A Switchback Railway operated at Brighton Beach from Christmas 1890 until early 1894. This post is about the railway and the two promoters, Mr Ruck and Colonel Harrison.
Switchback Railway, Brighton.
Labelled as Switzback Railway Brighton. State Library of Victoria Image H15549/31
At the meeting of the Brighton Council held December 8, 1890 Mr Ruck, asked for permission to erect a Switch-back railway on the beach. Mr Ruck appeared in support of the application, and the council after very long discussion referred the matter to the Mayor and Crs Francis Budd and Burrows (1).
The application was approved and the Railway was erected and was open by Christmas 1890, on a Council Reserve, with a weekly rent of £2 10s (2). It ran into controversy immediately when it wanted to open on Sundays, a day trading was generally banned unless local authorities allowed. Colonel Harrison said that the Mayor had told him that he would allow Sunday operations, and in fact had said that he had not the slightest objection to it. However when word got out that the Railway would be open, the Police stepped in and threatened to prosecute, the Mayor backtracked and denied giving permission and the Railway remained closed (3).
One of the reasons the promotors of the Railway wanted it to run on a Sunday was that the patronage of the public was not quite up to expectations during week days (4), and this seemed to be an ongoing issue. Less than a year after it was opened, Colonel Harrison was already behind in the rent and at a November 1891 Brighton Council meeting he offered to pay £20 in satisfaction of all demands, conditional upon being allowed to remove the structure. Given that the Railway cost around £500 to erect, there was a large amount of salvageable material - timber for the structure as well as the iron rails (5). This was refused by the Council. In the December the Brighton Council decided to call for tenders to find an operator so the railway could be opened over the Christmas New Year Holidays.
It was leased again over the next two summers as well - in October 1892 to W.R. Clarke and October 1893 to W.T. Grant. In December 1893, Mr Grant asked the Council for permission to extend the hours of operation from 8.00 pm to to 10.00pm, which was granted. At the same Council meeting Cr Burrows asked for a report regarding the condition of the railway and was told by the Mayor, that the surveyor reported the structure to be stronger than when first erected (6).
By October 1894, the Brighton Council made the decision to invite tenders for the purchase of the switchback white elephant (7). The ultimate fate of the Railway was recorded by the Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader of November 10, 1894 - The celebrated switchback railway, which is now regarded as a menace to public safety, has been restored to its original owner, Mr. A. W. Harrison, on condition that he removes it expeditiously. Mr. Harrison wrote a plaintive appeal to the council at its meeting on Monday evening, asking for the restitution of his dearly beloved white elephant, and the council "switched it back" to him with all the gracious beignity of philanthropic benefactors. It was not mentioned whether any tenders had been received for its purchase, but when the good deed was done, and Mr. Harrison metaphorically folded his boom-bred darling to his bosom, Mayor Walstab and the whole of the civic circle appeared to heave a sigh of glad relief (8). By January 1895, it was gone (9).
Who were Mr Ruck and Colonel Harrison? The first reference to Mr Ruck I can find is in the Tasmanian News of January 4, 1890, in an article about the Switchback Railway in the Domain in Hobart - Mr Noel Ruck, under whose supervision the switchbacks of Victoria, New Zealand, Launceston, and the one at present in Hobart were constructed, and who has always been a very popular manager, opened the Switchback on the Domain this afternoon for a new season, and a fair number availed themselves of the opportunity afforded for a ride which is, as those who have tried it are aware, invigorating and healthy. The Switch-back was a very popular institution while running last season, especially among the young people, while those of mature years who did the short journey over the rails were pleased with the novel sensation they experienced, and many have professed that a couple of trips have had the effect of driving away a bad headache. The Switchback will run every afternoon and evening (10).
This sounded very successful, but in the January 30, 1890 edition of the Tasmanian News a small advertisement appeared saying the Switchback Railway was closing as the Manager was returning to Melbourne (11). More on the Hobart Switchback later.
Mr Ruck returns to Melbourne
Tasmanian News January 30, 1890. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/163568151
Noel Ruck arrived back in Melbourne on February 2, 1890 on the Flinders (12). In the December of 1890 he applied, as we know, to erect the Switchback Railway at Brighton. It appears that was the end of his role at Brighton and that Colonel Harrison operated it. Noel Ruck had been born in London, around 1854, he married Alice McWatt in 1878 and they had three children in the next three years - Charlotte Maude, Mary Oram and Walter Melville. Alice also had a daughter Waltine Alice, born in 1874. Alice arrived in Melbourne in early June 1888 with Waltine and Charlotte (known as Maud); Mary and Walter had died as infants. I can't find Noel on a shipping record, however they had another daughter, Lena Patricia Winifred born in 1888 and registered in Victoria, so either Noel was on the same ship but not listed or else little Lena was born prematurely. Sadly, little Lena died in 1888 at the age of only two months (13). I feel the family arrived together and Noel is not on the shipping list.
