Bound for The Hills

MELBOURNE was going ahead in the 1850s, especially the construction of public buildings, and railways began to make their appearance. A short line to Sandridge (Port Melbourne) was completed in 1854 and a longer one to St Kilda was in service three years later. The Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company built from Princes Bridge to Punt Rd, Richmond, and the mile line (1.6 kilometres) was opened in February 1859. By the end of the year it had been extended to Swan St and as far as the Yarra River by September 1860. It was the start of a railway destined to run to the Dandenongs. Opened as far as Hawthorn on April 13, 1861, it was considered at the time there was little need to proceed any farther because Hawthorn was an outpost. Matters changed soon after and the population east of Hawthorn grew to the extent that by the 1870s a railway service was needed at least to Camberwell.