What is significant?
The Dunolly Railway Station Complex was constructed in 1874 for theVictorian Railways by ST Weeks on the Donald-Ballarat line. It comprisesa single storey classical brick station building and former residencewith a hipped slate roof, cast iron gutters with lion head brackets,standard concave verandah, roadside verandah entrance and originalbooking window. There is a large brick goods shed with athree-quarter-length lantern to a corrugated iron gable roof, corrugatediron cladding to each end and a run through track. Other structuresinclude a brick lamp room, timber van goods shed, and a signal 200mdownside of the station building. Plantings at the Dunolly RailwayStation include two pomegranate trees and a Cork Oak.
How is it significant?
Dunolly Railway Station is historically and architecturally significantto the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
Dunolly Railway Station is historically significant for its role duringthe 1870s in linking the central Victorian goldfield centres with theGeelong seaport, recalling the town's former role as a major goldminingcentre. The station is also historically significant for its associationwith the development of the 'light lines' era, c1869 - c1884.
Dunolly Railway Station is architecturally significant as arepresentative example of the 'Dunolly' type - a standard railwaystation design of the day, and restricted to certain lines only. Thestyle is characterised by relative austerity in detailing, and the useof bell cast verandahs to both sides of the building, with cast irondecoration. The brick lamp room/toilet block, goods shed and signal aresignificant for their contribution to the architectural character of thestation complex. The surviving booking window and cast iron guttersoffer an important insight into the design details of station buildingsbuilt during the 1870s. The Cork Oak Quercus suber at the Dunolly Railway Station is a remarkable specimen and believed to be the largest such tree in Victoria.
Dunolly Railway Station is historically significant for its role during the 1870s in linking the central Victorian goldfield centres with the Geelong seaport. The station is also historically significant for its association with the development of the 'light lines' era, c.1869 - c.1884. Following lavish expenditure of the earlier 'main trunk' lines of the 1850' and 1860's, a determined effort was made to minimise the cost of railway construction. The 'light lines' era was characterised by more restrained station building designs (Harrigan, 1962), represented in the 'Dunolly' style by relative austerity in detailing. (Beeston, 1995)
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: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 signalling systems and modifications to existing signalling systems
*Modification and replacement of tracks to the extent of the rails, sleepers and ballast
* Installation of new landscaping features but excluding earthworks where more than 1m3 of ground is to be altered
Station Buildings
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.
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 Dunolly 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.