| Historical notes: | STATEMENT OF COUNTRY
Armidale Railway Station is located on the country of the Ainiwain people. This landscape was originally covered by a tall sclerophyll open forest that may have been used for resource collection or hunting and gathering food resources, alongside marsh land hunting grounds nearby at Dumaresq Creek. Use of this area may have been associated with the nearby traditional camping place, known today as North Hill Aboriginal Place, located on a hill on the northern bank of Dumaresq Creek (Drummond Park, Snow Gums Bushland Reserve). This camping place continued to be occupied throughout the historic period until the 1950s (Heritage NSW 2021; 2026; Trees Near Me NSW).
Another historic camping place from the 1850s may have been located near what would become the railway station (Heritage NSW 2021:19, University of New England 2026). The presence of several historic camping places in Armidale suggest that some Ainiwain men may have worked on the railway gangs (as fettlers) on the rail network around Armidale (McKillop 2009:15). This may have included the railway gangs that originally used the vehicles in this moveable collection.
MAIN NORTHERN LINE
During the development of the NSW Railway Network from the 1850s onwards, three main trunk lines were developed across the State from Sydney: the southern (to Albury), the western (to Bourke), and the northern (to Jennings on the Queensland Border). The northern originally commenced from Newcastle, with a line to Maitland completed in 1857. This was extended to Singleton in 1865 (Davies 1987:39).
In the early 1870s the Colonial Government became concerned that wool from the Riverina and West of the state would be diverted to Melbourne via river transport and the Victorian railway at Echuca (opened in 1864). In response to this perceived threat, John Sutherland, the Minister for Public Works, established a policy in 1874 to complete the main trunk lines prior to the construction of branch lines. However, this decision did not assuage all the powerful pastoral interests of regional NSW, and soon influential individuals upset this policy in their favour. This resulted in several branch lines being constructed while work on the main trunk lines continued. Consequently, a period of 'railway mania' ensued, where lobbying by various regional railway leagues resulted in the NSW railway network rapidly expanding in a 'chaotic' fashion between 1877-1887 (McKillop 2009:41-2).
Nevertheless, under Sutherland's policy the main northern line still progressed relatively quickly reaching Murrurundi in 1872, Tamworth in 1878, and Uralla in 1882. The powerful pastoral interest of Armidale were rewarded in 1883 when the main northern line reached the town. It soon benefited from connections to both Sydney and Brisbane, as by 1888 the main northern line reached Jennings on the Queensland border and was connected to the Queensland Railways southern line. The following year in 1889 a line was completed between Sydney and Newcastle, which completed the connection between Sydney and Brisbane. The main northern railway remained the only rail connection between these two cities until the completion of the north coast line in 1932 (Davies 1987:39; McKillop 2009:41, Appendix 1).
The coming of the railway to Armidale upset the grid layout of the town plan established in 1848 by isolating the southwest corner. It changed the dynamics of the town and region by fatally wounding the area's struggling wheat industry (through imported South Australian flour), drawing settlement and development towards the station, away from the town centre along Dumaresq Creek, and encouraging subdivision of estates and expansion of the town to the south. Its presence encouraged the western side of town to develop into a working class area with associated manufacturing enterprises. The trade links it provided supported Armidale's declaration as a city in 1885 and its continued growth in importance, and as a regional centre, over the following decades. Consequently, by 1900 Armidale was the fourth largest town in NSW (Kass 1990:12, 14-15, 20, 23-24).
RAILWAY STATION
The contracts for the construction of the railway line were split between two different builders in c1881-1882: D. Proudfoot was awarded the contract for the Uralla to Glen Innes section of the Main Northern Line; Edmund Lonsdale and Mr H. E. Elliot were awarded the contract for the station building, station master's residence, goods shed with wool platform, three-road engine shed, 50ft turntable, coal stages, water tanks, sheep/cattle yards, staff cottages, and carriage dock and buffer (Forsyth 2002:17; Cottamundra Herald 3/2/1883:4).
The line to Armidale was officially opened on 1 February 1883 despite the station buildings being unfinished (Armidale Express 2/2/1883:4). Due to a range of reasons, their completion was delayed until September, when they were finally handed over to the NSW Government Railways (NSWGR) (Armidale Express 13/4/1883:6; 18/9/1883:2). The completed first class station was constructed of brick with cement lining, with a corrugated iron roof, with fine cast iron work that was completed by Hendry Sheldon Goddard at the New England Foundry in Uralla (Forsyth 2002:17; Catalyst 2021:11). The building was symmetrical with a central waiting room and two wings on either side. The southeast wing contained the station master's office, ticket office, luggage room and the first ladies waiting room with attached bathrooms. The northwest wing contained two parcels rooms and a second ladies waiting room with attached bathrooms. Attached to the northwest wing was an uncovered yard and shed to which a separate building for the porters room and men's bathrooms were attached. A similar yard and shed with attached lamp room with second story store was also added to the southeast wing (TfNSW ECM Planroom; ARHS Archive Plans).
In 1884, refreshment rooms were added to the station, increasing its importance on the Main Northern Line as this meant that longer train stops (20min meal breaks) were provided at Armidale. It is not clear what internal rearrangements were made to the internal layout of the station to facilitate the inclusion of a refreshment room at this stage. The operation of the refreshment rooms were leased to local businessmen in accordance with NSWGR policy. Due to increased demand, the refreshment rooms were extended in 1891 through further internal alterations that resulted in the function of every room being changed. This resulted in the refreshment rooms occupying the centre of the station and the dining room the original southeast wing; the original northwest wing becoming the central waiting room and ticket and telegraph offices; the ladies waiting rooms, bathrooms, and station masters office occupying the original yard and shed space; and the parcels room being extended to occupy the original separate wing building (Forsyth, 2002; Armidale Express 31/10/1884 p4; 11/12/1888 p4; 18/8/1891 p4; 22/1/1892 p2; Catalyst 2021:11-12).
Following the completion of the Main Northern Line in 1889 it appears two separate train services operated to Armidale: the Brisbane Express and Glen Innes Mail. The Brisbane Express offered a 29 hour journey to Brisbane from Sydney. Both of these services provided Armidale residents with a 13 hour journey to Sydney (Armidale Railway Bicentennial Museum Display).
In the early years of the twentieth century (1906) the refreshment rooms were further upgraded with the addition of bed rooms for refreshment room staff, a store room and pantry for the kitchen staff, and alterations to the bar room. Soon afterwards the platform was extended in both directions (1907 and 1912). The last change to occur during this period was NSWGR resuming management of the refreshment room in 1916, presumedly due to the wartime conditions (Catalyst 2021:12).
Between the wars in 1925 further internal alterations and extensions to the southeast wing occurred. This involved the refreshment rooms and dining rooms switching locations and provision of additional kitchen and scullery spaces (including a yard on the east side of the building), as well as female staff rooms (Catalyst 2021:12).
Towards the end of World War II (1948) the station was extended to the northwest to add a Signal Room, Out Of Room, and Traffic Inspector's Office. The former room was constructed in an art deco style, while the latter section was sympathetic to the original station design. Soon afterwards (1950) the adjacent parcels room was extended to the east to provide a public entry and counter space (Catalyst 2021:12: TfNSW ECM Planroom).
In 1965/1972 further upgrades were made to the former refreshment rooms (now a kiosk) to add a store and new bedroom and ensuite for the manageress. The refreshment rooms were finally closed in 1975 when on-board catering was provided on all trains (Catalyst 2021:12; Armidale Railway Bicentennial Museum Display).
In the 1980s, major "Country Link" refurbishment works were undertaken by the State Rail Authority that were typical of the period. Many of the later functional changes to the building were removed, including all modifications related to the refreshment room (1884 onwards). Some original features and room functions were reinstated in a 'mock-heritage' style. This included reinstatement of the original waiting room and entry, as well as the installation of a long passageway along the length of the northwest wing and the creation of smaller office spaces. The original galvanised iron short-sheet roof was also replaced with a full-length colorbond roof. By this time the southeast wing was leased to a child care centre and further space was provided to this establishment during these works (around half the building in total) (TfNSW ECM Planroom; Catalyst 2021:12).
Armidale remains an operational railway station with daily passenger services. It is currently the last active station on the Main Northern line. The line has been replaced as the main line between Sydney and Brisbane by the North Coast line.
WAY AND WORKS OFFICES
The Way and Works (or Per Way) Branch of the NSW railways was responsible for the maintenance of railway tracks and railway structures, as well as construction of a range of railway buildings (McKillop 2009:47). A Way and Works Co-ordination building appears to have been constructed to the northwest of the station, just past the end of the platform, between around 1922 and 1935. This building contained amenity and office facilities. Another separate per way office was added to the northwest of the coordination building presumedly around the same time. In 1948 a tricycle shed with four compartments was added to the east side of the coordination building to allow the storage of the trikes used by staff (TfNSW ECM Planroom).
Per way vehicles, or trikes as they were commonly known, comprised a wide range of vehicles, including trolleys, tricycles, quadricycles, gang cars, etc. that were used by railway staff who needed to travel the railway system on a regular basis. This included railway gangs and fettlers who inspected and maintained the railway system, as well as other Way and Works Branch sand Signals Branch staff. These vehicles were often initially imported from manufacturers in America or England, and then subsequently constructed at the Goulburn, Newcastle, or Chullora Per Way Workshops. Overtime, the initial designs would be modified and adapted by the workshop staff to the specific needs of the NSW railway system (Lee 1999; McKillop 2009:47).
It appears that when services were being closed down at Armidale station in the late 1980s, as least part of the Way and Works Co-ordination building was converted into a museum by local State Rail Authority staff. This was a voluntary bicentennial project likely funded by the Bicentennial Council of NSW during 1888 (Building Plaque). It appears likely that the Per Way Vehicle Moveable Collection was assembled by local staff for the museum opening using the remaining vehicles from Armidale and others purchased for the museum. |