Railways in Western Australia were developed in the 19th century both by the Government of Western Australia and a number of private companies. Legislation concerning railways was passed by: the Governor of Western Australia and the Western Australian Legislative Council, until 1890 the Parliament of Western Australia, from 1890, when WA achieved responsible government
The oldest recorded act of parliament in Western Australia is the Civil Court of Western Australia (1832) act, an act for establishing a Court of Civil Judicature, assented to on 10 February 1832, under the first Governor of Western Australia, James Stirling. The first act to carry the word railway in its title was the Railways and Electric Telegraph Protection Act 1871, assented to on 12 January 1871, while the Geraldton and Northampton Railway Act 1873 was the first act to authorise the construction of a railway in Western Australia in 1873.
The Railway (Coogee–Kwinana Railway) Discontinuance Act 1973, assented to on 6 June 1973, was the last railway-related act to use imperial units, the Railway (Kalgoorlie–Parkeston) Discontinuance and Land Revestment Act 1973, assented to on 6 November 1973, the first to use the metric system, as part of the overall change to the metric system in Australia.
List of acts
Acts 1871 to 1890 The acts by the Governor of Western Australia and the Western Australian Legislative Council: TitleDate of assentNotesRailway lineReference Railways and Electric Telegraph Protection Act 1871 Protection of railways — Railway Survey Act 1873 Permits the surveying of land for the purpose of constructing a railway — Railways Act 1873 Authorised construction of railways and tramways — Geraldton and Northampton Railway Act 1873 Authorised construction of the railway line from Geraldton and Northampton Northampton railway line Railway Supplementary Loan Act 1875 Authorised raising the sum of £26,000 through a loan for the completion of the railway line between Geraldton and Northampton Northampton railway line Railways Act amendment (1877) Amendment to the Railways Act 1873 — The Eastern Railway Act 1878 Authorised construction of the railway line from Fremantle to Guildford Eastern Railway Railways Act 1878 Supersedes the Railways and Electric Telegraph Protection Act 1871, Railway Survey Act 1873 and Railways Act 1873 – Railways Amendment Act 1879 Amendment to the Railways Act 1878 — Railways Amendment Act 1881 Amendment to the Railways Act 1878 — Eastern Railway Extension Act 1881 Authorised construction of the railway line from Guildford to Chidlow's Well Eastern Railway Railway Refreshment Room Licensing Act 1881 Authorised the issuing of a certificate for a license to the keeper of a railway refreshment room — Eastern Railway (Further) Amendment Act 1882 Authorised construction of the railway line from Chidlow's Well to York Eastern Railway Railways Amendment Act 1882 Amendment to the Railways Act 1878 — Eastern Railway Terminus Act 1883 Alterations to the terminus of the railway line at York Eastern Railway Beverley–Albany Railway Act 1884 Authorised construction of the railway line from Beverley to Albany Great Southern Railway Eastern Railway Further Extension Act 1885 Authorised construction of the railway line from York to Beverley Eastern Railway Geraldton–Greenough Railway Act 1886 Authorised construction of the railway line from Geraldton to Greenough Midland railway line Eastern Railway, Spencer's Brook–Northam Branch Act 1886 Authorised construction of the branch line from Spencer's Brook to Northam Eastern Railway The Guildford–Greenough Flats Railway Act 1886 Authorised construction of the railway line from Guildford to Greenough Midland railway line Railway Servants Act 1887 Empowers the Commissioner of Railways to appoint and dismiss certain classes of railway servants — Bunbury Railway Act 1887 Authorised construction of a railway line from Bunbury to Boyanup Bunbury Railway Clackline–Newcastle Railway Act 1887 Authorised construction of a railway line from Clackline to Newcastle (now Toodyay) Clackline to Miling railway line Geraldton and Northampton Railway Amendment Act 1888 Authorised the alteration of the route of the railway line from Geraldton and Northampton Northampton railway line Beverley–Albany Railway contract (1888) Confirmed the contract and defined the route of the railway line from Beverley to Albany Great Southern Railway Railways Amendment Act 1888 Provided for the construction of accommodation works on railway lines — Railway Act 1889 Provided for the management and working of railways —
Acts 1890 to present Acts by the Parliament of Western Australia: