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Linga

Origin of name: Aboriginal: "Lingi", camp, home.

Station opened: 25-6-1912 as MANPY; 9-12-1912 renamed LINGA

Distance from Melbourne (via Castlemaine): 326 miles 25 chains 5 links; 525.150 km

Distance from Melbourne (via Ballan): 532.054 km

Height above sea level: 197 feet

Linga was originally provided with a 150 foot passenger platform with a cart dock and a 20 x 12 foot portable office with double roof and 17 x 8 foot 6 inches shelter shed, a 400 gallon water tank and timber stand, closets and urinals a loop goods siding with 50 x 16 foot goods platform and two employees residences.

In 1923 Sailor Salt Ltd. advised the Victorian Railways that they were constructing a tramway and requested siding accommodation at Linga with a proposal to extend No.2 road at the Up end with a loop to the main line. In 1924 it was agreed that a dead extension for five trucks would be sufficient and that a No.2 track would be provided. No.2 track was completed on 13-1-1925 and the dead end extension was advanced sufficiently to be used by 20-1-1925 and all work was completed on 8-4-1925.

Sheep yards were situated at the down end on the goods siding. A private 12 tons weighbridge was also in the yards.

About 12 miles north of Linga and Underbool lay salt lakes known as The Pink Lakes which derive their name from the pink tint suffusing the glittering level acres of salt in the lake beds. The three principal lakes were leased to private firms, the first salt being harvested by Mr.Eb. Jones in 1916. Bullock teams were used to take salt to Underbool and by 1922 the tracks to the lake had become so bad that camel teams with Afghan drivers from Broken Hill were used.

Filling bags with salt at Lake Becking, near Linga. Circa 1923. Photo: Wilf Henty, courtesy John Kiely

Bagged salt ready for transport to the Linga or Underbool railway station. Circa 1923. Photo: Wilf Henty, courtesy John Kiely

A horse and a simple, but effective, loading device attached to a dray was the method used to load full bags of salt. Horse and dray was the mode of transport before construction of a tramway linking Lake Becking and Linga station. Circa 1923. Photo: Wilf Henty, courtesy John Kiely

Bagged salt on its way to the rail head with a horse team and dray. Circa 1923. Photo: Wilf Henty, courtesy John Kiely

By 1923, the Sailor Salt Co. obtained a lease and commenced construction of a 2 foot 6 inch railway from Linga to Lake Becking in 1924 using 4 foot x 6 inch x 4 inch sleepers supplied by the Molesworth Red Gum Sawmill, near Yea. Problems with the sleeper supply led to the company completing the line with sleepers obtained from the Victorian Railways. The Mount Lyell Company (Tasmania) purchased the business from 18-12-1926. Commonwealth Fertilisers and Chemicals became the owners on 23-5-1935.

Location map of tramway from Linga railway station to Lake Becking. Source: Light Railway Research Society of Australia

Remains of the tramway formation from Linga to Lake Becking for transportation of salt. 11-5-1997. Photo: Bruce McLean

"Sunraysia Daily" reported on 8-11-1927 that the Mount Lyell Company's tramway from Linga to the salt works was interfered with twice within a week, resulting in a fully loaded train of trucks being derailed by an obstruction placed on the line. Apparent the intention was to prevent delivery of salt supplies. The tramway terminated at the up end extension of No.2 road where loading facilities were provided for transfer of salt to rail wagons.

Preserved locomotive and flat wagon used on the Linga to Lake Becking tramway for conveyance of salt, preserved at Underbool. 26-4-2002. Photo: Bruce McLean

A culvert was inserted under the line at the down end of the Linga yard in July 1936.

The Grain Elevators Board opened a 65,000 bushel concrete grain elevator in 1939.

The Up end extension was sold by the Victorian Railways to the Commonwealth Fertiliser Company in 1942.

In 1955 Imperial Chemical Industries of Australia and New Zealand requested extra siding accommodation. The Up end extension of No.2 road was extended to accommodate an additional seven trucks. A loading ramp was also constructed.

In August 1964 Mildura detectives were called in to investigate the theft of about 800 tons of salt from a storage of 16,000 tons at Lake Becking.

Passenger services were withdrawn on the Ouyen to Pinnaroo line on 1-11-1968.

Supervision of Linga was transferred from Murrayville to Ouyen, by 13-12-1983.

A railway enthusiast special has stopped to inspect the facilities at Linga on 17-3-1984. Note that the platform facing has been removed and cut back recently and the single sheep race is still in situ. Photo: Bruce McLean

The up end double-crossover points at Linga. Note the salt loading ramp on the dead-end siding. 17-3-1984. Photo: John Page

Departmental residence No.1970 was tendered for removal in July 1973.

On 8-4-1976 the Up and Down end points were renewed on the main line and Staff Locks were provided in lieu of hand locking bars.

On 27-7-1999, Vicgrain Limited announced that 71 under utilised sites throughout the State would no longer form part of its core grain storage system. Linga was included as a site that no longer met Vicgrain's operational requirements.