All aboard the slow train

All aboard the slow train
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"In 1903 the early sire of the modern conservatives, the Protectionist Party were denouncing the construction of the Trans-Australian Railway that would connect the eastern states to Western Australia.
The rail connection was a major incentive given to WA to join the Federation in 1901, as at the time the only way to get anywhere from Perth was by a long boat journey. Protectionist Senator James Styles complained to the parliament that the works would draw resources away from NSW and QLD, and that traffic simply did not justify the expense.
It wasn’t until 1911 that an ALP government got the project in motion. When the two sides of the nation were finally connected in 1917, the railway revolutionised internal trade and freight carriage with travel now taking days instead of weeks."
Article by T.J.Curtis
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