| Physical description: | BUILDINGS
Station Building, including Signal Box, Platform 2/3 (c.1909)
Overhead Booking Office (1910)
Station Building, Platform 1 (1993)
STRUCTURES
Footbridge (1909)
Platforms (1909)
Modern Steel Shelters
CONTEXT
Gordon Railway Station is located east of the Pacific Highway at Gordon. The station includes three platforms; an early 20th century overhead walkway and booking office with modern lift towers on the northern side; an early 20th century station building on an island platform; a reconstructed late 19th century timber waiting room; and an easement approximately 10m wide on either side of the railway tracks, which has been landscaped. The station is accessed via modern stairs and disabled ramp from either side of the station. There is a commercial strip on the western side of the Pacific Highway immediately across the road from the station.
STATION BUILDING (c1909)
Exterior: Located on the island platform (Platform 2/3) the station building (c.1909) is a good representative example of the standard railway design A8-A10 station buildings along the Northern line. Walls are red face brick, tuck pointed with moulded rendered string course, architraves and window sills. The gabled roof is modern corrugated steel, and the ends are timber boarded. The lower pitched awnings over the platform are supported on cast iron awning brackets springing from moulded rendered corbels. One face brick chimney with rendered top is sited along the ridge line. At the northern end of the building is located a brick signal box with encircling sliding 6-paned windows on three sides under the main roof line. The exterior of the station is largely in original condition, with no additional openings or infilled elements.
Interior: The interior of the Platform 2/3 station building contains a high degree of original fabric and layout. Original internal details include mini-orb ceiling, ceiling roses, plastered wall finishes with moulded dado, and door and window joinery including 16-paned coloured glass sashes. The floor has been replaced with concrete, and modern fluorescent lighting installed. The interior of the signal box is painted brick to window sill height and timber boarded above the windows, with a mini orb ceiling and timber floor. Fittings include the 28 lever frame, key box, 1927 Indicator board, 1969 indicator board, original timber desk and bells.
OVERHEAD BOOKING OFFICE (1910)
Federation Queen Anne style.
Exterior: The timber framed and weatherboard clad booking office was constructed in 1910 and located on the overhead platform. It has a gabled roof of modern corrugated iron steel with finials. The roof overhang and projecting gable on the southern side provides a sheltered area for ticket purchasing, and features timber boarded ceiling and rose. Two modern ticket windows have been inserted into original openings with decorative timber architraves remaining. Other modern ticket machines have been recessed into the building in new openings with profiled timber architraves. Two new steel and glass lifts are located on the north side of the building and overbridge. New access structures to these lifts have been constructed in a similar style and material to the original booking office, and feature coloured glass panels. The lift access structure on the eastern side includes two small commercial tenancies.
Interior: Internally the original layout of the building appears to have been largely altered. Timber panelled wall linings appear original, although the battened plaster ceiling is not. Air-conditioning ducts and fluorescent lights are modern. Doors are timber panelled and windows are 4 or 6-paned sash, which all appear to be original.
STATION BUILDING (1993)
A small timber framed structure reconstructed in 1993 based on the design of the original 1890 waiting room. The structure is clad externally with timber weatherboards and has a skillion roof of corrugated steel. The structure is open with exposed framing, concrete floor and timber bench.
FOOTBRIDGE (1909)
Dating from 1909 the footbridge has a steel haunched beam construction supported on steel trestles. The two bay structure spans two tracks on the eastern side and one track on the western side of the rail corridor. Markings of imported British steel manufacturers are visible, both Lanarkshire, and Dorman Long & Co., Middlesborough. The concourse has a concrete deck and modern steel balustrades. Modern concrete steps on steel supports provide access to the island platform. Similar steps and disabled ramp provide access to the streets on either side of the station.
PLATFORMS (1909)
The island platform (Platform 2/3) at Gordon was built in 1909 as part of the line duplication for the Northern line, and has brick faces and an asphalt platform surface. The overhead booking office and footbridge are located approximately at the half way point of the platform, with the station building located at the southern end. Platform 1 also has brick faces and an asphalt surface and is likely to date from the same period.
MODERN STEEL SHELTERS
As part of the upgrading of the station in which lifts were installed, steel framed shelters were installed at the northern end of both platforms.
LANDSCAPE
Both the eastern and western lengths of the rail corridor are landscaped with several mature trees and shrubs including poplars, jasmine, jacaranda, palms, agapanthus, camellias and lawned areas.
A hedge of six Camellia hiemalis Kanjiro (Hiryu) plants was planted at the rear of Platform 1 in the 1950s by the eminent camellia expert and linguistics professor, E.G. Waterhouse.
