Work on building the Transcontinental railway between Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie commenced in 1912. It was anticipated the railway would be completed in 1915, however with the outbreak of World War I, construction continued but with reduced human and material resources. This caused a delay and the railway was officially opened in 1917.

All of the states of Australia were now linked by rail allowing transportation of goods from the west to the east overland across the desert, when the other alternative was the long sea passage around the coast.

The Transcontinental railway "...was the most important project in the history of the Australian nation ... Far more than a railway system, it was to become the instrument that made Federation a reality, ..."

See an image of the inside of the card.

Trans-Australian Railway

Historical souvenir of Port Augusta : sixty yearsof progress, 1876-1936: diamond jubilee and state centenary celebrations, June 27th-July 11th, 1936, [Port Augusta, S.A.: Port Augusta Diamond Jubilee and State Centenary Celebrations Committee, 1936] (see template in SA Memory) insert link to it.

Adam-Smith, Patsy, The desert railway, Adelaide: Rigby, 1974

Burke, David, Road through the wilderness: the story of the transcontinental railway, the first great work of Australia's federation, Kensington, N.S.W. : New South Wales University Press, 1991

Year Book Australia 1918 : select Federal railways feature article.

On the rails: exploring Australia by train

• On The Rails is an interactive educational website designed for use by upper primary and lower secondary students, their teachers, and train enthusiasts. It uses video clips from Film Australia to take a participant on a number of Australian rail journeys through both time and place, with appropriate educational resources integrated into these online journeys. To have a virtual experience For the Trans Australian whether you are a student, teacher or enthusiast. Select "Tea and sugar" - this was a train which ran along the Trans-Australian line between Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie and which supplied the railway workers with provisions.