Railway stations on the Eyre Peninsula
[note 1] From 1908 until the early 1960s, the lines of the SAR's Port Lincoln Division, 832 km (517 mi) long at their maximum extent, were the lifeline for much of Eyre Peninsula because roads were non-existent at the dawn of the century and substandard even at the end of that period.
More important was the service that these trains provided in the way of mails and parcels, bringing inwards supplies to the townships along the lines and taking fresh eggs, cream and other commodities back to Port Lincoln.
Only 13 stations on Eyre Peninsula had stationmasters at any time in their history; a small number had caretakers for short periods.
[2]: 143 Balumbah Beautiful Valley Buckleboo Bunora Butler Capietha Caralue Ceduna Chandada Charra Chillundie Chinbingina Chinta Cockaleechie Coffin Bay Condada Coomaba Coomunga Cortiinye Corunna Cummins Cungena Cunyarie Darke's Peak Decres Bay Drekurmi Duck Ponds Edillilie Fowlers Bay Grantham Kalanbi Kaldow Kapinnie KarcuItaby Karkarook Karkoo Kevin Kiana Kielpa Kilto Kimba Kirton Point Konanda Koonibba Kopi Kowulka Kyancutta Lake MacDonnell Lock Maltee Minnipa McLachlan Moody Moreenia Mortlock Moule Mount Hill Mount Hope Mudamuckla Murat Bay Murdinga Nammuldi Nantuma Ningana Nunjikompita Peachna Pearlah Penong Pillana Pimbaacla Pinbong Pinkawillinie Poldinna Poochera Port LeHunte Port Lincoln Proper Bay Puntabie Pygery Ravendale Rudall Taragoro Terre Thevenard Tooligie Toopoora Ungarra Uranno Uworra Verran Waddikee Wandana Wanilla Wannamana Warrachie Warramboo Warunda Watraba Wharminda Wiabuna Wildeloo Wirrulla Wudinna Yaninee Yantanabie Yeelanna Yeltukka At the time the first railway lines were being constructed, from 1907, it was impossible to predict which vicinity would grow and which would not.
After general freight services ceased and unit train working was introduced, in the early 1980s, a major program of siding extensions took place, during which the shelters were removed, leaving only a sign on a post visible to locomotive crews.
[2]: 140 Buildings on wheat-traffic lines outside of Port Lincoln that had been used by Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA), such as employee sleeping barracks, were vacated when the company ceased operating bulk-wheat unit trains in May 2019.
No stations exist on the only operating remnant of the narrow-gauge system on the peninsula – the 67 km (42 mi) line from the gypsum mine at the uninhabited locality of Kevin,[note 2] by Lake MacDonnell, to the port of Thevenard[note 3] However, the timber building that served as the SAR's Thevenard station before 1968 remains in use by Aurizon, which has operated the line since 2022, as an office.
[note 5] The railway network on Eyre Peninsula before 1930 was built with a single purpose in mind: the movement of grain to the coast.
Grain was collected into jute bags straight from the header and loaded on to a horse and cart, or train, for storage until it was possible to transport it to a port to be exported.
[6] Despite the huge improvement brought about by bulk handling, conventional outloading equipment at the country silos on Eyre Peninsula only filled rail wagons at up to about 200 tonnes per hour.
