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CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION
MCKINLAY STREET CASTERTON, GLENELG SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Register
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
1 casterton railway station trackside view jun1984
casterton railway station entrance jun1984
casterton railway station front view jun1984
casterton railway station side view jun1984
casterton railway station plan
On this page:

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Casterton Railway Station was constructed in 1886 by A. C. Findley for the Victorian Railways. It was built at the end of the Branxholme-Casterton line which was completed in 1884. This line provided transport for livestock and wool from the Casterton district to the nearest Victorian port, Portland via the existing Hamilton line, which otherwise would have been transported to Kingston, South Australia. The building was designed under the administration of Richard Speight, the chairman of commissioners appointed to oversee an extensive programme of railway work arising from the Octopus Act of 1884, so called because the Act authorised a widespread network, or octopus, of new lines throughout Victoria.

The building is a substantial single storey brick station with a convex, cast iron platform verandah. Designed in a restrained Gothic/Tudor style, the station building represents the first departure by the Railways Department from the classical/Italianate style and as such is a substantially intact example of what has been classified as the Casterton style. Typically located at major points on main lines, or at the end of branch lines, seven similar stations were constructed in this restrained picturesque style. The prototype plan at Casterton comprises a central booking hall with offices on one side and waiting facilities on the other and this was repeated in later designs. Details at Casterton include flat headed windows with pointed cement render motifs above, a rendered drip mould, a timber decorative gable end to the booking lobby entrance and timber bracketed window hoods.

The railway complex has undergone extensive restoration and operates as a tourist attraction.

How is it significant?
The Casterton Railway Station is historically and architecturally significant to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
Casterton Railway Station is historically significant in recalling the dominance of the port of Portland as an outlet to the Glenelg and Wannon River wool and livestock traffic as well as the rivalry for that traffic shown by the South Australian Railways and the town of Hamilton.
It is also historically significant as an important example of a standard railway station design from a remarkable period of railway building which played an important role in the development of the Victorian economy.

Casterton Railway Station is architecturally significant as a substantially intact and important example of the 'Casterton' style of railway buildings. As such it remains a representative example of railway station buildings constructed during the Speight era of the 1880s.
[Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]

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    • History

      CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION - History

      Casterton Railway Station recalls the dominance of the port of Portland as an outlet to the Glenelg and Wannon River wool and livestock traffic, as well as the rivalry shown by the South Australian Railways and the town of Hamilton.
      It is also an important example of a standard station building design that arose from the 'Octopus' Act of 1884. Richard Speight was one of three commissioners appointed to oversee a massive program of railway capital works, resulting in the construction of fifty-one country railway stations and eight suburban lines. Richard Speight and Duncan Gillies, the Minister for Railways and Roads, were widely criticised for their mismanagement of the railway construction program, which resulted in huge deficits for the Government. (Harrigan, L., 1962) (Beeston, 1995)

      The draft statement of significance and the history below were produced as part of an Online Data Upgrade Project 2004.

      The Casterton Railway Station was constructed in 1886 by A. C. Findley for the Victorian Railways. It was built at the end of the Branxholme-Casterton line which was completed in 1884. This line provided transport for livestock and wool from the Casterton district to the nearest Victorian port, Portland via the existing Hamilton line, which otherwise would have been transported to Kingston, South Australia. The building was designed under the administration of Richard Speight, the chairman of commissioners appointed to oversee an extensive programme of railway work arising from the ‘Octopus Act’ of 1884, so called because the Act authorised a widespread network, or ‘octopus’, of new lines throughout Victoria.

      Sources were as follows:
      RBA Architects. Conservation Plan for former Casterton Railway Station Complex. 1996
      R. Beeston. A Review of Country Railway Places on the G.B.R. 1996
      A Ward. Victoria's Railway Stations: an architectural survey. 1982




      Permit Exemptions

      CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      DRAFT - NOT YET CONFIRMED BY HERITAGE COUNCIL
      EARLY REGISTRATIONS PROJECT
      General Conditions
      1. All alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner that prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
      2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
      3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
      4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
      5. Nothing in this declaration exempts the owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authority where applicable.

      * All basic refurbishment works including repairs to buildings and structures, where works are documented and administered by a recognised conservation consultant
      * Installation of perimeter fencing
      * Installation of new landscaping features but excluding earthworks where more than 1m3 of ground is to be altered

      Exterior
      *Replacement of decayed fabric with fabric that matches the original design and profile.
      * Installation of new but not removal of existing original significant signage.
      * Installation of temporary protective hoardings, screens and the like for the protection against intrusion of vandals and the like provided that no damage is sustained to significant fabric.
      * Installation of new damp proofing and making good to match existing, adjacent surfaces.

      Interior
      * Interior painting but not stripping of existing paint scheme
      * Installation of new but not removal of existing original significant carpets/flexible floor coverings
      * Installation of new but not removal of existing original significant fixtures and fittings, including clocks, soft furnishings including curtain tracks, rods, blinds and other window dressings, and the like
      * Installation of new but not the removal of existing original significant signage
      * Installation of new partitions provided that no damage is sustained to significant fabric
      * Replacement of non-original kitchen and toilet fixtures provided that no damage is sustained to significant fabric
      * Installation of insulation to ceiling spaces
      * Installation of hooks, nails and other devices for the hanging of paintings, mirrors and other wall mounted works of art.       General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface component.

      General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan all works shall be in accordance with it. Note:A Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage Action Plan provides guidance for the management of the heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain works specified in the management plan.

      General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable. Minor Works : Note: Any Minor Works that in the opinion of the Executive Director will not adversely affect the heritage significance of the place may be exempt from the permit requirements of the Heritage Act. A person proposing to undertake minor works must submit a proposal to the Executive Director. If the Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed works will not adversely affect the heritage values of the site, the applicant may be exempted from the requirement to obtain a heritage permit. If an applicant is uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that the permits co-ordinator be contacted.

      Permit Exemption Policy

      CASTERTON RAILWAY STATION - Permit Exemption Policy

      DRAFT - NOT YET CONFIRMED BY HERITAGE COUNCIL
      EARLY REGISTRATIONS PROJECT
      The purpose of the permit exemptions is to allow works that do not impact on the significance of the place to occur without the need for a permit. The Casterton Railway Station is important for its individual buildings as well as its precinct values. The exterior of the buildings are of prime importance. The interior is important if original fittings and fixtures still survive. Track works and maintenance to the buildings are able to be undertaken without a permit.

Public contributions

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