Gloucester to Taree

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Railway camp school between Gloucester and Taree, 1912

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Sleeper cutting in the Killabakh district: Sleeper cutters Bill Pearse and Ern Thornton posed for this photograph belonging to Manning Valley Historical Society.

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Pressing railway lines - Manning Valley Historical Society photo

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Construction families: Railway line construction workers and their families lived in tents and huts along the new track from Gloucester to Taree. Greater Taree City Council photo.

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 Railway construction - Manning Valley Historical Society photo

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 Turning of the first sod at Taree - Manning Valley Historical Society photo

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Washpool rail bridge at Mount George - Manning Valley Historical Society photo

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1898 engineer's visit to Wingham - it would appear that although the survey had been done, the line was still not a c ertainty.

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Railway workers camp - Manning Valley Historical Society photo   

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In 1907 there were two proposals for the line ex-Wingham and from the article this map came from, it appeared that there was quite a bit of support both from within Parliament and outside of it to bypass Taree completely. The article indicates that the shorter (and less expensive route) would have been preferred as it would have opened up valuable timber and farming country. It points out that Taree was already well serviced by coastal steamships and that they should suffice them. The support for the alternate route out of Wingham was partially based on the fact that Wingham was a government town and should be the centre of the district and also the premier town of the district whereas Taree was a private town and not deserving of any government assistance. History shows that the line through Taree was ultimately taken. I imagine that had the proposal gone through Taree would probably have received a branch line eventually.

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Loading gravel at Dingo Creek near Wingham in 1912 during the construction of the railway line. The gravel was used in concrete foundations for railway bridges near Wingham.

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Kentucky Camp, one of the railway construction camps near Wingham.

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Construction works near Wingham