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Great
Northern Railway |
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Pichi Richi Railway
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The building of the Great Northern Railway was
the reason for choosing the site at Quorn. It was first thought to build a railway line
north from Port Augusta on the western side of the Flinders Ranges, but this plan fell
through. It was decided to build a light narrow gauge railway through the Flinders ranges
via the settlement of Saltia and Pichi Richi Pass to serve the settlements and cereal
farms north of Quorn. The line from Port Augusta to Quorn was officially opened in
December 1879. |
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F Fricker of Queenstown erected the present
Railway Station at Quorn for $5724. Work commenced on 29 July 1914 using local materials.
The building was occupied late in 1914. |
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Quorn developed as a major railway junction
with east-west (to Perth) and south-north (the Ghan to Alice Springs) freight and
passenger traffic. |
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The railway through Quorn and
Hawker reached a fabulous peak during WWII when military trains and supplies
went north. Interstate railway men came to Quorn to assist in the huge task
of moving men and machinery via Alice Springs to Darwin. |
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The last Ghan train passed through in 1956 and
the re-routing of the line saw a gradual decline in Quorn and Hawker's importance as
railway towns. As you drive along the Quorn - Hawker road you drive beside the remains of
the railway line. |
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Click here to open up an interactive Regional Map |
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