North Strathfield Railway Station Group

Item details


Name of item:	North Strathfield Railway Station Group
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway Platform/ Station
Primary address:	Queen Street, North Strathfield, NSW 2137
Local govt. area:	Canada Bay

Boundary:

North: the southern edge of the Pomeroy Street overbridge (excluding bridge); South: a line crossing the tracks 20 metres past the southern end of the platform; East: the edge of the rail line; West: the property boundary. Any proposed development within the vicinity of the listed site should also consider the historic relationship between the listing and its surrounding area.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Queen Street	North Strathfield	Canada Bay			Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
TAHE - Sydney Trains	State Government
TAHE - Sydney Trains	State Government
TAHE - Sydney Trains	State Government

Statement of significance:


	North Strathfield Railway Station has local heritage significance as the establishment of the station in 1918 encouraged the rapid subdivision and development of the area, particularly to the east of the train line. The station is a highly intact, good example of the standard type railway station that was installed along the Short North line during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The station building contains some significant internal early fabric including a pair of ticket windows with original timber architraves and copper coin trays which are rare as the only known examples of their type extant on the Short North line. The fan-shaped garden and pathways fronting the Queen Street entrance, and double row of Box Brush trees also along Queen Street, date to the establishment of the station. The form and layout of the garden and tree plantings are also highly intact and are a good example of station landscape in the early twentieth century. The landscape also contributes to the overall context and setting of the station.
	Date significance updated: 21 Jun 19
	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:	New South Wales Department of Railways
Builder/Maker:	New South Wales Department of Railways
Construction years:	1918-
Physical description:	Station Building, type 11 (1918) Platform (1918) Footbridge (1992) Modern Steel Shelters (c.1990) Landscape Movable CONTEXT North Strathfield Railway Station is set in an open setting with early twentieth century suburban development to the east and former industrial estates to the west. The station contains three platforms, station building, footbridge and railway tracks associated with former sidings. A small ornamental garden marks the eastern entry to the station which is accessed by a modern precast concrete footbridge and adds greatly to the suburban setting of Queen Street. A well maintained early twentieth century island platform and building are the main feature of the station. STATION BUILDING (1918) Exterior: The North Strathfield station building is a single storey brick building with gabled corrugated iron roof located on an island platform (c.1918). Typical of early 20th century railway station buildings on the Short North line, it is constructed in face brick with rendered details including string courses, architraves, and window sills. Brickwork is tuckpointed. On each side are wide corrugated metal awnings on curved cast iron brackets supported on rendered corbells which are part of engaged brick piers. There are decorative timber valances at either end of the awnings. There is a modern ticket window at the southern end of the building. Joinery is generally original including four panelled doors, coloured glass, fanlights and some double hung sash windows. A small steel-framed gabled roof extension of modern construction has been added to the southern end of the building to provide weather protection to the ticket window and platform ticket machine. Interior: The interior of the station building features rendered walls with no dado, with evidence of the locations of former fireplaces. Some original mini-orb ceilings with metal roses are extant, along with original waratah style air vents. Much original joinery is extant. Though modified for modern use, much of the original configuration of the rooms is extant, including the former ladies waiting room with lavatories. PLATFORMS (c1918) The curving brick faced island platform dates to c.1918, and features a modern asphalt surface, standard modern furniture, bins and fencing. There is a long road-side platform on the eastern side of the station, similarly curved but of modern concrete construction. FOOTBRIDGE (1992) Reinforced concrete footbridge (1992). MODERN STEEL SHELTERS (c.1990) A small stand-alone steel shelter on Platform 3 features a skillion roof and perforated metal walls. It contains two standard issue platform benches. A small gable roofed steel frame shelter abuts the platform building at the southern end and provides shelter for a ticket machine and ticket window. LANDSCAPE The landscape component of North Strathfield Railway Station comprises the formal garden and park fronting Queen Street, garden furniture, small shrubbery and two rows of Box Brush trees along Queen Street. The forecourt comprises a formal, fan-shaped garden with pathways delineated by rock garden borders, and a double row of trees lining a path leading south from the forecourt beside Queen Street. The general form and fan shaped layout of the station forecourt and garden is extant, as is the row of Box Brush trees beside Queen Street. 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: NSW Government Railways issue clock (no. 1846) in ticket office, manufactured by Seth Thomas Clock Company, Thomaston, Conn., USA. Old safe in former ticket office (no manufacturer's plate).
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Station Building (1918) - Good condition The station building is generally in good condition, although the interiors need repainting. Interior walls appear to have been patched in places in preparation for repainting, but this has not been carried out. Platform - Good Condition Footbridge (1992) - Good Condition Moveable Landscape - Good Condition
	Date condition updated:09 Sep 08
Modifications and dates:	1990s: some minor changes, including the removal of fireplaces and some minor changes to layout of station building N.d: Up relief line was taken out of service some years ago. N.d: A small gabled roof addition to the southern end the building 2010: internal wall with pair of ticket windows with timber architraves and copper coin trays removed 2017 -Re-tuckpointed -Reinstated louvres to bathroom windows -Reinstated coloured glazing to fanlights – previously replaced with unsympathetic clear glazing -Repainted to ESB010 -Reinstated missing chimney pots (Damien to send photos)\ -Replaced non-original tiles and fixtures/fittings in toilets -Reinstated pendant lights (removal of strip lights) -New seats and bins (replacing non-original) -Replacing lights with LED 2019: Three lifts installed at footbridge as part of Transport Access Program (TAP)


