From Dimb to Basalt Knob

A retired railway carriage from Dimboola has ended up in the mountains of the Victorian High Country.

The T 101 icewagon railway carriage hut aka Basalt Knob Hut, was built in 1894 at the Pinder & Kelly Newport workshops for the Victorian Railways and de-registered in 1978. In the early 1980s a Dargo timber mill purchased the rolling stock from the Dimboola line for forestry workers accommodation and trucked them to Dargo. 
The carriage was in a Dargo mill when it was bought by Ken Scott from David Coates, who sold it to David Eddy from Deeandal & Sons logging company. 

A logging road was constructed, and a loggers' camp erected at Basalt Knob in 1982. The T 101 icewagon was carted it up to its location up above Talbotville near Blue Rag. When the logging finished all the other carriages forming the logging camp were removed by the mill, but they never got around to removing the T 101 carriage, so T 101 now ‘The Basalt Knob Hut’ is still there offering emergency shelter in the Victorian High Country, at Basalt Knob near the junction of Brewery Creek Track & Ritchie Rd which can be accessed via the Dargo High Plains Rd.

Story and photos from the Victorian High Country Huts Association Facebook page. 

 Hauled by steam diesel powered locomotives, the ‘T’ insulated ice van carriages had an ice bunker running along the middle of the ceiling that was filled with ice from hatches in the roof. Used to transport refrigerated meat carcasses or other goods that required a cool temperature, their walls were between 4 & 6 inches thick for insulation. The vertical channel at the end was a drain for the ice bunker. All T's in this number group had lever type handbrakes. This series of T vans had a 12 ton capacity. A relic from a bygone age they lasted to the late 70's in "refrigerated" service. (from Victorian Railways Net)

An update: a photo of T 101 while still on the rails in 1978, possibly in Dimboola, from rail-fan Geoff Winkler who took photos in the Wimmera in the 70s.

A further update: unfortunately T 101/Basalt Knob Hut was lost in the January 2020 bushfires.

Photo: Brendan Brooker, from VHCHA Facebook page

Apprehended

Dimboola Police had an interesting find recently, during a clean-up of an old storage area at the police station. They found the station’s original Charge Book, dating back to 1880, and a Forage Book dating back to 1939.

Entries from 1886, Dimboola Banner

The Charge Book provides an excellent snapshot of early law enforcement in the Dimboola area and, considering its age, is in remarkably good condition.

The Forage Book contains receipts for horse food provided to the police horses that were housed in stables which used to be in what is now the rear yard of the residence next door to the station. 

Dimboola Police Station in Lloyd St, Google Maps

Dimboola Station Commander, Acting Senior Sergeant Darren Sadler, said that they realised very quickly that they’d stumbled upon a “gem”.

“When we started looking through the old Charge Book, we instantly realised we had found something of historical significance. A phone call to the Victoria Police Museum confirmed we had a located a bit of a gem.”

On Monday the 15th of May, Acting Senior Sergeant Sadler, Leading Senior Constable Neil Zippel and Leading Senior Constable Cal Myers officially handed over the items to the Curator of the Victoria Police Museum in Melbourne, where they will eventually go on public display.

Pictured above: Leading Senior Constable Zippel, Acting Senior Sergeant Sadler, and Leading Senior Constable Myers, Dimboola Banner.

 The Charge Book is now of an age where it can be publicly shared. Each page has been photographed, and plans are now in progress to share the contents with the local community.
Copied from the 'Dimboola Banner' 22nd May 2017

Letters to Dimb

There are currently any number of books concerning the First World War on the shelves at present, but amongst them is one with special meaning for this region - 'Dodging the Devil : Letters from the Front' by George Martindale.

On the 21st August 1914, George Martindale along with many of his peers enlisted for the war in the service of Australia. Part of the 5th Battalion, he served for over 3 years and witnessed some of the biggest and most catastrophic battles of World War 1.

From the very beginning, when George was sent to Egypt to undertake training with some of the first of the enlisted men, he wrote home. He would document his daily life in the war - the events, his feelings and opinions, and send these messages and photographs back to his family. His military experience took him through some of the most notorious battles of the war; He was sent to Gallipoli landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, and fought in the Battle of Lone Pine - eventually being evacuated when the troops were pulled out. He was then sent to France where he was a part of the infamous Battle of Fromelles, where in one night more than 5,000 Australian casualties virtually wiped out his Division (he was one of 90 survivors from a thousand-strong regiment). He went on to Bullecourt, also a notorious battleground on the Western Front, where he was seriously injured - putting an end to his army career.

