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AVOCA RAILWAY STATION
13-15 YORK AVENUE AVOCA, PYRENEES SHIRE

All information on this page is maintained by Heritage Victoria. Click below for their website and contact details.
Victorian Heritage Register
AVOCA RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
AVOCA RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
AVOCA RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
AVOCA RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
AVOCA RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
AVOCA RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
AVOCA RAILWAY STATION SOHE 2008
1 avoca railway station york avenue avoca trackside view nov1993
avoca railway station york avenue avoca front view aug1984
avoca railway station york avenue avoca goods shed aug1984
avoca railway station york avenue avoca platform view aug1984
avoca railway station plan
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
Avoca Railway Station was constructed in 1876 by J Summerland, on the Avoca-Maryborough line for the Victorian Railways. It consists of a hip roofed, red brick station building and residence with cast iron platform and roadside verandahs, and was previously linked by a brick yard fence with the detached lamp room/toilet block. The gable roofed goods shed is constructed of brick with a bluestone coping. Several structures have been removed including the upside buildings, goods shed platform, van goods shed and the turntable. The station has been closed and the line discontinued.

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

Why is it significant?
The station building is architecturally significant as the most intact example of the 'Dunolly style', a style which was a standard railway station style of the day, restricted to certain lines only, and which is related to the 'Carlsruhe' and 'Creswick' styles. It is characterised by relative austerity in detailing and the use of bell cast verandahs to both sides of the building with cast iron decoration.

The station building is historically significant in recalling the differences in typological group details incorporated in station building design up until the abolition of resident and district engineer's offices in 1878. The railway complex is of historical significance for the key role it played in the development and prosperity of Avoca, providing a vital link with the Melbourne markets. It is significant as a reminder of the rivalry between Ballarat and Maryborough. Both towns were seeking to be the starting point for an inter-colonial line to Adelaide and the North -West of Victoria. Maryborough lost, and Avoca remained the terminus of the proposed line from 1876 to 1890.
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    • Permit Exemptions

      AVOCA 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:

      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 new perimeter fencing.
      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.

      Permit Exemption Policy

      AVOCA RAILWAY STATION - Permit Exemption Policy

      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 Avoca 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

Note: Developments may span multiple time periods
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