Enginemans Resthouse

Item details


Name of item:	Enginemans Resthouse
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Residential buildings (private)
Category:	Other - Residential Buildings (private)
Location:	Lat: -33.8984397763 Long: 151.1911274310
Primary address:	39 Brandling Street, Alexandria, NSW 2015
Parish:	Petersham
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Sydney
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Metropolitan

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	3		DP	787010

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
39 Brandling Street	Alexandria	Sydney	Petersham	Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private	09 Mar 21
	Private	09 Mar 21

Statement of significance:


	The Eveleigh workshops group, adjacent to this site had a major locomotive depot for the storage and servicing of running steam locomotives. For such depots it was normal practice to have a nearby "barracks" building to accommodate engine drivers between shifts. In 1902 the Railway Commissioners resumed land in Brandling Street and built a large two-storey building of an expanded domestic design with numerous bedrooms. The building has been used by the SRA's fire protection services in recent years, and remains little altered from its original appearance and layout. It is the largest of the few surviving railway barracks buildings in the State. (1989)
	Date significance updated: 17 Oct 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


Construction years:	1902-1903
Physical description:	In 1902 the Railway Commissioners resumed land on Brandling Street and built a large two-storey building of an expanded domestic design with 13 principle rooms. The building was used as a barracks or dormitory to provide accommodation for the "running staff" on rail lines. The building was used by the SRA's fire protection services during 1980s-90s, and it is used as a private residence. It remains little altered from its original appearance and layout. It is the largest of the few surviving railway barracks buildings in the State of NSW (LEP, 2012). Two storey Edwardian mansion on a quite street featuring single or double storey late Victorian or Federation dwellings. The building is of Federation/ Edwardian style. It is surrounded by gardens and has verandas on three sides, paved with flagstones. The corridors runs in the middle of the house at both floor levels. The middle entrance is flanked with 2 windows on the ground level and 5 windows are displayed at the first level. All external walls are rendered and painted and the hipped roof is clad with corrugated iron roofing (LEP, 2012).
Further information:	The building is currently used as a private residence. It largely maintains its original room layout.


Current use:	residence
Former use:	Aboriginal land, railway workers' residence

History

Historical notes:

The "Eora people" was the name given to the coastal Aborigines around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora Country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora. There is no written record of the name of the language spoken and currently there are debates as whether the coastal peoples spoke a separate language "Eora" or whether this was actually a dialect of the Dharug language. Remnant bushland in places like Blackwattle Bay retain elements of traditional plant, bird and animal life, including fish and rock oysters (Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani).

With the invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants in their population. Aboriginal people from across the state have been attracted to suburbs such as Pyrmont, Balmain, Rozelle, Glebe and Redfern since the 1930s. Changes in government legislation in the 1960s provided freedom of movement enabling more Aboriginal people to choose to live in Sydney (Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani).

Rest Houses:
An article in Evening News (Sydney, NSW 1869-1931) on 9th March 1903 stated the rest houses was just completed. The barracks were built to provide accommodation for the running staff when they were away from their homes. It provided accommodation, beds and attendance. Before the new rest house, there was one barrack existing for some time close to the running shed in the locomotive yard at Eveleigh. The old barracks site was requested by a proposed extension of the Eveleigh locomotive shops and a new site was searched by the railway commission. The Brandling Street site was selected due to its closeness to the workshops and being in a quite neighbourhood. Internally it has 13 principle rooms and kitchen and dinning areas. The dinning area was occasionally used as a conference room. The barracks were attended (LEP, 2012).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Changing the environment-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	(none)-
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	Rail transport-
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-
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	administering employment in public transport systems-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Residential-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Worker's Dwellings-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Railway work culture-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	State government-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - administration of land-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - building and administering rail networks-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - building and operating public infrastructure-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - conserving cultural and natural heritage-

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	Record converted from HIS events Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): (1) The maintenance of any building or item on the site where maintenance means the continuous protective care of existing materials; (2) The minor repair of the building where minor repair means the repair of materials by patching, piercing-in, splicing and consolidating existing materials and including minor replacements of minor components such as individual bricks, cut-stone, timber sections, tiles and slates where these have been damaged beyond reasonable repair or are missing. (3) Change of use.	Mar 30 1990
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00723	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00723	30 Mar 90	44	2722
Local Environmental Plan	City of Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012	I10	14 Dec 12

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written		1989	Heritage Branch Manager's report

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:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5001229
File number:	90/00193

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