Junee Railway Station movable relics (under consideration for amenedment)

Item details


Name of item:	Junee Railway Station movable relics (under consideration for amenedment)
Other name/s:	Junee Station moveable collection
Type of item:	Movable / Collection
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway Machinery & Objects
Location:	Lat: -34.8703310845 Long: 147.584026527
Primary address:	Main Southern railway, Junee, NSW 2663
Local govt. area:	Junee
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Wagga Wagga

Boundary:

The SHR curtilage boundary is limited to the item itself and does not include the land it is located on or the structure it is housed within.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Main Southern railway	Junee	Junee			Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
TAHE - Sydney Trains	State Government	02 Nov 98

Statement of significance:


	As a standalone collection, Junee Railway Station movable relics may not reach the State threshold for any of the seven Heritage Council criteria of State heritage significance. However, elements of the collection may make a contribution to the significance of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group, Junee (currently Junee Railway Station, yard, locomotive depot) (SHR 00173). The current listing does not include an assessment against the criteria. Junee Railway Station movable relics may not meet the threshold for State heritage significance as a collection in its own right. While the artefacts and fixtures that make up the collection have historic and interpretive value, this value is primarily derived from their association with Junee Railway Station and the contribution they make to the station's significance. The fixtures included in Junee Railway Station movable relics are considered to also be included in the listing of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group, Junee (currently Junee Railway Station, yard, locomotive depot) (SHR 00173). In this way, Junee Railway Station movable relics duplicates the protections afforded by the main listing. Many of the artefacts which make up Junee Railway Station movable relics contribute to the understanding and interpretation of the station. These artefacts provide evidence of the operation, use and evolution of the station and depot and assist in illustrating the historical functions of the broader railway precinct. However, not all the artefacts originally noted as being included in the original Junee Railway Station movable relics listing description have any historical link to the station. Some artefacts are also missing and no longer located at the station. Those which do have a confirmed link to Junee Railway Station or contribute to the significance of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group are included in a proposed amendment for that listing.
	Date significance updated: 28 Jul 26
	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:	1885-1960
Physical description:	The Junee Railway Station precinct contains a range of fixtures and moveable railway heritage items including furniture, signs, operational objects, ex-booking office and ticketing objects, paper records, clocks, and memorabilia. Currently the item is described as such: Located on platforms: - All station signage - Blue timber platform benches with incised "Junee" lettering - Double-sided Timatic electric clock suspended under platform canopy - Gooseneck platform lamp posts - Bell and chain under the canopy - Wall-mounted carriage lamps - Cast iron stormwater grates - Original and early door and window hardware (locks, handles, sash locks and lifts etc) - Semaphore signal in yard - Three Countrylink luggage trolleys - Two large circular concrete planter pots Located in platform building and offices: - Fitted timber waiting room benches - Original and early light fittings, switches, chains and timber mounting blocks - Cast iron and concrete door thresholds and boot scrapers - Timber surrounds and cast iron grates - Bevelled mirror with moulded timber frame - Large four-panel Victorian timber doors in storage - Steel trolley in storage - Timber pigeonhole shelving - Timber desk with turned legs and drawers - Square timber desk with turned legs, possibly cedar - Large desk with drawers, c1960s - Open timber desk shelving - Luggage scales - Red Ajax safe Located in the refreshment rooms: - Large wall mirrors - Framed prints - Cupboards and cabinets, curved timber bar and cabinetry - Galvanised bucket, signal lamps, "Safety Notices" cabinet, framed prints, illuminated sign - - "Counter meal services", Bakelite speaker on wall, cast iron urn and plinth - Cast iron stove /range - J Ward Ltd Sydney - in kitchen - Blackboards in storage - Fitted timber racking in kitchen - Circular coat hooks in storage - Wardrobe / cabinet c1930s, timber screen panel doors in storage - Timber pigeonhole cabinet - Cast iron piece of machinery, unknown function Fixtures that are considered to already be part of the listing of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group (and moveable heritage), Junee (currently Junee Railway Station, yard, locomotive depot) (SHR 00173): Located on platforms: - Fixed station signage - Blue timber platform benches with incised "Junee" lettering (fixed to platform) - Double-sided Timatic electric clock suspended under platform canopy - Gooseneck platform lamp posts - Wall-mounted carriage lamps - Cast iron stormwater grates Located in platform building and offices: - Fitted timber waiting room benches - Original and early light fittings, switches, chains and timber mounting blocks - Cast iron and concrete door thresholds and boot scrapers - Timber surrounds and cast iron grates Located in the refreshment rooms: - Large wall mirrors - Cupboards and cabinets, curved timber bar and cabinetry - Fitted timber racking in kitchen Artefacts which contribute to the significance of the listing of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group (and moveable heritage), Junee (currently Junee Railway Station, yard, locomotive depot) (SHR 00173) and are proposed to be included in the amendment of that listing: - Station signage in storage - Blue timber platform benches with incised "Junee" lettering (not fixed to platform) - Bell and chain under the platform canopy - Original and early door and window hardware (locks, handles, sash locks and lifts) - Semaphore signal in yard - Bevelled mirrors with moulded timber frame in platform building - Large four-panel Victorian timber doors in storage - Illuminated sign Counter meal services in refreshment rooms - Bakelite speaker on wall in refreshment rooms - Cast iron stove /range, J Ward Ltd Sydney, in kitchen - Wardrobe / cabinet c1930s, timber screen panel doors in storage - War memorial, flagpole, timber bollards and plaque Artefacts which have been lost and will be removed from the SHR: Artefacts which have no relevance to or contribution to make to the significance of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group (and moveable heritage), Junee (currently Junee Railway Station, yard, locomotive depot) (SHR 00173) and will be removed from the SHR: Not contributory to listing - Three Countrylink luggage trolleys - Two large circular concrete planter pots - Steel trolley in storage - Red Ajax safe - Large desk with drawers, c1960s - Timber desk with turned legs and drawers - Framed prints - Blackboards in storage - Cast iron urn and plinth - Cast iron piece of machinery, unknown function Not identified at site inspection - Timber pigeonhole shelving - Square timber desk with turned legs, possibly cedar - Open timber desk shelving - Luggage scales - Galvanised bucket, signal lamps, "Safety Notices" cabinet - Circular coat hooks in storage - Timber pigeonhole cabinet
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Items are in good conditon
	Date condition updated:15 Jul 26
Modifications and dates:	Some of the items included in the original listing of the collection cannot be currently located. It is proposed to add the items sighted in January 2026 to the SHR listing for the Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group (SHR 01173)

