HISTORY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 599 



gauge, which was rolled to a smooth surface with a steam roller ; 

 the rise in the road was made one in forty. On steep gr-ades, in 

 which Sydney roads abounds, frequently ranging from one in nine 

 to one in twenty-two, dry Macadam stone stacked on a platform is 

 covered with well-boiled tar and left for about five weeks before 

 using on the road. It is spread and rolled to a smooth surface, 

 and tinished by sprinkling over the surface fine screenings or sand. 

 In 1880 Mr. A. C. Mountain, M. Inst. C.E., then City Surveyor, 

 recommended the adoption of Anstralian hardwood blocks for 

 paving the principal streets of the city, which was adopted by the 

 City Council, and up to the end of 1866, when Mr. Richards was 

 appointed City Surveyor, 200,000 square yards had been con- 

 structed, of which 40,000 square yards were laid by the engineer 

 for tramways. The blocks were laid upon a conci^ete foundation, 

 six inches thick, which was I'endered with cement mortar. The 

 spaces between the blocks were originally one inch wide, which were 

 filled with well-boiled tar and pitch and basalt screenings. The 

 joints have, however, been reduced to three-eights of an inch, with 

 satisfactory results, A considerable amount of timber-paving 

 with narrow joints is in progress under Mr. Richards. 



RAILWAYS. 



RISE AND PROGRESS OP RAILWAYS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



The first combined movement on the subject of introducing 

 railways into New South Wales took place as far back as January, 

 1846. On the 29th of that month a public meeting was held in 

 Sydney for the purpose of considering the expediency and practic- 

 ability of establishing railways in this colony. Subsequently Mr. 

 Woore was appointed to make a survey from Sydney to Goulburn, 

 which he completed and reported upon in January, 1 848. A 

 oetition was presented to the Legislative Council, April 4, 1848, 

 in favour of establishing railways, and stating that the first cost 

 would be reasonable and the undertaking profitable. This resulted 

 in an address to his Excellency the Governor-General embodying 

 certain resolutions passed by the select committee of the Council, 

 which wei'e transmitted to the Secretary of State. On the 11th 

 September, 1848, a provisional committee was appointed to make 

 arrangements for the establishment of a company, and in Novem- 

 ber of the same year "The Sydney Railway Company" was fioated 

 with a capital of £100,000, in shares of £5 each. On the 9th of 

 January, 1849, Mr. Shields was appointed engineer to the com- 

 pany (which was incorporated by Act 13 Victoria), and entered 

 upon his duties under the management of a directorate elected by 

 the shareholders. It was not until the 3rd of July, 1850, that 

 the first turf of the first railway in the Australian colonies was 

 turned by the Hon. Mrs. Keith Stuart in the presence of his 

 Excellency the Governor Sir Charles Augustus Fitzroy and a 