George sailed to Egypt on the HMAT Orveito (SLV)

George was a prolific letter writer, and described these actions for members of his family in the letters he sent home, forming a collection of his writings that is the basis of this book. His letters tell his story beginning with the excitement of signing up and sailing across the world to fight the enemy, to world weary having seen so much death and destruction. His letters tell the revealing real-life story of Gallipoli, Fromelles and Bullecourt. Through George Martindale's letters we see the First World War through his eyes, and experience the war as he did. And as an added bonus, this book is not just a narrative of the war, but George also wrote about the local gossip, Shire politics, the Wimmera's weather, and the local men he was serving with.

George Martindale was born on the 2nd April 1887 in Dimboola, he was the 2nd oldest of 5 siblings. He had brown hair and blue eyes. George's father Robert was a carpenter, plumber, general tradesman and undertaker who owned a prosperous business in the town. George learnt his trade of carpenter from his father. When war broke out he enlisted on 21st August 1914, because he signed up in Melbourne he ended up in the 5th Battalion whereas most of his friends from Dimboola joined the 8th Battalion.

A flake of a shell fired by the battleship the 'Queen Elizabeth', found near Sedd-el-Bahr, Chanak, Gallipoli Peninsula. Private George Martindale is with the rifle. The photo was taken by war correspondent C.E.W. Bean in May 1915.
In a letter to his mother George wrote: "Mr Bean took a snapshot of me standing near a fragment of 15" shell - it only weighed about a couple of hundredweight. There were 3 of us there. You'll know me - in the centre - laden like a pack mule of infantryman - an awful wreck I look." 

After serving for approximately 3 years he was very seriously wounded at Bullecourt on the 9th May 1917, losing his right eye and a portion of his skull and brain. He returned to Australia as permanently unfit for service, he continued to suffer from fits and seizures as a result of his head wound, one of these seizures proved fatal and he died on the 2nd of April 1922 (his birthday).

George Martindale’s war experiences reflect a litany of our nation’s hallowed trials. He may well have become one of the great writers of twentieth century Australia had his life not ended prematurely as a result of the injuries he sustained on the Western Front.

George’s letters were a gift to his family, but more so to posterity. They retain the scent of the trenches, and the stains of no man’s land. In them he honoured his mates, cherished his heritage and condemned falsities. His letters allow us to look back more than 100 years, and for his words to reach out to future generations.

There is even a short YouTube promo to 'Dodging the devil'

To visit or not to visit

Spencer Street Passenger Yard, 1884 (SLV)

I was looking for something totally different, when I came across the "Victorian Railways tourist's guide : containing accurate and full particulars of the watering places, scenery, shooting, fishing, sporting, hotel accommodation, etc. in Victoria ; also a new and complete railway map showing all the present and projected lines" edited by Joseph Pickersgill, published by Sands & McDougal in 1885, and available online via Trove at http:/​/​nla.gov.au/​nla.obj-268214772

It describes the towns and cities in Victoria at the time, and really was not that complementary about this area, especially as it was a 'tourist guide'.

 ARMSTRONGS,

Which is not famous for anything in particular, and about six miles further on is

GREAT WESTERN.

This important place lies in undulating country on the Concongella Creek, a tributary of the Wimmera River, and to the north of the Black Range, and is the centre of a magnificent wine-producing district. Here, amongst other smaller ones, is the justly celebrated Great Western vineyard (Best's), famous for its extensive cellarage, and above all for the excellence of the wines of all kinds produced there, which have taken prizes at most of the World's great Exhibitions. A visit to this place will amply repay the tourist's time if only to

"Sit 'neath the shade of the spreading vine,

And drain a deep draught of Great Western wine,"

From Great Western to

STAWELL,

Also known familiarly as Pleasant Creek and the Reefs, is about 8 miles, being 19 miles from Ararat, 76 miles from Ballaraat, and 176 miles from Melbourne. Stawell is a large and somewhat straggling place, the streets in the old part of the town in particular being narrow and tortuous. In fact, the top end of Main Street (the Collins Street of Stawell) is as crooked as a dog's hind leg.