MOVABLE
NSW Railway heritage listed sites contain significant collections of stored movable railway heritage, including furniture, signs, operational objects, ex-booking office and ticketing objects, paper records, clocks, memorabilia, indicator boards and artwork. Individually, these objects are important components of the history of each site. Together, they form a large and diverse collection of movable objects across the NSW rail network. Sydney Trains maintains a database of movable heritage. For up-to-date information on all movable heritage items at this site, contact the Sydney Trains heritage team.
Key items at this station include but are not limited to:
1914-1918 WWI Honour Roll on overhead booking office.
Cast iron drinking fountain (Platform 2/3) with ribbed pedestal on concrete plinth, refurbished in 2015
Plaque – brass 1988 Bicentennial plaque of exterior wall of platform building
Staff room: white timber-framed noticeboard, timber framed mirror.
Small museum in former signal room: set of cast iron signal levers, triple timber rollover indicator board with clock faces and foot pedals, collection of historic b/w photos and prints in timber and modern frames, timber display board of brass bells and early and recent network telephones, early painted two-door low timber cabinet with two doors and carved corbels, several SRA SL brass padlocks, several small timber display cases, typewriter with SRA printed list of telegraph codes, red c1980s telephone, pendulum wall clock (not historical), brass coin tray, red and white metal “Emergence Response” box and contents and list, SRA green-painted timber First Aid Box No 67, State Rail sign “Train information”, timber-framed Gordon Station emergency evacuation plan, “Gordon” line diagram suspended from ceiling, white timber-framed noticeboard with list of Safeworking forms inside, small timber wall-mounted cabinet, collection of 8+ guard flag and wall-mounted holding rack, two green cast iron date press stamps, grey metal ticket punch machine called a “Ticket Ultimatic System” by the Bell Punch Co of London, two orange hand lamps with “NSW TD”, three small cast iron tools, stretcher in orange carry case, Allsmart Emergency Response Kit, timber desk slope painted cream, timber stationery shelving unit, long timber rule, small timber cabinet with glass door and shelves inside, cast iron hook, power supply indicator, lock and door handle to signal room door, mail dispatch bag, early timber office desk, timber office chair. |
| Modifications and dates: | 1927: Electrification of the North Shore line between Milson’s Point and Hornsby was opened on 15 August 1927.
1928: Full electric services were provided 15 July 1928, and included services at Gordon. With electrification came automatic signalling and most signal boxes were closed. However, Gordon Signal Box remained in service until recent years (as with other North Shore signal boxes including North Sydney, Chatswood, Lindfield) due to the need for local control of terminating trains. When the principal signal control centres were opened at Sydney and Hornsby, these local signal boxes were closed, including Gordon. With electrification of the North Shore line, a relatively small 1500V. D.C. substation was built adjacent to the down North Shore line at Gordon.
1990s: The former Gordon substation was replaced by a modern D.C. substation on the opposite side of the line and the original substation building (brick) was demolished.
N.d: Some relatively modern additions such as shelters / awnings have been provided on the island platform.
c1980s: Booking office building extended: north east end of lobby enclosed as concession; second concession constructed at southwest end of building
c1992-1993: Footbridge upgraded. Interior of booking office refurbished and reorganised to include staff toilets and kitchen, public toilets, and concession. Building is extended: new concession constructed at northeast end of building and southwest concession modified to match.
2006: Footbridge and booking office building upgraded for Easy Access, including lift access to the platforms. Interior of booking office refurbished and reorganised. Building is extended: a second new concession constructed at northeast end of building; lift shafts added to northwest.
2014: Resurfacing of Platform 2 and 3 asphalt surface; replacement of two platform trees with advanced Crepe Myrtle specimens, replacement of raised platform beds (non-original) and the installation of new conduits.
2014-2015: Multi storey carpark constructed to south of station (outside curtilage)
2015: Station Refresh Works - Install pest and bird control; Deep clean non-historic surfaces; minor essential repairs including stair edges and fences, tactiles, gutters, woodwork repairs, masonry repairs, metalwork repairs; leaks, removal of redundant fittings, fixtures, cabling and decluttering, repointing (like for like and matching profiles); install handrails; Repainting (heritage items like for like, non-heritage items neutral colours); Garden maintenance; Lighting replacement with LED; refurbishment of modern toilets; replacement of modern platform furniture seating and bins; Reinstate cast iron bubbler; additional fencing and landscaping to Platform 1; glazing improvements to non-heritage items.
2016: Weatherboard repairs, booking office
2018: Construction of new canopies and platform widening at Platform 1. Fit-out of booking office for reuse as retail space. Signal Box refresh works
2019: Conversion of store room on concourse into toilets. Relocation of ticket machines and passenger information screens |