History

Historical notes:

Development of NSW Railways and the Main Southern Line

After the construction of the first railway in NSW between Sydney and Parramatta in 1855, two major country lines were planned across the State: the Main Southern Railway (to Albury) and the Main Western Railway (to Bourke). Early railway expansion during the 1860s was primarily undertaken for the purpose of connecting Sydney with developing inland towns, across the Blue Mountains to Bathurst and across the Southern Highlands to Goulburn. These new lines were constructed under the direction of John Whitton, who was appointed Engineer-in-Chief of the NSW Railways in 1867 (Sydney Trains, 2023).

The Main Southern line to Albury awas a response to concerns that wool and other produce from the Riverina and the west of NSW would be diverted to Melbourne via river boats and the Victorian railway to Echuca on the Murray River, which opened in 1864 (Lee, 2000).

The line reached Goulburn in 1869, Yass Junction in 1876, Junee in 1878, Wagga in 1879 and to the border at Albury in 1881. A journey that could take several days from Sydney to Albury could now be completed in about nine hours. Regional economies prospered as local markets now had faster access to Sydney. In June 1883, the Sydney-Melbourne link was completed when a temporary railway bridge across the Murray River was opened. NSW standard gauge trains arrived on the eastern side of the Albury platform, Victorian broad-gauge trains on the western side (Ryan, 2022).

Branch lines were built as a result of growing towns requiring rail transport. In April 1879, the Parliament of NSW approved construction of a railway from Junee to Narrandera, with ultimate extension to Hay. The line to Narrandera opened in 1881 (and on to Hay in July 1882) thus making Junee an increasingly important rail junction. Extensions to Leeton (1912) and Griffith (1916) provided considerably more produce that would pass through Junee, either south via Albury or north to Sydney for export (Lee, 1988).

Junee Railway Station

The original 'temporary' timber station at Junee was initially named Loftus. It included station buildings, stockyard loop, men's toilet, ladies' toilet, ladies waiting room, ticket office, general waiting room, parcels office and porters lamp room. A carriage dock was also built into the Sydney end of the platform to enable horse carriages to be unloaded from the passenger trains. It 1881 the station was renamed Junee Junction. (Forsyth, 2009).

The new Junee station precinct was completed in 1885. It was one of a group of grand NSW railway buildings opened in important regional centres during the 1880s and designated First Class Stations, including Werris Creek, Albury, Dubbo, Goulburn, Hay and Newcastle. The designs were not standardised. Common features include substantial brick construction with late Victorian architectural features such as towers, mansard roofs, bay windows and decorative ironwork and mouldings. Stations usually had more than six rooms and symmetrical proportions, forming imposing landmarks in town centres. As in many other country towns, the railway at Junee was a link to the market and ports of Sydney and also seen as the new gateway to the pastoral and agricultural wealth of the Riverina. Junee continued to develop as a major railway town including a major maintenance centre and trans-shipping facilities. (Sheedy, 1996; Forsyth, 2009).

Moveable heritage
Many of the fixtures and artefacts associated with Junee Railway Station have been a part of the precinct since its inception. The Refreshment Room mirrors are from the earliest period of the station. Railway seating and the Timatic clock are likely to have been from the 1950s - 1960s. Some items, such as the luggage trolleys and concrete planters may have been brought to the station from elsewhere in the network any time from the 1950s to the 1

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.	Other open space-
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	Development in response to railway lines-
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
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	Creating landmark structures and places in regional settings-
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 - building and administering rail networks-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Junee Railway Station Movable Relics is not likely to hold historic significance at a State level in its own right. Artefacts and fixtures included in the item may contribute to the significance of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group, Junee (SHR 00173).
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Junee Railway Station Movable Relics is not likely to hold associative significance at a State level.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Junee Railway Station Movable Relics is not likely to hold aesthetic or technical significance at a State level in its own right. Artefacts and fixtures included in the item may contribute to the significance of Junee Railway Station and Locomotive Depot Group, Junee (SHR 00173).
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Junee Railway Station Movable Relics is not likely to hold social or spiritual significance at a State level.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	Junee Railway Station Movable Relics is not likely to hold research potential at a State level.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Junee Railway Station Movable Relics is not likely to be rare at a State level.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Junee Railway Station Movable Relics is not likely to be representative at a State level.
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.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
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		01172	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

References, internet links & images

None

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5012060

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