Cockburn, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Cockburn is a town on the border of South Australia
and New South Wales
near Broken Hill
. The town population consists of roughly 25 people with a greater regional community of 180 as of 2005.
, which prompted the South Australian Government
in 1884 to offer to the New South Wales (NSW) Government
the building of a narrow gauge railway line from the NSW-SA border to Silverton. This was seen to be necessary since horse drawn transport could not cope with the transport of the ore through South Australia. This offer was rejected by the NSW Government.
Local business people therefore formed the Silverton Tramway
in 1885 to build the railway line from Silverton to the SA border. The town of Cockburn came into existence in 1886 (on the SA Side of the border) as a place where trains would exchange locomotives and crews. On the NSW side of the border the Silverton Tramway Company built a station and siding called Burns.
The pressure for the expansion of Cockburn was increased with mineral
discoveries at Thackaringa and Umberumberka from 1883 onwards. The silver-lead-zinc discovery at Broken Hill led to the railway line being extended from Silverton to Broken Hill in 1887. The route was extremely important as it provided balanced trading for locomotives with a momentum grade 'up' from Broken Hill to Cockburn and a rising grade 'down' from Cockburn to Broken Hill. This was the main advantage of the route to and from Cockburn.
By 1892 the town of Cockburn had become sizable. The population was 2,000 people. Cockburn boasted two hotels, two general stores, three boarding houses, schools and churches. It contained within its business sector a blacksmith, butcher, baker, produce merchant and carrier. Stationed at Cockburn included two engineers, a stationmaster, customs officer, locomotive superintendent and a miner. Locomotive shed and related work facilities were recorded as existing in 1892. Seven trains regularly ran between Petersburg (now Peterborough
), Cockburn and Broken Hill. These included passenger trains. In 1892, 83,194 passengers travelled through Cockburn.
Cockburn also has a role in industrial relations history in Broken Hill. Tom Mann, a political "disruptionist" was barred from speaking publicly in New South Wales. In 1908 3,000 passengers came from Broken Hill to Cockburn to hear Tom Mann speak. From the front of the hall next to the Cockburn Hotel he addressed the crowd, which was the beginning of a dispute known as the 1909 Lockout. During this dispute Broken Hill mining unionists were locked out of the company gates for rejecting pay cuts which would have been below the minimum wage.
The standard gauge railway line, officially opened in 1970, runs south of the surveyed town limits of Cockburn, and has a new station and a passing loop. The "new" station is now disused.
In the early 1990s the South Australian Government proposed to close down the small communities along the Barrier Highway
leading to a strong and unified resistance from the local communities. In April 2006, the government planned to demolish five former railway houses http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/sa/port/200605/s1637006.htm.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
near Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
. The town population consists of roughly 25 people with a greater regional community of 180 as of 2005.
Town history
Huge ore deposits were discovered in SilvertonSilverton, New South Wales
Silverton is a small village at the far west of New South Wales, Australia, 25 kilometres north-west of Broken Hill. At the 2006 census, Silverton had a population of 89 people....
, which prompted the South Australian Government
Government of South Australia
The form of the Government of South Australia is prescribed in its constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
in 1884 to offer to the New South Wales (NSW) Government
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
the building of a narrow gauge railway line from the NSW-SA border to Silverton. This was seen to be necessary since horse drawn transport could not cope with the transport of the ore through South Australia. This offer was rejected by the NSW Government.
Local business people therefore formed the Silverton Tramway
Silverton Rail
Southern and Silverton Rail is an Australian regional rail operator providing rail freight haulage, hook and pull, terminal and shunting services, maintenance and first response/recovery services...
in 1885 to build the railway line from Silverton to the SA border. The town of Cockburn came into existence in 1886 (on the SA Side of the border) as a place where trains would exchange locomotives and crews. On the NSW side of the border the Silverton Tramway Company built a station and siding called Burns.
The pressure for the expansion of Cockburn was increased with mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
discoveries at Thackaringa and Umberumberka from 1883 onwards. The silver-lead-zinc discovery at Broken Hill led to the railway line being extended from Silverton to Broken Hill in 1887. The route was extremely important as it provided balanced trading for locomotives with a momentum grade 'up' from Broken Hill to Cockburn and a rising grade 'down' from Cockburn to Broken Hill. This was the main advantage of the route to and from Cockburn.
By 1892 the town of Cockburn had become sizable. The population was 2,000 people. Cockburn boasted two hotels, two general stores, three boarding houses, schools and churches. It contained within its business sector a blacksmith, butcher, baker, produce merchant and carrier. Stationed at Cockburn included two engineers, a stationmaster, customs officer, locomotive superintendent and a miner. Locomotive shed and related work facilities were recorded as existing in 1892. Seven trains regularly ran between Petersburg (now Peterborough
Peterborough, South Australia
Peterborough is a town in the mid north of South Australia, in wheat country, just off the Barrier Highway. At the 2006 census, Peterborough had a population of 1,689....
), Cockburn and Broken Hill. These included passenger trains. In 1892, 83,194 passengers travelled through Cockburn.
Cockburn also has a role in industrial relations history in Broken Hill. Tom Mann, a political "disruptionist" was barred from speaking publicly in New South Wales. In 1908 3,000 passengers came from Broken Hill to Cockburn to hear Tom Mann speak. From the front of the hall next to the Cockburn Hotel he addressed the crowd, which was the beginning of a dispute known as the 1909 Lockout. During this dispute Broken Hill mining unionists were locked out of the company gates for rejecting pay cuts which would have been below the minimum wage.
The standard gauge railway line, officially opened in 1970, runs south of the surveyed town limits of Cockburn, and has a new station and a passing loop. The "new" station is now disused.
In the early 1990s the South Australian Government proposed to close down the small communities along the Barrier Highway
Barrier Highway
The Barrier Highway is a highway in New South Wales and South Australia signposted as in South Australia and in New South Wales, Australia.The Barrier Highway starts at Nyngan where it joins the Mitchell Highway. It heads west past Hermidale and Boppy Mountain to Cobar, a mining town. It then...
leading to a strong and unified resistance from the local communities. In April 2006, the government planned to demolish five former railway houses http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/sa/port/200605/s1637006.htm.