Current use:	Railway Station
Former use:	Nil

History

Historical notes:

The Main Northern line between Sydney and Newcastle was constructed in two distinct stages and in the earliest years, was worked as two separate railway systems.

The Strathfield to Hornsby section of the Northern line was opened for traffic on 17 September 1886. The line was constructed as a ‘single line’ and Hornsby became the temporary terminus and remained so until the extension to Hawkesbury River was opened in 1887. At the time of the opening, stations were provided at Ryde, Dundas (later Eastwood), Field of Mars (now Epping), Beecroft, Thornleigh and Hornsby.

The line between Newcastle and the northern bank of the Hawkesbury River (near present day Wondabyne) was opened in January 1888. The line was completed between Sydney and Newcastle with the opening of the massive bridge over the Hawkesbury River in 1889.

In 1891, a double track connection was laid in between the Main Northern line and the Main Western line at Strathfield / Homebush. This was called North Strathfield Junction and a signal box was built to control traffic over this line. This connection thus formed a triangular connection between the Main Northern line, Strathfield and Homebush.

The line between Strathfield and Hornsby was duplicated in March 1892.

In 1904, the first of many factories and industrial undertakings was established on land to the west of the Down Main Northern line, north of North Strathfield Junction. Over the next few years, more factories were opened, including William Arnott and Co. who opened a factory north of Strathfield Junction. More were established on the land west of the main lines in the region of Concord West during the next few years. Accordingly in 1911, a Down relief line was opened between North Strathfield Junction and Concord West. This relief line was parallel to the existing Down main line and sidings were laid to the appropriate factories off the Down relief line. In 1912, an Up relief road was also opened between Concord West and North Strathfield Junction.

North Strathfield Railway Station was opened on 9 June 1918, as an island platform with a standard brick station building on the platform. Access to the station was via a footbridge at the Sydney-end of the platform. A number of industrial sidings were laid in near North Strathfield station. It is likely that the forecourt garden was established in the 1920s, soon after completion of the station and around the same time that the land facing the station was subdivided and sold for development as shops. This is consistent with the period in railway development when a ‘Railway Garden Nursery’ was established for station gardens at nearby Homebush Station. The current layout of the Queen Street forecourt matches that seen on the 1943 aerial imagery of the site. The historical arrangement of the station also included shrubs along the length of the platform.

In 1924, with electrification pending, a new third platform was brought in on the Down relief line at North Strathfield with a small station building on the platform.

