The Morkalla railway line was a railway in the

Millewa The Millewa is a region of north western Victoria in Australia. History The County of Millewa was proclaimed in the area in the nineteenth century. In the 1960s the then dryland farming areas of Nangiloc and Colignan were irrigated. Subsequent ...

region of north-western

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. It extended west from

Red Cliffs railway station Red Cliffs is a closed railway station in the town of Red Cliffs, on the Mildura line, in Victoria, Australia. It was established as a passenger station in 1920, with a loop siding being provided around this time. In 1922, a railmotor serv ...

on the

Mildura railway line The Mildura railway line is a heavy rail line in northwestern Victoria, Australia. The line runs from Yelta station to Ballarat station via the settlements of Mildura, Ouyen and Maryborough in an approximate south-southeasterly direction. ...

into wheat farming areas established as soldier settlements after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The line opened initially with limited services to Karawinna in 1923. An extension to

Werrimull Werrimull is a small town and locality in the Rural City of Mildura, part of the Sunraysia region of Victoria. The place by road, is situated about 10 kilometres west of Karawinna and 10 kilometres east of Bambill. It is west southwest of Mil ...

was officially opened to general traffic on 10 April 1924, and it was further extended to Meringur in October 1925. The final extension was to Morkalla, which opened in June 1931. As the towns along the line shrank, due to reduced populations caused by increasing farm size and mechanisation, the line became used only on a seasonal basis, and was closed completely in 1988. The Red Cliffs to Meringur section was dismantled during 1990 and 1991. A very short section of the line near Red Cliffs has been rebuilt in a narrow gauge by the Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway, which operates monthly tourist services, using heritage locomotives. There were several proposals to extend the line across the border into

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

to connect with the South Australian Mallee railways, either joining the line to Renmark near Paringa, or as an extension of the Peebinga railway line. There was support from South Australians in the

Riverland The Riverland is a region of South Australia. It covers an area of along the River Murray from where it flows into South Australia from New South Wales and Victoria downstream to Blanchetown. The major town centres are Renmark, Berri, Loxt ...

region to achieve the connection, but it appears not to have been supported by the state government of the day.

Route

The line began at Red Cliffs, south of Mildura. It ran roughly west, 10–12 km south of what is now the Sturt Highway. Towns and settlements along the line included: * Thurla * Benetook * Pirlta * Merrinee * Karawinna *

* Bambill * Yarrara * Meringur * Karween * Morkalla

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline Closed regional railway lines in Victoria (Australia)