MARYBOROUGH RAILWAY STATION

38 VICTORIA STREET MARYBOROUGH, CENTRAL GOLDFIELDS SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

• Other Records For This Place
  • MARYBOROUGH RAILWAY STATION - Victorian Heritage Register
• Additional Place Information

  • History

    MARYBOROUGH RAILWAY STATION - History

    The original railway station at Maryborough was opened in 1874 (Culture Victoria 2016a). The present building, and Maryborough’s second railway station (VHR H1577/Central Goldfields HO134/NT B1799/RNE 15488), is an especially large and well-appointed station that was built between 1890-1891. This grand station was intended to be the centre of the rail industry, due to the boom created by the gold rush (Culture Victoria 2016b). Maryborough Railway Station once comprised two signal boxes (A and B boxes), a weighbridge, numerous sidings, a goods yard, goods shed and platform, and stockyards (Victorian Railways 1989). As the gold mines closed during the early to mid-1900s, populations in the smaller townships began to decline. However, population growth stabilised as Maryborough itself has diversified its industries after the gold industry collapsed, turning to the dairy, wool, and tourism industries throughout the 1900s (Victorian Places 2015b). Outside Maryborough, the shire typically comprises farmland for livestock and cereals, which are transported by rail from Maryborough across Victoria (Victorian Places 2015a). The down end (north) level crossing was replaced with an underpass in 1967, and A and B signal boxes were demolished in 1969 (Victorian Railways 1989). The railway station itself was closed in 1993. Maryborough Railway Station was restored by RBA Heritage Architects and Period Restoration services in 2007 and reopened on 25 July 2010 (Department of Transport 2009; RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants 2018). Maryborough Railway Station is currently an active station with one platform, serviced by V/Line (Public Transport Victoria). Historical aerial imagery (Aerial Survey of Victoria 1946b; 1946c; 1946d) dating to 1946 shows that the large station building within the proposed VHI boundary was then present within the Maryborough station grounds. There are extant buildings present within the Maryborough Railway Station grounds, including the aforementioned historic railway station itself (VHR H1577/Central Goldfields HO134/NT B1799), along with several sheds and other large structures to the north of the junction of the Yelta and Castlemaine-Maryborough lines. Tracks and sidings, along with several other structures, were also visible within the station grounds. The railway station grounds used to comprise land to the northwest of the extant grounds, to the intersection of Victoria Street and Cambridge Street. This section of land has been excised from the railway station grounds, and is currently housing VicRoads’ Maryborough Customer Service Centre on what appears now to be Council grounds (Central Goldfields Shire Council 2022). The Maryborough station building is extant adjacent the railway line, as part of an active railway station. Infrastructure at Maryborough, such as the weighbridge, a number of roads and sidings, and signal boxes, are no longer extant.

    Interpretation of Site

    MARYBOROUGH RAILWAY STATION - Interpretation of Site

    The Maryborough Railway Station meets the definition of an archaeological site under the Heritage Act, as a site that is likely to contain artefacts, deposits or features 75 or more years old, that would provide information relating to the former use of the site, that requires archaeological methods to reveal such information. There are a number of surface features related to former structures at the site: • Signal Box A o Signalling arrangements, and parish mapping show that this was originally at the south end of the station grounds, situated adjacent to the Inkerman Street level crossing • Signal Box B o Historical photographs, signalling arrangements, and parish mapping show that this was originally at the north end of the station grounds, situated adjacent to the Tuaggra Street level crossing • Drainage pits o Situated within the station grounds on the east side of the railway line, south of the extant railway platform within the Gazetted Victorian Heritage Register Extent L1 • Goods platform o Situated within the station grounds on the east side of the railway line, south of the extant railway platform within the Gazetted Victorian Heritage Register Extent L1 • Buried timber artefact o Situated within the station grounds on the east side of the railway line, south of the extant railway platform within the Gazetted Victorian Heritage Register Extent L1 • Weighbridge shed and adjacent sidings o The VHR listing and the site inspection show that this was situated at the south end of the proposed VHI boundary, on the east side of the railway line. There is limited historical documentation about the railway operations of the site and although site layout plans in the form of signal diagrams exist, written accounts and historical photographs and images are limited. However, the historical photographs that are available do give some indication of the general historic layout of the place which accords with the timber sleeper and drains found on the site. The limited amount of ground disturbance across the former goods and sidings areas suggests there is potential for archaeological features and potential artefacts to be present that would confirm the former arrangement of the site. Although there is no above ground evidence to show the locations of either of the former signal boxes, below ground structural evidence may exist. This is likely to contribute to an understanding of the operations of large regional railway centres, particularly to the operation and expansion of railway goods transportation. As such the Maryborough Railway Station meets Threshold A (archaeology). As there is limited historical information about the goods operations of the Maryborough Railway Station, archaeological investigation and detailed recording could provide information not available elsewhere, particularly in relation to the layout and usage of the site. The available historical information, size of the place and the extravagance of the architectural styling of the station building confirms that Maryborough was an important railway centre in the early twentieth century. Archaeological investigation could provide information to assist in the understanding of the goods operations of other large railway centres in the state, such as Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong, all of which have been more significantly altered than Maryborough, prior to the advent of diesel motive power which forced the decline and eventual cessation of steam power on the States rail network. The site is significant in a local context under the ‘linking Victorians by rail’ (Theme 3.3) in Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (Heritage Council of Victoria 2010). As such, the Maryborough Railway Station site meets Threshold B (place history). Consideration should also be given to the protection of the remnant parts of the former weighbridge. Although in poor condition and regardless of it being included in the VHR, it was nonetheless an important component of the goods operations at the place. The land immediately surrounding the weighbridge shed may also comprise remnants of the sidings and related infrastructure that were once found south of Inkerman Street. The majority of features identified during the site inspection were covered over, instead of having previously been removed from the station grounds. As such, this is suggestive that there is likely to be further archaeological features identified within the station grounds.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    MARYBOROUGH RAILWAY STATION - Heritage Inventory Description

