Australian WI: All Railways built to one Gauge?

Let me add some background. During the 19th Century, when the Australian Colonies were being developed, rivalry between each colony meant that each of thier Rail systems were built to a Differant Gauge (Which is the width of the track). The complicated system meant that, for example, if a factory owner in Brisbane wanted to ship a desk from Perth, on the other side of the continent, it would traval across the desert by standard (4 ft 8+12 in) gauge to Adilaide, where it would then it would be moved to a Broad (5ft 3 in) gauge for the joueney across Victoria, then, it would change back to Standard Gauge for the journey across NSW, then to Narrow Gauge (3ft 6in) once it reached Queensland, all after negociating each colony/states customs services and paying rediculous amounts of taxes and tariffs.

This system severaly impeded the development of each colony and later the nation, and was nearly fatal during World War 2. So, how would it have affected Australia's development and progress if somehow (Private minign and timber lines put aside), each colony/state had built to a unified gauge? Disscus.
 
Let me add some background. During the 19th Century, when the Australian Colonies were being developed, rivalry between each colony meant that each of thier Rail systems were built to a Differant Gauge (Which is the width of the track). The complicated system meant that, for example, if a factory owner in Brisbane wanted to ship a desk from Perth, on the other side of the continent, it would traval across the desert by standard (4 ft 8+12 in) gauge to Adilaide, where it would then it would be moved to a Broad (5ft 3 in) gauge for the joueney across Victoria, then, it would change back to Standard Gauge for the journey across NSW, then to Narrow Gauge (3ft 6in) once it reached Queensland, all after negociating each colony/states customs services and paying rediculous amounts of taxes and tariffs.

This system severaly impeded the development of each colony and later the nation, and was nearly fatal during World War 2. So, how would it have affected Australia's development and progress if somehow (Private minign and timber lines put aside), each colony/state had built to a unified gauge? Disscus.
Isn't actually worse than that? My recollection was that there was a bunch of narrow gauge on the eastern south coast, so anything coming from the east up to the Alice was travelling on narrow gauge (at least) a chunk of the way.

Ya, it's crazy isn't. At least the Russians had a good reason for their non-standard gauge (to prevent invasion), and used it consistently. It's not like NSW was about to be invaded by Queensland.

Yes, I think it would have helped Australia's economic development considerably.


I had a physics text once: "Gauge Theory of Weak Interactions" (IIRC). Sounds like a possible title for a history of Australia rail net.
 
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