Railways and Tramways of Australia

Father of New South Wales Railways

 

John Whitton began working as Engineer-in-Chief of NSW Railways on 15 January 1857.

 

Whitton was born in 1819 at Foulby, North Yorkshire, England. He became an apprentice engineer and worked for two different railways in England, gaining knowledge and experience, particularly regarding railway construction.

 

At the time Whitton commenced his appointment with the New South Wales Railways there were 23 miles (37 km) of railway open for service. Under Whitton the major lines in the state were established. Railways reached from Sydney to the Victorian border at Albury and the Queensland border at Wallan-garra, as well as to Bourke, Mudgee, Narrabri, Hay, Cowra, Cooma and North Kiama. By the time of his retirement there were 2182 miles (3511 km) of lines in use. Whitton had to contend with difficult terrain, limited resources and political opposition. Building the railway across the Blue Mountains was a particular challenge. He designed two zigzags, the first use of such an arrangement on a main line in the world.

 

Whitton designed many bridges, including the iron bridge over the Nepean River at Menagle and the sandstone viaduct across Stonequarry Creek at Picton, both of which are still in use. Some of Whitton’s grand railway stations continue to serve passengers today, including Goulburn, Bathurst and Albury. He was also involved in railway operation and management, and chose designs for new locomotives and rolling stock.

 

Whitton was a man of strong opinions and integrity. Nevertheless, his influence began to decline in the latter part of his career. He retired on 30 May 1890. John Whitton died on 20 February 1898 at 78 years of age.

 

The vast development of railways in New South Wales under Whitton was acknowledged by him becoming known as the Father of NSW railways.

 

Bibliography

R Lee, Colonial engineer: John Whitton 1819-1898 and the building of Australia’s railways, Australian Railway Historical Society, Sydney, 2000.

New South Wales Government Railways and Tramways, Annual report of the railway Commissioners, for the year ending 30 June 1890,

     Parliament of New South Wales, 1890.

J Rae, Thirty-Five Years on the New South Wales Railways: The work of the late Mr. John Whitton C. E., Engineer-in-Chief of the railways of New 

     South Wales, Builder Printing Works, Sydney, 1898.

CC Singleton, ‘Whitton, John (1820–1898)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University,

     http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/whitton-john-4844/text8087, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 10 January 2026.