“When the world’s first steam-locomotive-powered main-line railway was opened in England in the 1830s, Australia was a series of sparse settlements mostly divided by great distances. The only effective form of long-distance transport was by ship. All inland transport was either by horse, bullock or foot. Between the more closely situated settlements this was perhaps not such a great problem, but it was a serious impediment to the development and prosperity of the Australian colonies. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, this problem was largely resolved by the building of railways.”