Hunter River Railway Company

The Hunter River Railway Company was a company formed in 1853 to develop a railway from Newcastle to Maitland in New South Wales, Australia. When the company faced financial difficulties during construction, it was bought by the New South Wales Government and the line opened in 1857. The line devised by the company is the oldest section of what became the Great Northern Railway from Sydney to Wallangarra, Queensland.

Foundation
A public meeting was held at the Royal Hotel in Sydney on 20 April 1853 to propose the creation of a company intended to develop railway between Newcastle and Maitland. The meeting was chaired by the statesman William Charles Wentworth. Among the political figures in attendance were Legislative Council speaker Sir Charles Nicholson, future premier Charles Cowper and Legislative Council members W. Bradley, T.W. Smart, Captain King and Dr. Douglas. Also attending was Captain W. Russell, J. Gilchrist, T. Holt, J. B. Darvall, T.S. Mort, J.E. Ebsworth, C. Kemp, S.D. Gordon, David Jones, Dr Mitchell, John Croft and J.F. Josephson, as well as other prominent commercial figures. The Sydney Morning Herald summarised: "The chair was taken by Mr William Charles Wentworth, M.L.C., and the meeting was attended by a large number of the leading men of the colony. Intimately acquainted with the district and its resources, the honourable and learned member described, in his usual lucid manner, the favourable results of the careful surveys which had been made; the trifling nature of the engineering difficulties, even if the line were afterwards extended to Scone, to the North, and Sydney to the South; and last, but not least, he reminded the meeting of the well-known fact that the county of Durham, and the Hunter River district generally, were the most productive localities in the colony."The attendees resolved to seek land grants for terminals and stations, and capital funding, from the Government. An Act of the Legislative Council granting the Company authority to build a railway "in or near Newcastle terminating in or near East Maitland or West Maitland and beyond" received royal assent on 18 October 1853. The company was based in Sydney. It held its first general meeting of shareholders on 8 November 1853. The first meeting of directors was held on 11 November, electing Charles Kemp as chairman.

Construction
A Mr Lundie who had surveyed the route ten years prior devised plans which were purchased and utilised by the company. Chief engineer James Wallace of the Sydney Railway Company was attained as Consultant Engineer. A surveyor and a resident engineer were also appointed. The appointments took place during the directors' meeting on 11 November.

The ex-Southampton ship Ellenborough arrived on 31 October 1853 with a hundred labourers contracted by the railway. There were arrangements for 500 labourers to be procured for construction. A tender for the construction of a line from Merewether Street in Newcastle to Hexham was accepted. The company chairman, Charles Kemp, turned the first sod on the project on 8 November 1854.

Dissolution and sale
A meeting of shareholders in early January 1855 determined "That it is expedient to dissolve the railway company, and to sell and dispose of the railways, and all other property, works, and effects, belonging to the company, to her Majesty's Government." The company was sold to the New South Wales Government on 23 April 1855. A circular republished by the Maitland Mercury the prior month stated that: "Every year will add to the length of its line, and as it is contemplated by the Hunter River Railway Company to run the line to the utmost extent of the northern districts, to New England, it will add to the means of our shipping the whole of the pastoral produce at our port."The line was opened on 30 March 1857 by Governor Denison.

Legacy
The line devised by the Hunter River Railway Company is the oldest section of what became the Great Northern Railway, or Main North line, which at its maximum extent ran from Sydney to Queensland, terminating at Wallangarra station. Passenger and goods trains continue to run on the line as far as Armidale.