    The station building is included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR), as are a number of other buildings in the immediate station precinct. These include the goods shed and the former carpenters’ store. Also included in the registration but located away from the immediate station precinct is the locomotive shed located down the line to the north and the remains of the weighbridge scales up the line to the south of Inkerman Street. The proposed works as part fo the Murray Basin Rail Project are not expected to impact any of the registered structures, but activity will occur on railway land that is included in the VHR. It should be noted that the extent of land included in the VHR shown in VicPlan is incorrect and the extent of land included in the gazetted extent of registration covers a much greater area. The site inspection and the site description focussed on where the works activity is to occur in the former rail yards in the main station precinct and in the vicinity of the former weighbridge. Throughout its period of operation until the late 1960s, the rail corridor through the station accommodated 10 roads. These have been reduced to just four roads. Road No.1, which serves the Station’s passenger platform remains the only through track. This through track has been converted to dual gauge. The remaining three roads at the place are showing signs of corrosion. Although connected to the main through line, this would suggest that they are infrequently used. It is assumed that the majority of roads in the place were removed around 1969, when both of the stations signal boxes were removed. In addition to the 10 roads, the site also accommodated two sidings on the down (north) side and five on the up (south) side. These have also been removed. Historically the goods shed was equipped with extensive goods platforms on both its northern and southern sides. Maryborough Station is shown in 1904 to have the large station building on the northwest side of the railway line, and four buildings within the goods area. The platform that was located to the north has been removed but that to the south is extent. It would appear from the pit wall construction of horizontal concrete panels, supported by sections of redundant light rail, that it was reconstructed some time during the 20th century. Changes in the platform layout shown in the 1934 and the 1943 signal diagrams suggest that the current southern goods platform occurred in the late 1930s or early 1940s (Victorian Railways 1989). The ground between the goods shed and the remaining goods platform are level with Ramsay Street suggesting that a considerable amount of the space was allocated for the movement and storage of goods at the station. This area, located on the eastern side of the station precinct, adjacent to Ramsay Street and the area that once accommodated the five up side sidings, appears to have been recently regraded and the presence of rail lines and sleepers suggests that it continues to be used as a laydown area for rail construction and maintenance projects. At ground level there would appear to be little remaining physical evidence of the presence of these sidings or of the former signal boxes. However, in at least one instance a section of timber sleeper was visible protruding from the gravel. Below ground drainage lines also appear to exist, as evidenced by the presence of sump pits that appear to drain toward a substantial brick lined open drain that passes through the southern edge of the site in proximity to Inkerman Street. The former store and carpenters’ workshop is located within a compound that is enclosed by a chain link fence. This compound also includes a recent demountable structure and is also used as a laydown area. The precinct’s former weighbridge, which is included in the VHR as part of the station’s registration, is located up the line from the station, approximately 155 metres south of Inkerman Street on the eastern side of the rail track. The weighbridge was located on ‘Siding D’ and was accessed via a turnout located on the northern side of Inkerman Street. The weighbridge shed was destroyed by fire in October 2015 (Bendigo Advertiser 2015) but the scales, including the pillar, steelyard and weighbridge remain extant, albeit in a deteriorated and corroded condition. The scales are currently enclosed by temporary wire fencing. The ground levels around the scales have changed over time and the rail track now sits at a higher level than the weighbridge than would have been the case when the weighbridge was in operation. This has altered the context of the weighbridge and the relationship of the weighbridge and its connection to the rail line has largely been lost. Only the presence of the scales provides a clear indication of what the presence of the weighbridge and its function. The location of the former locomotive shed was not inspected as it is privately occupied.
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