This Day in History: 1904-05-28

A three-month trial of a new Foden steam-waggon, purchased by the State Government, commenced transporting produce from Vernon Hamersley’s property Hasely, near Culham, to the Newcastle Railway Station. The vehicle took a day and a half to get from Newcastle to Hasely to pick up its first load. Hamersley later reported that unsealed roads and the lack of watering points made the use of such wagons (as feeders for the railways) unsuitable in WA agricultural areas.

Sources:
Newcastle herald, 21 May 1904, p.4; 18 June 1904, p.4.
West Australian, 28 May 1904, p.9; 6 May 1905, p.9.