Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
Aviation pioneer John Robertson Duigan was born in the town of Terang in the colony (now state) of Victoria in southeast Australia. In 1902, he went to England and enrolled in the City and Guilds of London Technical College in Finsbury. Duigan earned a certificate in electrical engineering from the college in 1904, and the... Continue Reading →
Just three days before her 17th birthday, Australian sailor Jessica Watson – arriving in Sydney Harbour at 1:53 p.m. in her boat Ella’s Pink Lady -- completed a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the Southern Hemisphere. A pink carpet was set out for her and, as she walked on it after getting out of the boat,... Continue Reading →
A ceremony was held to lay the foundation stone for a new railway station in Western Australia’s city of Perth. This Monday afternoon event, however, received a decidedly lackluster review from the region’s Herald newspaper. “There was a very small attendance of the public, there being scarcely any persons present but officials and children,” reported... Continue Reading →
The Australia-based Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge, carrying the Main Northern railway line over the Hawkesbury River on the northern outskirts of Sydney, was officially opened. The seven-span bridge, which would remain in use for more than a half-century before being replaced by the current bridge, was the final link in a railway network connecting Adelaide,... Continue Reading →
Robert Risson, an engineer who played a crucial role in the retention of the tram system in southeastern Australia’s city of Melbourne, was born in the town of Ma Ma Creek in northeastern Australia. Risson received a bachelor of engineering degree from the University of Queensland in 1922, and the following year he began work... Continue Reading →
In Western Australia, a new main road between the town of Muchea (on the northern outskirts of the Perth metropolitan area) and the port city of Geraldton was officially opened. Western Australia’s Transport Minister Ray O’Connor was on hand for this dedication ceremony, which took place in the town of Eneabba. There were plans to... Continue Reading →
The initial segment of Australia’s first-ever freeway was opened to traffic in Sydney in the state of New South Wales (NSW). Joseph Cahill, NSW’s premier at the time, inaugurated the overhead portion of the freeway and made clear his high expectations for the new route and what it would mean for Sydney. “Cahill Sees Roadway... Continue Reading →
In Australia’s state of Queensland, the M7 Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7) in the city of Brisbane first became fully operational at 12:02 a.m. after individual segments of the new structure had been progressively opened to vehicular traffic starting the previous day. The tunnel, which carries the motorway M7 under the Brisbane River and encompasses a... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 