One wonders whether the author got a sample of some Best's sparkling, as he/she is a bit scathing of everywhere else, and it continues -

GLENORCHY,

Eight miles north-west of Stawell, and on the line of railway, is a pastoral township of the smaller type. The native name is Djarrah, which means a job of work. It is only noticeable as being the starting-place for

BALMORAL,

A place of about equal calibre. The only reason for mentioning these out-of-the-way townships is that the road between them passes through Rose's Gap, a gloomy, precipitous gorge in the Grampians, well deserving a visit, whose native name, Barregowa - meaning Middle of the Mountain - sufficiently indicates its character.
Quitting Glenorchy, the train passes the little townships of LUBECK and MURTOA, and proceeds to the comparatively large town of

HORSHAM,

The most important and the liveliest place in this part of the country. It is the centre of a flat agricultural and pastoral district, some of the finest grazing land in the country being in the neighborhood. The botanical gardens, as in the cases of Koroit and Stawell, were laid out by Mr R.P. Whitworth under the supervision of Mr W.R. Guilfoyle. Horsham has two newspapers, the 'Times' and the 'Wimmera Star'. The town possesses no special attraction, except to those who wish to see pastoral country, and it is questionable whether it is worth coming so far to see so little. It may be remarked that it was in this part of the colony that the late Marcus Clarke gained his colonial experience.
The pastoral centres of Dimboola and Tarraginnie lie still further afield, but whether to visit them or not is purely a matter of choice. 

Steam train passing through farm land c1890-1900 (SLV)

So what were the chances of getting a special excursion train to visit the Wimmera in the 1880s, based on this guide?

Honour inductee

New hot off the presses, or straight from the website of the Department of the Premier & Cabinet.
Local Wotjobaluk Elder Aunty Nancy Harrison has been inducted to the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll. Aunty Nancy joins other Wimmera inductees - Lester Marks, Johnny Mullagh and Kevin Coombs.Her great-great-grandfather was King Richard who helped track the lost Duff children.

Aunty Nancy at the launch of the Honour Roll at Horsham, 2015

Aunty Nancy was born in Horsham in 1941 and grew up with her 7 brothers and sisters on the Reserve at Antwerp . The children attended the Antwerp State School, till the family moved to Burrumbeet near Ballarat, when Nancy then attended the Ballarat West High School. She worked in the Ballarat offices of the Royal Insurance Company, then the SEC (State Electricity Commission) in accounting & secretarial roles. In the 1950s joined the Department of Defence with the RAAF then the Army tilll she retired.

In 2003 Nancy returned to her traditional home at Dimboola and became involved in the Native Title negotiations for parts of the Little Desert & Wyperfeld lands, culminating with its recognition in 2005.
In the community Nancy has volunteered her time and talents to school children talking on cultural language, history and heritage. She has been involved in archaeological digs at Ebenezer. Nancy was an Ambassador for the Library during the International Year of Reading in 2012. She also worked on the Possum Skin Cloak Project (the cloak represented stories of the traditional owners, past & present).
 So congratulations Aunty Nancy Harrrison - Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll inductee for 2015. 

<< Aunty Nancy in the possum cloak delivering the Welcome to Country speech at the Library's 'Footprints' display in Dimboola 

Into the land of the Lowan

Its time for another 'Wimmera  in Photographs' Collection Day.
This time it will be held in the Hindmarsh Shire. The Shire covers the pre-amalgamation area covered by the Dimboola and Lowan Shires - in the south from the Wimmera River north to Lake Albacutya and west beyond Nhill - so a fertile area for historic photographs.

The abandoned Detpa Store, adjacent to the railway station

Some of the pastoral stations established in the region were: Albacutya in 1848, Horatio Cockburn Ellerman at Antwerp in 1847, Ballarook from 1847, Lake Hindmarsh (Pine Hills & Tullyvea) to Stieglitz in 1847, Lorquon in 1851, Mt Elgin and its subdivision Lawloit, Nhill in 1847, Upper Regions (Bonegar & Lochiel) in 1848, Woraigworm in 1849, and Yanac-A-Yanac in 1847...over 160 years of history.
As well there have been some significant events - the 1897 storm which nearly flattened Nhill; Big Lizzie's traverse from Outlet Creek along the west shore of Lake Hindmarsh and through the eastern Little Desert; the RAAF base at Nhill in World War 2 - all great photo opportunities, and hopeful there might be some prints or negatives show up during the Collection Day.

