Hamley Bridge, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Hamley Bridge is a community in South Australia
located at the junction of the Gilbert
and Light
rivers, as well as the site of a former railway junction.
Named by the government of the day, in honour of the Acting Governor of South Australia Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Gilbert Hamley, whose wife, Lady Edith Hamley laid the foundation stone of the River Light Railway Bridge on 25 July 1868.
Other settlements in the area had commenced in the early 1860s, and it was not until 1868 that the junction of the two rivers came under notice as a possible site for a township. The broad gauge
northern railway was extended from Roseworthy
to Tarlee
during 1868 and a bridge, said to be the highest in the state, was built over the River Light. Another line extends to the towns of Owen
and Balaklava
.
, was stronly opposed. Alternately, the break of gauge may have been moved northwards to Owen
Hamley Bridge ceased to be a break of gauge station in 1927 when narrow gauge lines as far north as Gladstone
were converted to broad gauge, Gladstone becoming a break of gauge station in lieu.
24 hour per day operation was made possible by the instatallion of floodlighting in 1908.
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...
located at the junction of the Gilbert
Gilbert River (South Australia)
The Gilbert River is a river in the Mid North region of South Australia. It rises near Manoora on the Barrier Highway and flows south through Saddleworth, Riverton, Tarlee then southwest through Stockport and Hamley Bridge. It merges with the Light River just downstream of Hamley Bridge. The Light...
and Light
Light River
The Light River is a river of Fiordland, New Zealand. It rises west of Lake Quill and flows westward into Sutherland Sound.-References:...
rivers, as well as the site of a former railway junction.
Named by the government of the day, in honour of the Acting Governor of South Australia Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Gilbert Hamley, whose wife, Lady Edith Hamley laid the foundation stone of the River Light Railway Bridge on 25 July 1868.
Other settlements in the area had commenced in the early 1860s, and it was not until 1868 that the junction of the two rivers came under notice as a possible site for a township. The broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
northern railway was extended from Roseworthy
Roseworthy, South Australia
Roseworthy is a small town in South Australia, about 10 km north of Gawler. At the 2006 census, Roseworthy had a population of 668.Roseworthy has a large grain storage facility consisting of both storage silos and bunkers for grain grown in the surrounding areas, and grain is collected by rail to...
to Tarlee
Tarlee, South Australia
Tarlee is a town in South Australia. The origin of the name is uncertain, but it is thought to be a corruption of the name Tralee in Ireland. The town is in the lower Mid North region where Main North Road crosses the Gilbert River. It is approximately 8 km south of Giles Corner, where the...
during 1868 and a bridge, said to be the highest in the state, was built over the River Light. Another line extends to the towns of Owen
Owen, South Australia
Owen is a rural community in the heart of the Adelaide Plains. Owen is above sea-level and receives a reliable 416 mm of rain annually and was first settled in about 1865. It is about 80 km north of Adelaide in South Australia and is approximately 30 minutes by road to the nearest main...
and Balaklava
Balaklava, South Australia
The town of Balaklava is located in South Australia, 92 kilometres north of Adelaide in the Mid North region. It is on the banks of the Wakefield River, 25 kilometres east of Port Wakefield.-History:...
.
Railway
A railway station was established a few hundred metres north of it in 1880 and was at first known as Alma Railway Station. The stone building, occupied as a private residence today, represents the fine architecture of the era and is heritage listed along with the signal box and water tanks, and two of the bridges over the River Light.Break Of Gauge Difficulty
Hamley Bridge was a major break of gauge station when the narrow gauge from the northern system reached the broad gauge system. As Hamley Bridge is only 40 miles (64.4 km) from the capital and major port, this break of gauge soon became a sore point, leading lobbying over decades to extend the narrow gauge all the way to the capital and that port. Trains reaching Hamley bridge may have travelled 600 miles (965.6 km) from Oodnadatta, thus illustrating the poor design of this break of gauge. The break of gauge at Hamley bridge was very cramped and poorly sited due to rivers, bridges, gradients and curves, which were difficult to improve upon. There were also shunting delays and a shortage of trucks. A counter proposal to ease congestion at the inadequate facilities at the Hamley Bridge break of gauge was to shift the break of gauge northwards to BalaklavaBalaklava, South Australia
The town of Balaklava is located in South Australia, 92 kilometres north of Adelaide in the Mid North region. It is on the banks of the Wakefield River, 25 kilometres east of Port Wakefield.-History:...
, was stronly opposed. Alternately, the break of gauge may have been moved northwards to Owen
Owen, South Australia
Owen is a rural community in the heart of the Adelaide Plains. Owen is above sea-level and receives a reliable 416 mm of rain annually and was first settled in about 1865. It is about 80 km north of Adelaide in South Australia and is approximately 30 minutes by road to the nearest main...
Hamley Bridge ceased to be a break of gauge station in 1927 when narrow gauge lines as far north as Gladstone
Gladstone, South Australia
Gladstone is a small rural town in the Mid North of South Australia in the approach to the lower Flinders Ranges. At the 2006 census, Gladstone had a population of 629....
were converted to broad gauge, Gladstone becoming a break of gauge station in lieu.
24 hour per day operation was made possible by the instatallion of floodlighting in 1908.