Rail Trail
You probably already know you are on the Camperdown-(Cobden)-Timboon Rail Trail.
But did you know you are standing just 150 metres east of the site of Cobden’s Railway Station? Look west up Station St and imagine these scenes below sometime between 1892 and 1977.
And we can tell you too that you’re just one kilometre from the centre of Cobden – south along McKenzie St, east down Curdie St. Check it out.
You can always re-join the trail by following the signs to Hewitt and Whitty on Grayland St.
The line from Camperdown through Cobden was finally opened in 1892 after a lot of political to-ing and fro-ing about the most appropriate rail route in a southerly direction.
In the lead-up to the delayed opening, Cobden was looking prosperous with businesses springing up in expectation of the new system of public transport. Interestingly, a network of privately-owned coaches carting mail, goods and people also flourished, including a prominent business owned by Mrs E J Morehouse.
The intention of the railway line heading south was to serve the pioneers of the Heytesbury Forest – the farmers, saw-millers and merchants. Carrying in provisions and produce, the line also brought out timber, lime, dairy products . . .
The first sod was turned on 14 February 1889 by John Walls of Camperdown who stated that the local Railway League had been lobbying for 22 years for rail into the district. Contractors, Messrs Buscombe, Chappell and Bell, took three years to complete the line.
Controversies included sly grog shanties at the construction camps – in a predominantly teetotal community! Also the station at Cobden being built inconveniently on the north side of the line rather than the south side and a woman being employed as a ‘quasi-stationmaster’ irked the locals.
Even when the line was completed, Port Campbell and Scotts Creek and other towns to the east and west were still persisting with requests to be serviced by extensions or spurs.
A 1938 Camperdown Chronicle report said the line was more than serving its purpose: “Railway traffic has shown a remarkable increase over the corresponding period of last year. During the last few weeks an average of three special trains a week has been necessary to handle the amount of goods offering. Stock was moving freely and the Curdie River Lime Company was unable to accept all orders.
Although the last freight train ran on the Cobden-Timboon line in June 1977, it was officially declared closed in May 1987. The need for freight trains had waned significantly over time.
The goods shed went to the Pioneer Park where it is being well-used to display historical items while the station building itself went to the South West Model Engineers’ miniature railway track – both tourism attractions on the Racecourse Reserve.
The Camperdown-Timboon rail-line was reserved as an area for public recreation in the mid- 1990s. A committee of management was appointed in 1999 to oversee its transformation into a popular rail trail for walkers, runners, cyclists and horse-riders.