The Rucks are listed in the Electoral at Fairfield until 1919. Noel's occupation was a Collector, Alice died in 1919 (14) and the next we find of Noel is that he was involved in an interesting criminal case. The Age of November 4, 1920 reported it under the headlines - The Scarf Trick - Billiard Room Episode - Before Judge Dethridge, at The General Sessions yesterday, Edward Brown, of St. Kilda, who was defended by Mr. Sonenberg, pleaded not guilty to a charge of having stolen a purse, containing £4 10/ in notes, and a gold locket from Noel Edgar Ruck, commission agent, Tennyson-street, St. Kilda. The theft was alleged to have taken place at a Swanston-street billiard room on 22nd September. Mr. Wanliss prosecuted for the Crown. Ruck, giving evidence, said he was holding his purse in his hand in the billiard room when accused came to him and offered him for sole a silk scarf, which he spread over witness's hand, containing the purse, and then snatched the purse away. Witness, who stated he was a teetotaller, denied he had been drinking, and "picking up shadows" off the floor of the billiard room. Accused was found not guilty and discharged (15).
Noel Edgar Ruck, the man who constructed Switchback Railways in New Zealand, Tasmania and Brighton, died on August 9, 1927, aged 72. His daughter Maud, placed a death notice for him in The Age, saying he was Loved by all (16).
The other man involved with the Brighton Switchback Railway was Colonel Arthur Harrison. I don't have any details of his Military service (17). However, he was connected to Switchback Railways before his involvement at Brighton.
Arthur Harrison and installed a Switchback Railway the Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition which ran from August 1, 1888 until January 31, 1889 (18). The Railway was described thus - the wooden structure which carries the railway is 381ft. long. At either end there is a platform 37 1/2ft. high. The cars start from the eastern platform, which is approached by steps. They obtain their motion by gravity. As soon as they are let go they ran down an incline of 9ft., when they gain sufficient velocity to carry them over a rise of 7ft. Then comes a fall of 14ft., from which they rise to the level again. On completing the journey the one way the passengers change cars and are brought back to the starting point. The time occupied is about 18sec. The cars run easily and smoothly on rails, and a ride upon them is an invigorating and agreeable experience (19). Over 300,000 people rode on the railway during the life of the Exhibition (20).
In early October1888, Colonel Harrison, under his full name Arthur Wellesley Harrison, applied to lease 36¼ perches at Manly Beach, for a Switchback Railway. It was not allowed as the land was not zoned for recreation (21). Rejected in Sydney Colonel Harrison then proposed a Railway in Bendigo - the Bendigo Advertiser of October 28, 1888 reported - We are to have a "Switchback Railway" herein our "Golden City." Colonel Harrison, who visited Sandhurst last week for the purpose of securing a site for the above, will return at an early date to make final arrangements; and those who have not seen that far-famed "Switch-back Railway" at the Centennial Exhibition will be able to avail themselves of the most exciting recreation of the present day (22). I do not know if the Bendigo Switchback went ahead.
But by February 1889 the Colonel had moved to another State - to Hobart, Tasmania where a switch-back railway in the Queen's Domain was opened, to the public yesterday afternoon, and was largely patronised. The railway has been erected by the Switchback Outdoor Amusement Co. of Melbourne, under the personal supervision of Colonel Harrison, the manager reported the Hobart Mercury. The Colonel, states that everything is exactly on the same principle as that adopted in the Melbourne exhibition (23). This Hobart Railway is of course, the same Switchback Railway that Noel Ruck was also credited with overseeing the supervision of. I believe that Noel Ruck acted as a contactor and, at times, a manager to Arthur Harrison or Harrison's Company.
In spite of the wonderful beginnings by the April 1889, the Switchback Railway venture had rather disappointing financial results (24) and, as we saw before, it closed in January 1890, either because the Manager, Noel Ruck was returning to Melbourne or the closure was the catalyst for his return.
In February 1890, Colonel Harrison's Company was wound up. The Argus reported on this event - This was a petition for the sequestration of the Switchback Railway Company. The petitioning creditor was Arthur William Harrison, a judgment creditor, who said that the company was formed to take over all his rights in the switchback railway and rifle galleries in Australia, with certain exceptions. The capital was to be £25,000, in shares of £100 each. The actual number of shares issued and allotted was 99, upon which £85 per share had been called up. The petitioner said that the company was unable to pay its debts. On the 1st February, 1890, the petitioner recovered judgment against the company for £1,560 the balance of the purchase money due to him from the company under their agreement, and this judgment was unsatisfied. On the motion of Mr. Vasey, for the petitioner, an order was made for the winding up of the company (25).
