Civic Railway Workshops

Item details


Name of item:	Civic Railway Workshops
Other name/s:	Honeysuckle; Industrial Archaeological Site; Newcastle Museum
Type of item:	Complex / Group
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway
Location:	Lat: -32.9259277396 Long: 151.7713519130
Primary address:	Great Northern Railway, Newcastle, NSW 2300
Parish:	Newcastle
County:	Northumberland
Local govt. area:	Newcastle
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Awabakal

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	511	DP	1030264
PART LOT	5001	DP	1049339
LOT	3	DP	1111305
LOT	4	DP	1111305
LOT	5	DP	1111305
LOT	7	DP	1137661
LOT	26	DP	1162435
LOT	27	DP	1162440
LOT	21	DP	1165985
LOT	2	DP	1226145
		CP/SP	71834
		CP/SP	71866
		SP	76276
		SP	76482
		SP	77086
		SP	81876
		SP	81877
PART LOT	5	DP	883474

Boundary:

The listing boundary is formed by Merewether Street to the east, the railway line to the south, Lee Wharf Road to the north and a line crossing the site approximately 50 metres to the west of the last building.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Great Northern Railway	Newcastle	Newcastle	Newcastle	Northumberland	Primary Address
Lee Wharf Road	Newcastle	Newcastle			Alternate Address
Honeysuckle Drive	Newcastle	Newcastle			Alternate Address
Merewether Street	Newcastle	Newcastle			Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
City of Newcastle Council	Local Government	24 Mar 17
Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation	State Government

Statement of significance:


	Civic Railway Workshops is one of the outstanding industrial workshop sites in the State and an excellent example of a Victorian workshop group that display continuity, excellence in design and execution and add to the townscape of Newcastle as well as play an important role in the history of the railway in the area. The whole group is of highest significance in the State. Construction of workshops in Newcastle was brought about for two reasons: separation of the Great Northern lines from the main system from 1857 to 1889; and in recognition of the exclusive facilities and rolling stock required to handle coal traffic. The Lee Wharf site has the potential to contain historical archaeological remains, including remains of State significance. Some may lie within the boundary of the State Heritage Register Listing. Others may lay outside that boundary. (Archaeology Significance taken from Godden Mackay Logan, May 2003)
	Date significance updated: 23 Jun 04
	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:	John Whitton
Builder/Maker:	Dart & Parkhill (Boiler House & Machine Shop)
Construction years:	1874-1886
Physical description:	Divisional Engineer's Office - constructed in 1886 is a two-storied, rendered and painted brick building at the western end of the group. It has a corrugated-iron awning around three sides and a corrugated iron double-gabled roof with rendered brick chimneys along both ridges. Architect was John Whitton. Boiler House and Machine Shop is directly to the east and adjoins the Divisonal Engineer's Office. Built in 1874-75 (Architect John Whitton, Builder: Dart & Parkhill) it is the oldest building in the group. A single-storey brick building with corrugated gabled roof and arched windows set within a series of recessed bays along both facades. A small brick gabled wing has been added to its northen facade. Blacksmith's Shop and Wheel Shop - constructed between 1880 -1882, it is located on the southern side of Workshop Way. The building originally served as a locomotive blacksmith's shop (eastern end) and machine and wheel shop (western end). Brick walls and corrugated-iron roofing with a series of arched windows along the length of the northen and southern sides. Five metres in height, its double-gabled roof is connected along the centre line with a box gutter.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The Boiler House and Machine Shop has been restored and is used by the Hunter Valley Wine Society. Blacksmith's Shop and Wheel Shop - the building has recently been restored and is currently tenanted. The site has the potential to contain evidence of the original Monier Sea Wall, the remnants of an original stone wall associated with the reclamation for Lee Wharf construction; rail sidings along Lee Wharf and spur connections to the Honeysuckle Railway Workshops/Yards. In terms of archaeological potential, the Honeysuckle Railway Workshops contain industrial remains including extensive footings of demolished brick buildings, underground pipes for air, water, gas, hydraulic oil and artefacts related to use and occupation of the area as a railway facility for over 100 years. The site has the potential to contain evidence of the original Monier Sea Wall, an innovative and supposedly rat-proof system first used at Walsh Bay, Sydney and then used here. The remnants of an original stone wall associated with reclamation for the Lee Wharf construction; rail sidings along Lee Wharf and spur connections to the Honeysuckle Railway Workshops/Yards.
	Date condition updated:29 Sep 04
Modifications and dates:	Boiler House and Machine Shop - originally served as a locomotive blacksmith's shop (eastern end) and machine and wheel shop (western end). A small brick gabled wing has been added to its northen facade.


