Centenary of Federation Victoria: Federation Documents ONLINE

Focus questions
RwQ9 If Australia is to have a uniform gauge what will have to be done to all non-standard gauge railway lines?
RwQ10 Imagine you are the Honorable the Minister for Railways for one of the colonies faced with having to pay the bill for altering your railway lines to the standard gauge. Why do you think the cost of making the railway gauge uniform has to be shared by all the colonies affected?

With reference to what has recently passed on this subject and our conversation yesterday, I have the honor to suggest that the following should be the basis of procedure in connection with this subject:-
That the various colonies should affirm-

That the adoption of an universal gauge is absolutely necessary looking at the future growth of the country and the annually increasing intercourse of the people and exchange of goods.
That the cost of adopting an uniform gauge shall be borne by the whole of the colonies affected.
That it having been decided that the cost of altering the railways to an uniform gauge shall be a national one, the subject of which is the right gauge to be adopted, must be approached without any bias in favor of the gauge at present in operation in any colony, and a decision must be come to from the standpoint of which gauge, 4ft. 8½in. or 5ft. 3in., can be adopted at the least cost and inconvenience.
That it shall be an instruction that the whole [of] the railways in New South Wales and Victoria, that part of the railways of South Australia now laid to the 5ft. 3in. gauge, as well as the line to Cockburn (for Silverton), and all lines in Queensland south of Brisbane leading to New South Wales shall be altered to the standard gauge, and the cost of altering the railway and rolling-stock necessary for working such lines, shall be a national charge.
That the Chief Commissioner or Chairman of the Railway Board in each colony, with one colleague (to be selected by the Chief Commissioner or Chairman), to be a Commission to consider-
1. What shall be the gauge of the future.
2. In what proportions the cost of the change shall be borne by the respective colonies.
3. The probable cost of carrying out the change.
4. The number of years the cost of the change shall be spread over and the amount of money to be set aside each year as a sinking fund.
5. The date on which the change of gauge shall take place. The Commission to submit a joint report for the consideration and approval of the respective Governments.

That it be a recommendation to each of the colonies finding it desirable for the present to make narrow-gauge lines in outlying districts; to arrange its stations, tunnels, and bridges in such a way as to enable the uniform gauge at a later date to be laid down without incurring any additional expenditure in enlarging such works; the wisdom, however, of from the outset adopting the standard gauge, which may be laid down in the cheapest possible way, to be carefully considered.

Excerpt from FEDERAL CONVENTION, 1897 (RETURN to the ORDER of the CONVENTION (March 24th, 1897), LAID on the TABLE by the CLERK and ORDERED to be PRINTED, April 2nd 1897.) [Copy letter, dated May 18th, 1889, from the Chief Commissioner for Railways to the Honorable the Minister for Railways.], SLV, MS 10037, MSB 130.