Grand Opening - 3000 Schoolchildren get a day off!

Just how many schoolchildren  were in the Heidelberg district back in 1888?

3000 SCHOOL CHILDREN INVITED TO RAILWAY OPENING
Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (1882 - 1902), 11.05.1888

"OPENING OF THE HEIDELBERG RAILWAY.

The district of Heidelberg entered upon a new era on Tuesday last, when the long talked-of and much-postponed railway was at last opened for public traffic. The event was celebrated by a banquet, held in the Heidelberg Hall, and by a pic-nic given by the Mayor of Fitzroy to all the State school children of that city. The children, numbering about 3000, were conveyed by special trains to Heidelberg, where they were joined by the children from local State school, who had been kindly invited by His Worship the Mayor to participate in the sports. A football match was played between the Heidelberg and Fitzroy scholars, and, after a splendid and exciting game, resulted in favor of the Heidelberg boys by two goals to one. Unfortunately, the morning was rather uninviting, but as the rain held off during the afternoon, the juvenile pic-nicers apparently enjoyed themselves to their hearts´ content."

There are many stories about the much anticipated opening of the Heidelberg train line.

My favourite is about the dignitary who missed the official train's departure from Spencer Street.

He was able to return home, ready his horses and buggy, drive this rig to Heidelberg - and greet the arriving train!

The original route of the train was (by modern observers standards) quite bizarre. It left Spencer Street and wound out through Royal Park, then did a loop down through Fitzroy to Clifton Hill.

The engine had to be de-coupled, "run around" the stationary carriages, re-coupled, and then set off towards Heidelberg.

No doubt local politics rather than altruism was at play when Fitzroy's Mayor funded such an extravaganza at Heidelberg.

This fiasco of a train journey was the result of political wrangling to bring train services to as many voters as possible.

Low patronage due to the lengthy, expensive journey soon brought some sense into play.

The Fitzroy loop was abandoned, and a route out of the CBD via Jolimont and Clifton Hill was constructed.