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Kamballie Western Australia

At the turn of the twentieth century, the West Australian Government was under pressure from Kalgoorlie-Boulder mining companies to provide an efficient means of transportation. Bowing to this pressure, the "loop" service line was constructed in 1897 to transport freight and mining equipment, but because of the area it encompassed, the railway quickly became the main means of passenger transport for the local residents.

Leaving Kalgoorlie Station, the loop branched east to serve the smaller towns of Williamstown, Brown Hill, Hill End and Trafalgar, before entering Boulder City via Kamballie Station and Forrest Street. Leaving Boulder City Station, thus forming the "outer loop", the line passed through the stations and sidings of Dunlop, Hainault and Golden Gate, before eventually reaching Kallaroo, Halfway, Coventry Street, Roberts Street, Hannan Street Station, and Victoria Park before returning to the Kalgoorlie Terminus.

In the heyday of 1902-3, a minimum of 15 trains a day passed through the small stations of the outer loop, with their wooden station houses and limited facilities. The introduction of trams on the Goldfields caused a reduction in train traffic and, due to the 1930s mining decline, the service on the outer loop ceased. Traffic on the main line was heavily reduced to five goods wagons with passenger cars attached per week to Kamballie, although after the Depression, this improved to ten trains per week.

By the 1950s, only goods trains operated to Kamballie, although for a short time during those years a railcar called the "Tin Hare" travelled between Kalgoorlie and Boulder, stopping at all railway sidings and even rail crossings. By 1974 only one oil train a week was running and, when Westrail closed all non-standard lines east of Merredin, this ceased and the permanent way between Trafalgar and Hannan St was given to the mines.

Kamballi Station - Photo SLWA