Interior of the Woorak West Methodist Church, built in 1886

The Collection Day is Friday 12th June at the Dimboola Library from 10am to 12:30pm then the Nhill Library from 2pm to 5pm.People with historic photos, negatives, and/or slides are encouraged to bring them for scanning. Appointments are necessary. To book, call in at Dimboola Library Phone: 5389 1734 or Nhill Library Phone: 5391 1684.

Honouring Lester

The 'Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll' is coming to the Horsham Library.
The Honour Roll recognises the many and varied contributions of Aboriginal people to the identity of Victoria.
Another local Honour Roll inductee is Lester Marks Harradine. A Wotjobaluk Elder who lived at Dimboola, Lester was a sportsman, a train driver and a returned serviceman.

Though he was born in Bordertown, his family had a long association with the Ebenezer Mission Station at Antwerp. Lester was only 8 months old when brought to Dimboola in 1920 to be raised by his aunt. He attended school at Dimboola and Lillimur, and was aged 13 when he left to work on the commercial vegetable gardens that lined the Wimmera River during the Depression.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Lester enlisted with the 19th Machine Gun Regiment and was transferred to Darwin. He was there when the Japanese bombed the town in 1942. By the end of the war he was stationed at Tarakan in Borneo. After the war Lester became  member of the R.S.L. and was actively involved through Legacy with supporting local war widows. Lester married Leila in 1958 and they had 4 children, he was employed by Victorian Railways where he got his driver's certificate in 1951 and worked until retirement in 1980. Lester died in 2010.

Lester was heavily involved in sport with the Dimboola Football Club, Wimmera Football League, Dimboola Bowling Club, and fire brigade competitions.
A keen cyclist he would ride from, Dimboola to Lillimur to visit family (a 175km round trip).
 In 2010 the Wimmera Football League granted Lester 'Legend' status, he had played for Dimboola in the 40s, 50s and 60s, including 2 senior premierships in 1946 and 1959, as well as a number of Reserves premierships in the 1960s. The Lester Marks Harradine Medal is awarded to the best & fairest in the Indigenous Recognition round.

In his later years, Lester shared the stories and the culture of his ancestors with talks to school children, tours of Ebenezer. and donations to the Dimboola Historical Society. He played a key role in the recognition of native title in the Wimmera. Lester was induced into the Honour Roll posthumously in 2012.

The Aboriginal Honour Roll will be launched in the Horsham Library on 4th June at 11am, and will be on display in the Library until the 11th.

Footprints to the Wimmera

‘Footprints: the journey of Lucy and Percy Pepper’’ is an exhibition by Public Record Office Victoria that uses public and family records to trace the lives of an Aboriginal family in country Victoria in the first half of the twentieth century.

 

Percy & his family, c1912, from the Watkins family

It focuses on the life of Percy Pepper. Missing two fingers following a work accident, Percy with his sick wife Lucy try to make a life for themselves and their seven children, while constantly on the move across Victoria in search of work. Deemed half-castes and thereby precluded from living on Aboriginal missions, the Peppers endured constant hardship.

Original letters, photographs and public records reveal a family plunged into poverty; their attempts to 'make good' and catch a break in white society frequently thwarted.

One of about 40 Aboriginal men who enlisted in the First World War, Percy fought in France where he sustained head wounds in a shell blast. Following his discharge he was one of the few Aboriginal soldiers to secure a soldier settlement block – and with it the hardships faced by many soldier settlers.

The Pepper family's generational story is one of hardship and resilience, of sorrow and loss – and a remarkable parable about the strength of family in the face of adversity.

The exhibition has special significance in the Wimmera, as Percy’s father Nathaniel Pepper had lived on the Ebenezer Mission at Antwerp. 
The ‘Footprints’ exhibition will be on display at the Dimboola Library and Dimb-E Shop in Lloyd street from Thursday 18^th till Tuesday 30^th September. 
An official opening will be held in the R.S.L. Hall in Lloyd Street on Wednesday 17^th September at 7pm. (RSVP to Dimboola Library Ph: 5391 4452 by 12th September)

Styling stations

This post grew from this comment -

"Can someone please elaborate on 'Bealiba style'? I was brought up in Bealiba and spent years hanging around the Bealiba Station but have never heard of the term. Thanks Brian H." on the earlier post ‘Railways - Mildura line’ and led to a little research at the State Library.

The 1870s was an era of railway building, that ended with the financial crash of the early 1890s, when railway lines were extended westward. During this period, the development of a succession of standard plans coincided with the patterns of railway construction, establishing groups of stations common to sections of line.

