Thread: Jarrah for Cobblestones/Roadways

I believe that Jarrah blocks were also used between some of the tram lines in Melbourne in earlier times.

There is also a section of "wooden cobblestones" in the transport section of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, USA. No idea what timber was used.


Fair Winds

Graeme

Perhaps slightly off topic ...

Recent roadwork in Huonville revealed the old road bed was made up of wooden blocks, not jarrah but blue gum.

Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

Perhaps slightly off topic ...

Recent roadwork in Huonville revealed the old road bed was made up of wooden blocks, not jarrah but blue gum.

As did work near railway square in Sydney. Not sure of the timber, but quite possibly Sydney blue gum (different to Tas. blue gum)

Underneath a clock gifted to us by visiting family (we live in Melbourne) Melbourne.

Melbourne Tramway Block Clock Co.

Handcrafted in Australian Jarrah.

This was gifted to us in 1998 not too long after some old tramways were dug up and the centre of the road changed from bitumen to concrete, with new steel tramlines to boot.

Heavy as.

Mick.

1st Feb 1893 ...
"the present value of jarrah and karri at the shipping ports in Western Australia is about £3 10s. for a load of 50 cubic feet,
which would make it about £5 delivered in London."

50 cubic feet is easy ... 50 x 0.3 x 0.3 x 0.3 = 1.35 cubic metres

But here's where the historic economists come into it ...

How much is 5 UK pounds from 1893 worth today???

In fact how much is 1m³ of Jarrah worth today? $1000-$2000? Would it have been green or dried?

Anyway ... so it cost 1/2 of 1m³ of Jarrah for freight to England. Nothing new there.

I think these are UK pounds, but first I ended up here ... Measuring Worth -Australian Compare
and from 1893 to 2012, 5pounds Australian would now value at ... (hence the economists reference) ...

In 2011, the relative value of £5 0s 0d from 1893 ranges from $591.20 to $32,480.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $591.20. This answer is obtained by multiplying £5 0s 0d by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1893 to 2011.
This may not be the best answer.


The best measure of the relative value over time depends on if you are interested in comparing the cost or value of a Commodity , Income or Wealth , or a Project . For more discussion on how to pick the best measure, read the essay "Explaining the Measures of Worth."
If you want to compare the value of a £5 0s 0d Commodity in 1893 there are three choices. In 2011 the relative:
- real price of that commodity is $591.20
- labour value of that commodity is $3,848.00 (using average weekly earnings)
- income value of that commodity is $4,836.00


If you want to compare the value of a £5 0s 0d Income or Wealth , in 1893 there are three choices. In 2011 the relative:
- historic standard of living value of that income or wealth is $591.20
- economic status value of that income or wealth is $4,836.00
- economic power value of that income or wealth is $32,480.00


If you want to compare the value of a £5 0s 0d Project in 1893 there are two choices. In 2011 the relative:
- historic opportunity cost of that project is $923.40
- labour cost of that commodity is $3,848.00 (using average weekly earnings)
- economic cost of that project is $32,480.00

edit ... I had my years wrong

UK pounds

In 2012, the relative value of £5 0s 0d from 1893 ranges from £469.60 to £5,462.00.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is £469.60. This answer is obtained by multiplying £5.00 by the percentage increase in the RPI from 1893 to 2012.


This may not be the best answer.


The best measure of the relative value over time depends on if you are interested in comparing the cost or value of a Commodity , Income or Wealth , or a Project . For more discussion on how to pick the best measure, read the essay "Explaining the Measures of Worth."
If you want to compare the value of a £5 0s 0d Commodity in 1893 there are three choices. In 2012 the relative:
real price of that commodity is £469.60
labour value of that commodity is £2,020.00
income value of that commodity is £3,299.00


If you want to compare the value of a £5 0s 0d Income or Wealth , in 1893 there are three choices. In 2012 the relative:
historic standard of living value of that income or wealth is £469.60
economic status value of that income or wealth is £3,299.00
economic power value of that income or wealth is £5,462.00


If you want to compare the value of a £5 0s 0d Project in 1893 there are three choices. In 2012 the relative:
historic opportunity cost of that project is £554.80
labour cost of that project is £2,020.00
economic cost of that project is £5,462.00

When I was in 3rd class at Bowraville Central School in 1956 we had a great teacher by the name of Kieth Provest.

I remember him telling us one day about the Jarrah street blocks in London.

Lo and behold later that year we went to Sydney and I remember seeing what seemed like hundreds of acres of wooden
street blocks. They may have been at Railway Square but I think it was somewhere closer to the city centre, or maybe
even Taylor square.

I was beside myself with excitement and on returning to school relayed this tale to Mr. Provest. I was then asked to stand
in front of the class and relate the story. I was as proud as any peacock!!!

These wooden blocks were used around Melbourne tram tracks,I can tell you that they became very slippery when wet.
They used to soak up any oil or grease from cars.
I know how slippery they were as I came off my motorbike a couple of times just after it started to rain,twice in one day was my best? effort.

I wonder if in the future, the burning of the earth's liquid petroleum reserves in internal combustion engines (apparently mostly going to pick up pizzas) will be considered along the same lines as the "Jarrah road block" or the "penguin oil powered lamp" (anyone see the doco on Macquarie Island a few days back). In a sustainable world Liquid petroleum should probably be used as a feedstock for plastics or difficult to make chemicals The difference between liquid petroleum reserves and the other two misused resources is at least they are renewable.

Originally Posted by BobL

I wonder if in the future, the burning of the earth's liquid petroleum reserves in internal combustion engines (apparently mostly going to pick up pizzas) will be considered along the same lines as the "Jarrah road block" or the "penguin oil powered lamp" (anyone see the doco on Macquarie Island a few days back). In a sustainable world Liquid petroleum should probably be used as a feedstock for plastics or difficult to make chemicals The difference between liquid petroleum reserves and the other two misused resources is at least they are renewable.

Saw the doco on Macquarie Island - very interesting what they appear to be achieving.

"How Much ..." detail could you possibly want ???????????????

(a few links)
http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies...t/howmuch.html

This is a thread about jarrah cobblestones !!!

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

This is a thread about jarrah cobblestones !!!

... and relative costs and values over time.