History

Railway Construction Act authorised substantial railway construction across Victoria, including the Great Southern Line.

Railway construction commenced. It was constructed in three sections:

• Dandenong to Whitelaw’s Track (Korumburra).
• Whitelaw’s Track (Korumburra) to Toora.
• Toora to Port Albert.

Royal Commission into Coal Mining identified the urgent need to access the Korumburra coalfields.

Korumburra Station opens and is named the depot station for the line.

Railway opened.
Branch line to the Korumburra Coal Mine opens.
The first coal train departs from Korumburra on 27 October.

Branch line to Jumbunna opens.

Branch line to Outtrim opens.

Welshpool to Port Welshpool horse drawn tramway opened.

New Korumburra Station buildings completed.
Branch line to Wonthaggi opens.

A train departing from Stony Creek collected passengers along the line until Ruby.  The passengers then travelled onto Nyora, changed trains and headed to the coastal town of Kilcunda for a picnic and visit to the ocean before returning later in the day.

Students from Leongatha High School travelled to Dandenong to compete in school sports.  Students from Sale, Warragul and on occasion Bairnsdale would travel on the Gippsland line to compete in school sports.
Branch line to Woodside opens.
Branch line to Strzelecki opens.

The decline in railway patronage resulted in the cancellation of the Wednesday evening train from Melbourne, and the morning train reduced to three days per week.

A tourist train travelled to South Gippsland, with 70 passengers on board who slept in sleeping cars.  Their excursions included Bulga Park, Agnes Falls, Darby Chalet and Waratah Bay.  Passengers were also treated to a boat trip on the ‘Janet Illes’.

The Welshpool horse drawn tramway ceased operation.

Stony Creek was an electric staff station, a unique token system developed in England and introduced to Australia in the early 1890s.
Goods Train was involved in a major disaster, running away from the Korumburra yard and derailing past Kardella.
The last coal line at Korumburra was closed in 1957.

Steam trains are replaced by diesel-electric trains.
Branch line constructed from the main line prior to Welshpool to serve the Barry Beach oil terminal.

Tarwin Station operated until the 1970s.

In late 1988 the last steam train travelled beyond Leongatha to Foster.

Centenary of the opening of the Dandenong to Korumburra section was celebrated with steam train rides.

After 100 years of operation passenger services ceased on 24 July.

Freight and Goods services continued until the line was formally closed, bringing to an end a remarkable chapter in Victoria’s transport industry.