Bealiba in 1980 (Andrew Ward)

There developed a "line style", in which similarly-designed station buildings imparted their distinctive character along a particular line. The Bealiba station building was one in the “light line” style along one of the “main trunk” lines and gave its name to a prototype style which was an economic solution to the previously costly construction of railway station buildings.

According to Andrew Ward in a ‘Study of Historic Railway Buildings and Structures’ and 'Victoria's Railway Stations: An Architectural Survey', the Bealiba Style is an earlier sub-group of the Rosedale Style. He says the Rosedale style developed in response to the need to save on construction costs,and was the first design to be widely employed for all-timber type buildings. In all, 12 Rosedale style buildings were erected (Cope Cope was the only example in this district) and 6 in the earlier Bealiba Style of station building - Bealiba, Broadmeadows, Euroa, Kilmore East, Lubeck, Murtoa and Wallan.

Lubeck in 1981 (from VRnet)

Constructed in 1878, the Bealiba building is still substantially intact as an example of the style. Elements of the Bealiba Style are: An oblong single-storey plan timber construction with bisecting longitudinal corridor which terminated at a porch. The combined station and residence had a verandah to the platform formed by an extension from the main roof. Four rooms were residential (2 bedrooms, parlour& kitchen) and 2 for railway purposes – the Booking Office and the Ladies Waiting Room. The 4 corner rooms all had fireplaces. The lamp room & toilets were all in the station yard. Copying the diminutive Dooen Style, the barge boards were fringed with cast-iron lace-work, and ornamental brackets adorned the porches. The verandah post capitals, gable vents and finials all had decorative timber work. The interior walls & ceilings, and lamp room & toilets were lined with tongue & groove boards.

Plan of the Bealiba building (Andrew Ward)

The later Rosedale style omitted the cast-iron lace-work, the end porches and 2 fireplaces, but now included a General Waiting Room.

Other stations in the area awarded a “style” are:

·     The "St. Arnaud style" (1879) comprised an architectural symmetrical single-storey hip roofed brick station with cast-iron platform verandah and pavilions and a standard U shaped plan for the station building. It is the most intact example of the largest standard station building design erected on the early light lines.

St Arnaud's water tower

Also the St Arnaud water tower was built as a standard 'Type B2' hemispherical design carried by a 'T' iron frame and installed onto a cement rendered brick column. It is the last remaining example of this construction, with other B2 type towers originally located at Cranbourne, Bealiba and some metropolitan locations.

Diapur station building in 1971 (from "VR stations & stopping places")

·     The “Kaniva Style” which in addition to Kaniva itself, included Diapur, Leeor (to Melton), Miram and Nhill. Small timber buildings with classical decoration & gables.

The ornate platform verandah, Minyip

·     The “Minyip Style” used for Minyip and Yarra Junction.

·     The “Rupanyup Style” used at Rupanyup and Bairnsdale

Past glories - the dilapidated Rupanyup building

A “Special Design” was used for Serviceton, Warracknabeal (1887) was built in the “Casterton Style” a Tudor/Late Victorian look, while Dimboola (1882) is in the “South Melbourne Style” the Italianate/Late Victorian style.

The same style - Donald & Birchip

 

Upper Regions

Out in the country looking for school sites, I came across the 'Upper Regions Cemetery'.

The Cemetery Reserve site was gazetted in November 1877.
It's first Trustees were appointed in August 1881, and you can see the German Lutheran heritage of the area reflected in the names - Peter Koop, August  Petschel, John Menzel, Gustav Stephen and August Janetski.

 They obviously had grand plans for a huge population boost back then, which wasn't realised, as the plots are concentrated in a back corner.

Despite its overgrown state, you can make out the grand central corridor of pines dividing the site into the northern half which houses the occupied graves, and the southern half bordering Petschels Road.

The cemetery's Rules and Regulations of 1882 includes some gems -

Cemetery fees in 1882

• A drawing of every stone, tomb, pedestal, and a plan of every monument or tablet proposed to be erected, and a copy of every epitaph or inscription to be submitted to the trustees for approval, who may withhold permission and prevent the erection of any monument which shall appear to them inappropriate or unbecoming, and shall determine and fix the position of any monument which may be preferred  to be erected according to the description, size, and character thereof, having reference to the general plan for ornamenting the said cemetery in an appropriate manner. 
• No grave to be of less depth than 6 feet, except in the case of still-born children 3 feet. 
• Family vaults to be limited to 10 feet frontage by a depth of 8 or 16 feet.

