This booklet records the trip made by members of the Orbost and District Historical Society (including Heather Terrell, Roy Hofen and Eddie Slatter) on 15 October 2024 to view sites associated with the 1914 blasting accident site at Newmerella. Others attending were Noreen Thomson, May Leatch, Gaye Pearson, Lois Crisp, Heather Terrel, John Philips and Geoff Stevenson. This blasting accident which killed three workers occurred during construction of the Bairnsdale - Orbost railway line. It involved two men, a father and son from the same family (John and Peter Carroll) and another worker John Sullivan, all of whom died. It was the worst accident to occur during construction of this railway. This booklet is significant because it records details of the site where the deaths of three men working on the railway construction at Newmerella occurred, located about two miles west of Orbost. John and Peter Carroll and John Sullivan 13th of March 1914 died in this accident. 11 page plastic covered booklet. The cover page has a large coloured photograph of a trail through bushland. The writing on the cover is in orange print. Orbost & District Historical Society Inc RAIL TRAIL TRIP To Newmerella Blasting Accident Site Tuesday 15th October, 2024railway blasting accident 1914, railway construction deaths, carroll, sullivan

This photograph shows men working in the gravel pit at Newmerella just outside Orbost. Not long after this photograph was taken an accidental explosion killed three workers. In the newspaper, The Hobart Mercury on Saturday March 1914, There was this report: "EXPLOSION OF BLASTING CHARGE. THREE MEN KILLED. MELBOURNE, March 13 A fatal accident occurred this after- noon on the railway construction works at Hagen's Cutting, about two miles from Orbost, three men being killed. The victims were John Carroll, contractor, his son, Peter Carroll, and John Sullivan, a navvy. The gang had just finished work, and the three stayed behind to draw a blasting charge, which had missed fire yesterday. J. Carroll was using a pick, and it is presumed that the tool struck a percussion cap, and fired the charge. He and Sullivan were killed instantly, Carroll being literally blown to pieces. Fragments of his body and garments were recovered from the surrounding bush, and the main portion of the trunk, with leg attached, was hurled a distance of 200 yards. Peter Car roll was terribly- injured, and he died before medical aid arrived. ' This is a pictorial record of construction workers associated with the Orbost - Bairnsdale railway. This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost. The Bairnsdale-Orbost railway was opened in 1916 to serve the agricultural and timber industry. Because of the decline in traffic and heavy operating costs, the line was finally closed in August, 1987. A black / white photograph of a large group of men with horses and wagons. Most are holding tools - picks, spades and shovels. Some of the wagons are loaded with soil.railway-construction east-gippsland-railway orbost-railway quarry-gravel-newmerella