eastern Railway was moved to the new line to the north – 1890s to 1920s^{[1] [2]}
• The Mundaring Loop, or Mundaring Line – 1930s to 1950s^[3]

There was confusion in the naming of the Mahogany Creek Deviation.^[4] The Mahogany Creek railway stopping place was on the Mundaring Branch Railway between Glen Forrest and Mundaring.^[5] However the Mahogany Creek Deviation was the incorrect name for the new line that followed the line of the Jane Brook to Mount Helena.^[6] It was on the second route of the Eastern Railway constructed in the 1880s to early 1890s, and it passed through the Swan View Tunnel, well to the north of the original Mahogany Creek stopping place and the creek itself.

Connections

The Branch commenced at Bellevue railway station, moving up the slope to Greenmount.Steep gradients and deviation inclines occurred through to Glen Forrest.

It connected with the newer line at Mount Helena.

Mundaring was the junction point where the Mundaring Weir Branch Railway commenced.

Timetabled passenger services on this branch (until closure in early 1954) tended to terminate at Sawyers Valley.^[7]

Closure

Traffic ceased running in 1954;^[8] the line was closed by Parliament in 1966.^[9]

Following closure, it eventually became part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail.

Stopping places and sidings

• Bellevue
• Greenmount
• Greenmount Quarry siding
• Mountain Quarry siding
• Boya
• Hudman Road Quarry siding
• Darlington
• Glen Forrest (originally Smith's Mill)
• Statham Brickworks Siding
• Nyaannia
• Zamia (highest point on line at 1,007 feet)
• Mundaring
• Mundaring Weir line just outside Mundaring railway yard
• Sawyers Valley
• Mount Helena

Further reading

• • Elliot, Ian Mundaring a History of the Shire. 1983.
• Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R. Australian Railway Routes 1854-2000 2000.
• Watson, Lindsay The Railway History of Midland Junction. 1995.

Notes and References

1. News: SMITH'S MILL RAILWAY SERVICE. . . Perth . 9 January 1909 . 4 April 2012 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: SPECIAL EXCURSION to MUNDARING WEIR. . . Perth . 26 October 1913 . 4 April 2012 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: HILLS TRANSPORT. . . Perth . 9 December 1937 . 4 April 2012 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. . . Perth . 22 November 1895 . 4 April 2012 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: HILLS ALLOTMENTS. . . Perth . 25 May 1933 . 4 April 2012 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
6. Le Page, J. S. H. (1986) Building a state : the story of the Public Works Department of Western Australia 1829-1985 Leederville, W.A : Water Authority of Western Australia. page 216.
7. News: SAWYER'S VALLEY REQUESTS. . . Perth . 21 January 1898 . 4 April 2012 . 48 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Railway Closure Draws Protest . . Western Australia . 7 January 1954 . 16 January 2020 . 7 . Trove .
9. chapter 7 Unmaking Tracks pp. 105–120 for a good summary of events