Current use:	Shopping precinct
Former use:	Railway Workshops

History

Historical notes:

The site's history has been summarised according to significant events (Umwelt, August 2003):

c.1840- purchase of 38 acres at Honeysuckle Point for the erection of a Church School by the trustees on behalf of Anglican Bishop Broughton - 'The Bishop's Settlement'

1848 - the Dangar family established Newcastle's first cannery on the harbour foreshore, east of the Bishop's Settlement

1848 - 1851- Bishop's settlement subdivided into 42 lots and 40 of these were occupied by tenants. Some built houses, others commercial premises, some were operated as shipbuilding yards and industrial plants.

1853 - 1855 the Hunter River Railway Company was formed to build a line between Newcastle and Maitland. Honeysuckle Point chosen as the eastern terminus for the railway. The company was taken over by the State government due to its poor financial situation.

1856 -1895 Railway construction from Honeysuckle to Hexham. Construction of 33 buildings on Bishop's Settlement. Workshops opened at Honeysuckle, including loco shed, carriage repair shed, carriage painting shop, machine shop and blacksmith's shop.

1908 -1910 - construction of timber wharves along the reclaimed foreshore. The Monier Sea Wall was completed, an innovative structural material which previously had only been used at Walsh Bay in Sydney.

1910 - 1952 More buildings were constructed, including the Carpenter's Shop, a large foundry, commencement of building at Chullora Railway Workshops (c.1920), signalling the likely scale-back of operations at the Honeysuckle workshops.

1958 - The foundry was closed and its operations transferred to Chullora in Sydney

1970s.- Most buildings were demolished in the Per Way Workshops, leaving only the Store, the Carpenter's and Plumbers' Shops and the Divisional Engineer's Office.

2016: Excavation work in the former rail corridor has uncovered remains of one of the oldest working railway stations in the Hunter, Honeysuckle railway station. Two sandstone walls - between the Hunter New England Health headquarters on Hunter Street and a Honeysuckle Drive office block were found just below the surface 2 weeks ago. These are believed to be remains of platforms from the second Honeysuckle railway station, built in 1872 (Newcastle Herald, 19/7/16, 7).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Developing discrete retail and commercial areas-
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 and maintaining jetties, wharves and docks-
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	Public tramline system-
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	Engineering the public railway system-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Providing schools and education-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The group of workshops is the only remaining example that demonstrates the design principles and technology applied to small railway workshop buildings in the 1870s and 1880s in Southeastern Australia.
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 Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register	00956	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register
Local Environmental Plan		08 Aug 03	124
National Trust of Australia register	4475

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Tourism		2007	Honeysuckle Precinct	View detail
Tourism	Attraction Homepage	2007	Honeysuckle Precinct	View detail
Written	Insite Heritage	2007	Archaeological Investigations of Former Perway Store, Honeysuckle Precinct.
Written	Paul Rheinberger, Umwelt	2003	Research Design: Sub-surface Investigation of the Historical Archaeology of the Worth Place/Lee Wharf Precinct, Newcastle, NSW
Written	Paul Rheinberger, Umwelt Environmental Consultants	2003	Research Design: Sub-surface Investigation of the Historical Archaeology of the Worth Place/Lee Wharf Precinct, Newcastle NSW
Written	Susan Duyker, Andrew Sneddon and Mark Dunn, Godden Mackay Logan	2003	Lee Wharf Newcastle Heritage Impact Statement

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

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5044977
File number:	S90/05371;S94/01096;H05/00083

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