The Down relief line and platform remain in everyday service, but the Up relief line was taken out of service some years ago. No platform was ever provided on this line.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements	Building the railway network-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Impacts of railways on urban form-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	North Strathfield Railway Station has historical significance at a local level. Although the main line was opened some years earlier, North Strathfield station was not opened until 1918, thus making it one of the last stations to be opened on the Short North line. In an area that had become home to many factories during the early part of the twentieth century, the establishment of the station encouraged the rapid subdivision and development of the area, particularly to the east of the train line.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The site has a moderate degree of aesthetic significance at a local level. The building is an example of early twentieth century railway station design with fabric and details typical of this period and is similar to other rail buildings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in the Sydney region. As a relatively late example of its type, the station is a good example of the consistency of railway station design that was employed on the Short North line for a period of almost 30 years. The formal fan-shaped garden and pathways fronting the Queen Street entrance, and double row of Box Brush trees also along Queen Street contributes to the overall context and setting of the station.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The place has the potential to contribute to the local community's sense of place and can provide a connection to the local community's history.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	North Strathfield station complex is a common station type, well represented elsewhere in the Sydney metro network, although it does contain some significant internal early fabric including a pair of ticket windows with original timber architraves and copper coin trays which are in themselves considered to be rare as the only extant examples of their type on the Short North line.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The platform building, island platform and footbridge are representative of structures built at Sydney railway stations between 1892 and 1929, based on standard designs. The platform building has had only relatively minor alterations made to it during its lifetime and is a good example of its type. Both the platform and the footbridge are not outstanding examples of their type.
Integrity/Intactness:	North Strathfield railway station is a relatively intact example of an early twentieth century railway station, with the station platform building and landscape components of the Queen Street entrance, in particular displaying a high level of intactness and integrity, despite some minor internal alterations.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

1. Conservation principles: Conserve cultural heritage significance and minimise impacts on heritage values and fabric in accordance with the ‘Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance’. 2. Specialist advice: Seek advice from a qualified heritage specialist during all phases of a proposed project from feasibility, concept and option planning stage; detailed design; heritage approval and assessment; through to construction and finalisation. 3. Documentation: Prepare a Statement of Heritage Impact (SOHI) to assess, minimise and prevent heritage impacts as part of the assessment and approval phase of a project. Prepare a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) prior to proposing major works (such as new additions, change of use or proposed demolition) at all places of State significance and all complex sites of Local significance. 4. Maintenance and repair: Undertake annual inspections and proactive routine maintenance works to conserve heritage fabric in accordance with the ‘Minimum Standards of Maintenance & Repair’. 5. Movable heritage: Retain in situ and care for historic contents, fixtures, fittings, equipment and objects which contribute to cultural heritage significance. Return or reinstate missing features or relocated items where opportunities arise. 6. Aboriginal, archaeology and natural heritage: Consider all aspects of potential heritage significance as part of assessing and minimising potential impacts, including Aboriginal, archaeology and natural heritage. 7. Unidentified heritage items: Heritage inventory sheets do not describe or capture all contributory heritage items within an identified curtilage (such as minor buildings, structures, archaeology, landscape elements, movable heritage and significant interiors and finishes). Ensure heritage advice is sought on all proposed changes within a curtilage to conserve heritage significance. 8. Recording and register update: Record changes at heritage places through adequate project records and archival photography. Notify all changes to the Section 170 Heritage & Conservation Register administrator upon project completion.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Guidelines used
State Rail Authority Heritage Register Study	1999	SRA29	State Rail Authority	No
Heritage and Conservation Register State Rail Authority of NSW	1993	268	Paul Davies for SRA	No
S170 Heritage & Conservation Register Update	2009		NSW Department of Commerce	Yes
Heritage Platforms Conservation Management Strategy	2015		Australian Museum Consulting	Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	C. C. Singleton		The Short North. The Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin. Various issues.
Written	John Forsyth		Line Histories
Written	Ray Love	2009	Historical Research for RailCorp s170 Update
Written	State Rail Authority of New South Wales	1995	How and Why of Station Names. Fourth Edition

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

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	State Government
Database number:	4801029

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