Time stands still

In March 1845 William Patterson took up the license for the Upper Regions station by the right bank of the Wimmera River, adjoining Dimboola. The name referred to its location in the up-country district, part of Dimboola developed on the station site. The station was subdivided in December 1856 into Upper Regions and Lochiel, Upper regions was further subdivided in April 1858 into Upper regions and Bonegar. The Upper Regions license was cancelled in November 1884, and Lochiel cancelled in September 1881.  

10 years on

It is hard to believe that it's 10 years since the fire that gutted the 'Dimboola Hotel', but that is just what the 'Dimboola Courier' reminded us of this week. See their full article.

The fire races along the Lochiel Street flank of the hotel (Courier)

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but is believed to have originated in the office area on the ground floor of the hotel, on the Lloyd Street side of the building. 
The fire caused an estimated $2 million worth of damage, destroying both floors of the hotel and the adjoining Dimboola Cafe which was under the common roof. No lives were lost and physical injuries were minor, but the impact of the blaze was felt across the whole district.

The facade, post fire

The rubble strewn staircase

The future of the building has been in doubt for the ten years. Just this year the Courts ordered  the property owner to carry out Protection Works to make the Dimboola Hotel safe - to demolish most of the building except the facade.
We still wait to see what will happen on the site.

The Dimboola Banner

Here is the third and final post on the Wimmera Stories from Culture Victoria - 'The Dimboola Banner, communicating history'.

The first issue of the Dimboola Banner newspaper rolled off the presses on 10th May in 1879. 
It was printed by Henry Barnes and edited by his brother William.
Many proprietors and editors have come and gone since. 
Now more than 130 years on, the Banner is still published weekly, and maintains an office in Dimboola, though the paper is now printed in Warracknabeal.

An Elliott Addressing Machine

The Banner building has been acquired by the Dimboola & District Historical Society, and transformed into a Newspaper & Letterpress Printing Museum. 
The museum owns and operates a diverse collection of vintage presses, all in working condition. 
It preserves a wealth of print relics, including a vast amount of loose type from the long-gone era of handset typography.

See the full story, archival photographs, and video at the Culture Victoria site.

Railways - Yaapeet line

The Dimboola yards in 1964 (from "C.R.S.V.)

The Yaapeet line is a grain-only branch line from the west side of Dimboola, it was converted from board to standard gauge at the same time as the Melbourne to Adelaide line. The Yaapeet line re-opened (66kms to Rainbow) for grain only transportation in February 2012, though trains bypass the disconnected Arkona, Tarranyurk, Ellam and Pullut sidings. This is following the January 2011 floods which severely damaged the line near Jeparit.

Washaway between Jeparit and Ellam (W.V.R.G.)

Arkona now just a silo site. It opened in 1905 as Katyil, and was re-named Arkona in 1912.

Arkona's platform mound opposite the silos

Antwerp a temporary garage for grain hoppers.

Tarranyurk

The site of Tarranyurk's railway buildings

Jeparit the extension to Jeparit opened in June 1894. The government approved the Jeparit to Albacutya section in September 1898. Jeparit was also the junction of the Yanac branch line. It had a large goods yard, but now the buildings have been removed and just the silos and platform mound survived.

A couple of sleepers mark the Jeparit platform

Ellam just a silos site.
Pullut just a silos site.

Goods train leaving Rainbow for Dimboola, 1966 (from "Patterns of steam")

Rainbow In November 1899 the railway to Albacutya terminated at Croajabrim (renamed Rainbow in 1900). The station had a turntable and large yard. A diesel railcar passenger service ceased in January 1954. Now only murals show what the Rainbow station looked like, the station building and platform have been removed. Rainbow is now the terminus for the grain transportation.

Rainbow goods yard in 1920 (from Museum Victoria collection)

The now deserted Rainbow goods yard (V.R.S. photo)

End of the line - Yaapeet (V.R.S. photo)

Albacutya
Yaapeet the intention in 1913 was to terminate the line at Nypo, but the terminus was further on at Turkey Bottom (it was renamed Yaapeet in June 1914). The line loops to the siding now, with the silos and the mound where the platform was.



Further information and photographs at

 Victorian Railway Stations and Shane McCarthy's "Patterns of steam"and John Sargent's "Country railway stations Victoria" series