Colonel Harrison, perhaps due to his experience at the Centennial Exhibition, was in August 1891 appointed superintendent of the Victorian Court at the Tasmanian Exhibition (26). Then just over three years later, he regained control of the Brighton Switchback Railway - or by that stage, the right to remove the entire structure.
Arthur Wellesley Harrison died at the age of 60 on October 22, 1897, he was living in Glenroy at the time. Interestingly, his death notice lists neither his wife nor his children. His wife Harriett, died in August 1935 and she had a short obituary in The Argus - Mrs. Harriett A. Harrison, of Glenroy, whose death occurred this week, was the widow of Colonel A. W. Harrison. The Beattys of County Armagh were her grandparents, and her great-uncle, Lieutenant George Evans, landed in Victoria with Batman. She leaves four sons Messrs. Frank H., Tom Curtis, Douglas H,, and Arthur Harrison; and three daughter's-Mrs. F. Hamilton Nicol, Mrs. V. V. Cook, and Mrs. A. J. Morgan (27).
Switchback Railways were described as being the most exciting recreation of the present day (28) and one of the attractions of Brighton Beach - the gliding switchback car mounting into the heavens and sliding down into yawning valleys (29). Sadly for the promotors - Noel Ruck and Arthur Harrison, their venture into Switchback Railways was more a journey to yawning valleys, rather than a journey to heaven.
Trove list
I have created a list of articles on Trove on Noel Ruck, Arthur Harrison and their involvement with Switchback Railways, access it here.
Footnotes
(1) Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader, December 13 1890, see here.
(2) The Herald, January 20, 1891, see here.
(3) The Herald, January 20, 1891, see here.
(4) The Herald, January 20, 1891, see here.
(5) Quote - The Argus, November 21, 1891, see here. Cost of the Switchback Railways - Hobart Mercury, December 18, 1888 (see here) and Hobart Mercury, February 8, 1889, see here.
(6) Mr Clark - Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader October 22, 1892, see here; Mr Grant - Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader, October 21, 1893, see here; Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader December 2, 1893, see here.
(7) Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader, October 27, 1894, see here.
(8) Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader, November 10, 1894, see here.
(9) Caulfield and Elsternwick Leader, January 5, 1895, see here.
(10) Tasmanian News, January 4, 1890, see here.
(11) Tasmanian News, January 30, 1890, see here.
(12) Shipping record - Public Records Office of Victoria Inward Passenger Lists
(13) Family information - Birth, Deaths and Marriage records on Ancestry.com and the Victorian Indexes to BDM; Public Records Office of Victoria Inward Overseas Passenger Lists.
(14) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com and Index to Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.
(15) The Age, November 4, 1920, see here.
(16) The Age, August 13, 1927, see here.
(17) He seemed to use the Colonel title intermitting. For instance, Arthur wrote a letter to The Argus July 20 1888 (see here) about some issues he had encountered in having the Switchback Railway installed at the Centennial Exhibition and he didn't use the title then, but I would have thought he might have to give himself more status.
(18) Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition - read about it here on State Library of Victoria website https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/interexhib/1888to89
(19) The Argus, August 18, 1888, see here.
(20) Hobart Mercury, February 8, 1889, see here.
(21) Sydney Evening News, October 10, 1888, see here.
(22) Bendigo Advertister, October 24, 1888, see here.
(23) Hobart Mercury, February 8, 1889, see here.
(24) Launceston Examiner, April 16, 1889, see here.
(25) The Argus, February 21, 1890, see here. Regarding the Company - the Hobart Mercury of December 18, 1888 (see here) reported that - Mr. H. Etherington, one of the firm of proprietors of the switchback railway at the Melbourne Exhibition, and who has also had considerable experience in the management of this new source of amusement in Glasgow, is now in Hobart for the purpose of erecting a switchback railway here if an eligible site can be found. I am unsure of his connection to Arthur Harrison.
(26) Tasmanian Exhibition - held in Launceston for four months from November 25, 1891 - read more here https://launcestonfamilyalbum.org.au/about and here https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/E/Exhibitions.htm
(27) Death notice - The Argus October 23, 1897, see here; Harriet Harrison's obituary The Argus, August 31, 1935, see here.
(28) Bendigo Advertister, October 24, 1888, see here.
(29) Prahran Telegraph, November 28, 1894, see here.
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