Bulk Handling of grain commenced in 1954 when a group of forward thinking farmers approached government seeking assistance to move the state’s handling of wheat and barley from the labour intensive, back-breaking use of bags into the modern era.
Gladstone complex has grown from its original concrete silo storage built in 1957 to become the largest inland grain storage facility in Australia with a storage capacity of in excess of 600,000 tonnes.
In the last ten years more than $10 million has been invested in capital infrastructure at the Gladstone site. This includes construction of fast loading out-loading system that can load rail at more than 1,000 tonnes per hour.
Viterra (formerly ABB Grain, AusBulk and SACBH), is now the largest employer in Gladstone and where practicable, use local businesses to provide services required by the company. During the peak of 2001/2002 harvest, this site employed 6 permanent staff, 11 permanent part-time staff and over 100 casual staff.
During season 2001/2002, the Gladstone site received 553,163 tonnes of grain, which was made up of 16 segregations of grain grades from Wheat, Barley, Duram Wheat, Peas, Faba Beans and Fiesta Beans.
This grain was taken through 2 sampling offices, weighed on 2 inward weighbridges & 2 outward weighbridges. At any one time there were 6 silo grids & 6 drive-over hoppers operating to place this grain into concrete vertical silos, bulk sheds and bunkers.
| Concrete vertical: | Block 1 | 2500 tonnes barley/cell 2900 tonnes wheat/cell |
| Block 2 | 1300 tonnes barley/cell 1500 tonnes wheat/cell | |
| Sheds | Block 3 | 50,000 tonnes |
| Block 4 | 5,000 tonnes peas | |
| Block 5 | 45,000 tonnes | |
| Block 6 | 45,000 tonnes | |
| Bunkers | in excess of | 325,000 tonnes |
| Future Bunkers | in excess of | 100,000 tonnes. |
Approximately 90% of the grain is out-loaded through 2 x 1,000 tonne bins which are located over a railway line. A majority of this grain is then taken to Port Adelaide terminal to be loaded onto ships for many national and international ports.
Gladstone developed rapidly with the arrival of the railway in 1877. When Port Pirie became the main Spencer Gulf Port, the railway was built to transport grain from the fast expanding agricultural areas to the east. Subsequently the narrow gauge (3′6″) was extended through Jamestown to Peterborough, and north from Gladstone to Wilmington. This also allowed out of town students to attend Gladstone High School, albeit for only a few hours, as the railway timetables were not compatible with school hours. The last narrow gauge to be closed was the line to Wilmington in 1982.
Broad gauge (5′3″) was laid from Hamley Bridge to Gladstone in 1927 to allow goods to be transported from Adelaide. Transhipping then became necessary to shift goods from the broad gauge to the narrow gauge wagons. Passenger trains to and from Adelaide were also introduced.
1969 saw the standard gauge (4′81/2″) completed. Gladstone, Port Pirie & Peterborough all had the three (3) gauges, but Gladstone was unique in that no other railway station yard had the three (3) gauges interlaid together within the one area (siding).
Progressively facilities were withdrawn, buildings dismantled and rail lines and point systems were removed, with the railway station being officially closed in 1991.
Today various trains still use the standard gauge line, but the largest use is for the transportation of lead and zinc from Broken Hill to Port Pirie.
Over 80 train movements are witnessed through Gladstone SA in any week, with between 10 and 15 freight trains daily depending on the day of the week. This can make for interesting train spotting. Freight consists of ore, grain. steel, intermodals, trailer rail freight and mineral sands, with the privately owned company SCT also using the line for intermodal transport. A number of other trains travel through Gladstone on an ad hoc basis such as ballast trains, heavy track maintenance equipment, the Track Diagnostic Train and the occasional movement of single locomotives.
The world famous ‘Indian Pacific’ train currently passes through 2 times per week (Tuesday and Thursday).
When you next visit Gladstone, allow some time to view the interpretive signs displayed in ‘Three Gauges Park’ which tell more of the involvement in the railway journey.
Post: The Secretary,
PO Box 3, Gladstone SA 5473