Bordertown has just experienced a significant transport milestone this month with locals gathering at the town’s railway station to welcome the arrival of The Overland.
It was 135 years since the first inter-capital train ran from Adelaide to Melbourne via Bordertown.
Other train enthusiasts along the line were also keen to mark the anniversary of a significant event in colonial history.
Members of the Horsham City Band gathered on that regional Victorian city’s railway platform and played tunes as the train pulled into the station.
There was also a fanfare when the first train began operations 135 years ago.
About 300 people witnessed the first train’s departure from Adelaide at 3.30pm on January 19, 1887, among them the Postmaster General.
Nowadays, The Overland operates a daytime 10-and-a-half-hour service on the 828km of track between Adelaide and Melbourne three times a week.
At the peak of its popularity in the post-war years, The Overland frequently had more than 20 carriages including sleepers and dining cars.
The railway pioneered inter-capital rail travel in Australia.
The century old name The Overland came from the affectionate term ‘Overlander’, an adventurer who had travelled across the country.
