Description

Tramways to Timboon

The Rails and Resources of the Heytesbury Forest

By Peter Evans

Discover the history of the Heytesbury Forest and the railway that helped transform south-west Victoria. Tramways to Timboon explores the region’s timber industry, sawmills and tramways. It also tells the story of how the land changed from dense forest into farmland and thriving local industries.

Exploring the Heytesbury Forest

The Heytesbury Forest once covered a vast area of south-west Victoria. It stretched from Warrnambool in the west to Lake Corangamite in the east, reaching south towards the famous Shipwreck Coast.

The landscape was heavily wooded, with patches of open grass tree plains and swampland. Life there was often challenging. Leeches filled the wetlands in winter, while snakes were common in summer. As a result, the first settlers and their children faced many hardships as they made their homes in this rugged region.

The Railway and Local Tramways

This book tells the story of the Camperdown to Timboon broad-gauge branch line, which opened in 1892 as part of the Victorian Railways network. It also documents the known tramways that the railway served.

Along the way, you’ll discover the important role these railways and tramways played in the local timber industry. The book covers the history of more than 100 individual sawmills. It also explores numerous lime works and quarrying operations, many of which relied on tramways to move materials.

From Forest to Farmland

Tramways to Timboon also examines how the region changed over time. It explains how land selection policies and sawmilling helped clear the forest. This created space for dairy farms and other industries to grow.

Through detailed historical research, Peter Evans reveals how railways, tramways and local industries shaped the development of the Heytesbury region.

Book Details

• Author: Peter Evans
• Publisher: Light Railway Research Society of Australia (LRRSA)
• ISBN: 978-0-9093-406-3-6
• Format: Hardback
• Length: 180 pages
• Paper: Art paper
• Size: A4
• Illustrations: 61 maps and diagrams, plus 200 other illustrations
• Reference material: Includes a bibliography, references and an index