Great Northern Railway

Item details


Name of item:	Great Northern Railway
Other name/s:	Main Northern Line, Main Northern Railway
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway
Primary address:	Line passes through Lake Macquarie City from Garden Suburb to Wyee, Various Suburbs, NSW 2259
Local govt. area:	Lake Macquarie

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Line passes through Lake Macquarie City from Garden Suburb to Wyee	Various Suburbs	Lake Macquarie			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	SIGNIFICANCE - 1993: At State level, the Main Northern Line changed the relationship of Sydney & the North, by speeding up communications & transport. It changed profoundly the relationship of Newcastle with its hinterland & the north, & the standing of Newcastle as a great commercial centre. It confirmed the importance of Newcastle as a great coaling port, comparable with Cardiff in Wales. Locally, the railway brought changes to the pattern of development of Lake Macquarie. It was the route by which Lake Macquarie coal was carried to its markets. It linked the towns & villages of western Lake Macquarie with Newcastle, & was a way for holidaymakers to reach the Lake. It opened the Lake to residential development &, since electrification, has become a commuting link to both Newcastle & Sydney for residents of Lake Macquarie. LEVEL of SIGNIFICANCE - 1993: State Significance - high Regional Significance - high Local Significance - very high Group Significance - very high
	Date significance updated: 28 May 08
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	NSWG Railways
Builder/Maker:	Amos & Company
Construction years:	1884-1887
Physical description:	PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS - 1993: DESCRIPTION: The railway line passes through Lake Macquarie from Tickhole Tunnel in Garden Suburb, down Tickhole Creek to railway stations at Cardiff, across Winding Creek to Sulphide Junction (Cardiff Workshops), Cockle Creek, Teralba, Booragul, Fassifern, Awaba, Dora Creek, Morisset & Wyee. The 1887 railway was built on steep grades at Winding Creek & from Teralba to Fassifern. Major deviations were soon built (1902/3) which lengthened the line, and new stations were introduced at Cardiff (1902) and much later at Booragul (1926). The City of Lake Macquarie section of the Main Northern Line travels through undulating and often picturesque country, with successive cuttings and embankments on most of the route, and two major bridges.
Modifications and dates:	Various changes, from deviations for grade changes in the 1890s to deviations to cross new, stronger bridges in the 1950s.


Current use:	1993: Part of the "Main Northern Railway" from Sydney to Newcastle and thence to northern and north-western NSW and Queensland.

History


Historical notes:	HISTORICAL NOTES - 1993: The first section of the railway from Newcastle to Maitland and other parts of northern NSW was opened in 1857. For the next 30 years, all communications between Sydney & the north were carried out via ship or slow & difficult inland routes. The linking section of railway was started in 1884, the section through Lake Macquarie opened 1887, Hawkesbury Bridge opened 1889.

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Statutory Instrument	List on a Local Environmental Plan (LEP)	16 Jun 08
Statutory Instrument	Nominate for State Heritage Register (SHR)	16 Jun 08

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2014	189	10 Oct 14
Local Environmental Plan	Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2004	RT-03	19 Mar 14

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
City of Lake Macquarie Heritage Study	1993	RT-03	Suters Architects Snell, Dr J. Turner, C & MJ Doring Pty Ltd	Doring (1991-1993)	Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	NSWGR		Various NSWGR Annual Reports
Written	SRA Archives Section	1983	Historical Notes on Railway Lines Vol.1
Written	SRA Archives Section		Notes on the Northern Line - Wyee to Tickhole

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1910139

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