Marthaguy

Marthaguy is a lovely little mystery in a line of mysteries….

Type ‘Marthaguy’ into any search engine and you will be delivered to Marthaguy – a small village near Quambone, miles from any railway line.  It even has what seems to be an active and interesting country race carnival.

However, for a time there was a stopping place situated on the Coonamble branchline also carrying the name Marthaguy.  It located approximately ten kilometres beyond Balladoran.  A rail journey of 519 kilometres is required to bring the traveler to the original Marthaguy - just over 50 kilometres from Dubbo.

Marthaguy was named after a local property in the district which drew its name from the corruption of an Aboriginal word for the area.  Settlement in the district warranted the establishment of a public school in August 1898.  Few students were given the opportunity to excel at this institution as it was closed only six years later in October 1904.

Marthaguy did not appear as part of the initial plans for the Coonamble railway.  It was not until 22 February 1912 when Marthaguy was named as a stopping place with a siding.  No platform was provided as a further discouragement to local residents.

A mere 13 years later a second capital improvement occurred with the installation of a cart weighbridge of 20 tons capacity.  Apparently this did not produce the anticipated traffic as the weighbridge was removed was removed in March 1935.

All facilities at Marthaguy were closed on 2 February 1953, placing it as an early casualty of rail rationalisation on the Coonamble railway line.

All trace of Marthaguy has now evaporated from railway maps.