O'Rourke and McSharry won the contract to build the rail line from Murrumburrah to Young.
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JS Robertson won the Blayney to Cowra section and Fishburn and Co won the Young to Cowra line. George Fishburn was the one most remembered with affection by the towns people of Young and Cowra. He supplied help for charitable and sporting excursions and for concerts put on for the Young and Cowra hospitals.
He made himself a useful citizen of towns that were not his own. Fishburn's first favour was to the Burrangong Turf Club. He made an engine available to take racegoers to a meeting in February 1885.
On April 6, 1886 when Sir James Martin, the Chief Justice, came to Young to open the new courthouse, Fishburn invited the Chief Justice and his daughters to a trip on the line. On May 26,1886 Fishburn made available his small engine to take 750-800 people to Cowra for a picnic to benefit the hospitals of Young and Cowra.
This was the first train ride to Cowra, and as the rail bridge had not been completed, Fishburn had to construct a special siding of sleepers half a mile from the river to allow the passengers to step down from the train.
Some of the visitors stayed on at Cowra and Fishburn "kindly put at their convenience a special train" to bring them back to Young on Tuesday. Fishburn donated £160 to the proceeds of the picnic.
On Friday and Saturday nights, October 29 and 30, at Young and Cowra respectively, Fishburn put on concerts in aid of the Mechanic's Institutes of both towns. For the concerts he brought four Sydney artists at his own expense. He again ran special trains for the concerts, meeting the cost himself.
Fishburn sold the plant he had used to build the line on March 19,1887. On Tuesday, March 22, 1887, the mayor of Young, Ald J Forsythe, chaired a complimentary dinner at the Albion Hotel (now site of IGA supermarket), at which Fishburn was toasted in glowing terms.
Two more concerts were put on by Fishburn at the Mechanic's Institute, again bringing artists from Sydney. Two of the artists were his daughters, Alice, who played the piano, and his small daughter, Georgina, who played the violin.
Fishburn left for London on the Orient Liner Ormuz on April 1. When he left Young to take ship the town band was at the station for the occasion. On his return later in the year he was given a testimonial dinner at the Club House Hotel at Cowra.
At the dinner he was described as "as one of Cowra's most prominent public benefactors". With a partner named Morton he was responsible for the building of the Kalgoorlie rail line. In 1909 Fishburn formed the Dayton Scale Company with his son-in-law and grandson. He died a wealthy man in 1913 leaving his estate to be divided between his seven daughters.
Foot note: The Murrumburrah to Young line was opened in March 1885. Fishburn opened the Young to Cowra line, terminating at the Young side of the Lachlan River, at the end of September 1886.
The Government took over from Fishburn on November 1,1886. The bridge over the Lachlan was opened on August 26, 1887 after being tested by three 67 ton engines.
A large crowd attended and many made souvenirs of the occasion by placing pennies and pins on the line to be flattened by the three engines. On Sunday, February 12, 1888 the Murrumburrah to Blayney line was opened without any fanfare. The mail train from Young left at 9.15am ,arrived at Cowra at 11.30 am, waited until 1pm for the arrival of the train from Blayney. At 3pm the train from Young left Cowra.
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