Port Arthur Railway Across the Tasman Peninsula – Australia's First Railway | William A. Bayley | 1971 [USED – SC – Out of Print – Reprint]

William A. Bayley's history of the Port Arthur railway — Australia's first railway, built across the Tasman Peninsula using convict labour in the 1830s. The railway ran from Taranna on Norfolk Bay across the peninsula to Long Bay near Oakwood, allowing goods and passengers to be moved without the long sea voyage around Eaglehawk Neck.

What made it remarkable — and what visitors to the Tasman Peninsula still find hard to believe — is that it was not steam powered. Convicts pushed the carriages along the track by hand, running behind and pushing, or sitting in seats at the rear and using their feet against the ground. Passengers sat in the carriages while convicts propelled them.

The railway operated from 1836 until the convict era ended, and its route can still be partially traced on the Tasman Peninsula today.

At 64 pages this is a compact but specific history of an extraordinary piece of convict-era infrastructure — a reprint of the 1971 publication.

BOOK DETAILS

• Softcover stapled booklet. 64 pages.
• Reprint of 1971 publication. Out of print.

CONDITION

Used, generally good condition. Contact the bookshop on 03 6381 1545 for additional photos if required before purchasing.

DELIVERY & IN-STORE PICKUP

• Combined Shipping: Sourcing multiple titles for your Tasmanian history library? The Book Cellar offers combined flat-rate parcel delivery across Australia. Secure your books using our online checkout, or phone the bookshop directly on 03 6381 1545 to coordinate multi-volume shipping.
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