FORMER FLYNN STATION

CNR PRINCES HIGHWAY AND FLYNNS CREEK ROAD FLYNN, LATROBE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    FORMER FLYNN STATION - History

    The former Flynn railway station was located within rail reserve to thewest of the intersection of the railway line and Flynns Creek Road,situated between Loy Yang and Rosedale railway stations. The site islocated within the Loy Yang squatters run, which was originally taken upby settler James Rintoul in 1845. In the same year, Rintoul sold the LoyYang run to John Fowler Turnbull. Turnbull, in turn, sold it to HenryMiller and John Matheson in 1864, but Turnbull continued to own land inthe area until his death in the 1870s (Power 2016; Spreadborough andAnderson 1983; Turnbull Clan Association 2019).

    
    The Morwell to Sale section of the Eastern Railway (present-dayBairnsdale line) was built by the Victorian Government and opened onFriday 1 June 1877 (Context Pty Ltd 2010). The first railway stationswere established at stopping points along the route, typicallycomprising temporary buildings that were opened immediately aftercompletion. These buildings were upgraded as demand increased. The onlysubstantial railway station within this section comprised Traralgonrailway station. Flynn railway station was extant from the 1880s, whenit was known as Flynn's Creek railway station; the station name waschanged to Flynn railway station during the 1910s (Waugh 1999a; 1999b).

    Station plans and newspaper articles at the time indicate that there wasa passenger platform, located on the north side of the railway station.Despite the wishes of locals, it would appear that a goods platformand/or shed was not built at Flynn station. A newspaper article fromNovember 1884 noted that a telegraph office was established inconnection with the railway station (Traralgon Record and Morwell,Mirboo, Toongabbie, Heyfield, Tyers and Callignee Advertiser, Friday 21November 1884). The Traralgon Record (Friday 26 October 1888) reportedthat a new timber siding was built at Flynn station in October 1888.

    The Gippsland Farmers' Journal (Tuesday 8 May 1894) reported in 1894 that apublic meeting was held in Flynn to protest against the proposal of thedepartment to place a woman in charge of the Flynn's Creek railwaystation. At the meeting it was noted that a letter was to be forwardedto the Commissioners 'explaining that the station could not be worked bya lady', as she 'would not be able to load hides, truck cattle andtimber', 'but in any case they were entitled to a station master'.According to the Traralgon Record (Friday 24 September 1926), Flynnstation was closed as an attended station in September 1926, as there was not enough business to keep an officer in charge. Instead, itcontinued as a flag station; the report noted that any passengerswanting to catch the train had to wave a red flag or light and purchasetheir ticket from the guard. Later, the Gippsland Times (Thursday 27October 1938) reported that, despite requests from Flynn residents andthe Traralgon Shire Council, the Railway Commissioners decided thatthere was not enough volume of business to warrant an extension ofelectric current to the railiway station and trucking yards at Flynn.However, it wasn't until the 1970s when Flynn railway station appears tohave been permanently closed (Waugh 1999c). Recent aerial imagery fromGoogle Earth Pro shows that the railway reserve of the former Flynnrailway station comprises flat, grassed land dotted with trees where thestation complex used to be.

    Archaeological Significance

    FORMER FLYNN STATION - Archaeological Significance

    Documentary evidence suggest that Flynn railway station was extant from the 1880s, when it was known as Flynn's Creek railway station; the station name was changed to Flynn railway station during the 1910s. The features of the former Flynn Railway Station comprise the late 19th to early 20th century artefact scatter located in the northeast corner of the railway crossing at Flynn. There is also potential for features to be associated with the former railway station building, located 160 metres to the west of the artefact scatter. The station is of significance as the potential to contain historical archaeological features, deposits and further artefacts, thus providing information on the nature of, and activities that took place, at the railway station.

    Historical Significance

    FORMER FLYNN STATION - Historical Significance

    The station is of local historical significance as this site relates to the history of the Gippsland railway line and its association with the expansion of the railway network in Victoria. The potential remains at this site are likely to provide further information about the people who worked at, or travelled via, the railway station, and other activities at the railway station.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    FORMER FLYNN STATION - Heritage Inventory Description

    An artefact scatter (approximately 30 m x 30 m) of glass and ceramicfragments (Figure 4, Figure 5), is located immediately east of FlynnsCreek Road and north of the railway line (Figure 3), on the groundsurface, in an area where the grass appears to have been sprayed withpesticide, resulting in ground surface visibility. There are alsoseveral brick fragments present. The average density of the artefactscatter is around two artefacts per square metre. The area is flat andno other archaeological features were noted. At the western end of theartefact scatter an informal drainage line has been constructed, runningparallel to the road. No other areas of disturbance were noted.
    To the west of Flynns Creek Road, the area where the former station waslocated is flat in nature. There is a utilities installation immediatelynorth of the railway line which is around 10 x 10 metres in size (Figure6). There is a large pile of railway ballast immediately north of theutilities. The grass in the eastern section of this area has probablybeen sprayed with weed killer, leaving dead grass with approximately 5%ground surface visibility. Further west (approximately 160 metres), thelocation of the former Flynn station is grassed with no features presenton the ground surface.
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