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?

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

 

Railways - Melbourne to Adelaide line

The Melbourne to Adelaide or Western line runs through much of this region. It is the home of 'The Overland' passenger train. The line was extended from Ballarat to Stawell in 1876, Murtoa in 1878, Horsham in 1879, Dimboola in 1882 and linked with the South Australian Railways at the border station of Serviceton in 1887. The line was converted from broad to standard gauge in 1995.

Stawell station building at night (from "C.R.S.V.")

Seppelt's siding was a short distance on the Melbourne side of Great Western and served the Seppelt winery. The buildings shown are part of Seppelt's Great Western wine complex that was serviced by Seppelt's siding in 1981. The mountain in the background is Mt Langi Ghiran. (from VR.net)

Great Western passenger services ceased in August 1993 and this substantial brick station was demolished.

Great Western station, looking to Stawell, 1970 (from "VR stations & stopping places")

Stawell arrived in May 1876. Train passenger services have stopped and been replaced by V-Line buses. The station building is now an art gallery.

Melbourne bound steam passenger train at Stawell, 1968 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Signal boxes in the Stawell rail yards, 1984 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Deep Lead 

Deep Lead in 1970 (from "VR stations & stopping places")

'Water them geraniums' the neglect of Deep Lead (from VR.net)

Glenorchy 
Wal Wal

Wal Wal in 1981 shortly before the signals, building & platform were removed (from VR.net)

Lubeck was the junction for the Bolangum branch line.

Lubeck in 1981 (from VRnet)

Marmalake the Marmalake grain terminal (colloquially known as the Stick Shed) south of the town, is in the background of the photo below.

Murtoa in its heyday (from "C.R.S.V.")

Murtoa is on the main Western line, and at the junction for the branch line to Patchewollock. The railway arrived in December 1878. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1993, and Freight Australia use the station building, as Murtoa is still an important grain and freight stop.

The signal box and rail motor dock platform at Murtoa in 1978 (from "C.R.S.V.")

The original intention was to take the line direct from Murtoa to Dimboola passing through Jerro, but Horsham could not be bypassed, so the line looped south-west.
Jerro was north of the line, so a new railhead town of Jung or Jung Jung was established in 1878.

Jung, looking towards Murtoa 1982 (from VR.net)

Dooen was almost demolished by a derailment in the late 70's requiring the front of the signalbox to be replaced and the platform to be drastically cut back. Dooen was closed to passengers in 1972.

Dooen, back in 1885 (Museum Victoria's collection)

Dooen nearly 100 years later, in 1982 (from VR.net)

Overlooking Horsham in 1957 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Horsham The railway reached town in February 1879. It was the junction for the Natimuk East and Carpolac branch lines. The 'Overland' passenger service passes through Horsham, which is also a major intra-state freight depot, though containers have recently moved from the Mill Street site to the new Dooen Freight Hub.

Horsham station and yard in 1975 (from "C.R.S.V.")

A quieter Horsham today - no signal box, & derelict flour mill in the distance

Dahlen Siding

Pimpinio the station buildings and goods shed have been removed, only the silos and platform mound remain.

Pimpinio station (from VR.net)

 Wail little remains of the Wail station, even most of the peppercorn trees have been removed.

Wail building, with the highway overpass in the background (from "C.R.S.V.")

Dimboola looking west to the border, 1962 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Dimboola farmers from the Dimboola Village Settlement (experimental closer settlement irrigation colony, between Wail and Dimboola) helped build the railway embankments. The railway reached Dimboola in July 1882. It was an important junction when the  Yaapeet branch line to Jeparit opened in 1894. It was and still is a driver/crew changeover stop.The large AWB Dimboola Grain Centre is just off the highway to the west of the town.

Station building & signal box in 1971 (from "C.R.S.V.")

The station building now

A diesel railcar passenger service ran from Serviceton to Dimboola and connected with the Melbourne passenger train. The service ended in December 1978. 
Gerang Gerung even the platform mound has been demolished at Gerang, with the silos the only evidence of the station.

Serviceton passenger service at Gerang in 1976(VRnet)

Kiata

Track gang near Kiata in 1968 (from "Patterns of steam")

The Salisbury silo in the foreground with the Kiata silo in the distance

Salisbury As trains got longer in the late 60's the existing crossing facilities were proving inadequate, so in 1970 the Salisbury loop was built as a pure crossing loop, having no goods sidings. It was equipped with 3 position signals, the points controlled by motors, not manually and a signal panel. It was able to be "switched out" in less busy times thus saving on manpower.

A goods train at Salisbury, 1986 (from VR.net)

 Nhill reached 1886, but the station building came later. New GEB silos were constructed in 1963.

Nhill station building

Locals petitioned for a siding at Tarranginnie in 1884, and the railway reached it in 1887. A permanent township was planned, but never eventuated, though a Post Office, store shed were constructed. The wheat silos were erected in 1939 allowing bulk handling.

The rusting rails of the Tarranginnie siding beside the main line

 

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

Diapur less relevance once CTC was introduced on the new standard gauge in 1995. Before weighbridges and bulk handling, each bag was individually weighed on a set of scales.

The weigh-bridge & water-tank at Diapur

Miram

The Miram West Rd crosses the tracks  approaching Miram

Kaniva

A boarded-up Kaniva station building

Dimboola-Serviceton goods train at Kaniva, 1967 (from "Patterns of steam")

Changes - the same view today

Lillimur

An already derelict looking Lillimur in 1971 (from "VR stations & stopping places")

The town of Serviceton (named after former Victorian Premier - Sir James Service) was gazetted on 1st January 1887, while the line was opened on 19th January 1887. It became a major border crossing and an important customs station for goods passing between the colonies of South Australia and Victoria.

Passenger train stopped at Serviceton, 1961 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Post-steam Serviceton in 1978 (from "C.R.S.V.")

A Late Victorian railway station was built in 1887 of red bricks transported from Horsham. The building opened in 1889. From the front, it had a central two storey symmetrical neo-Classical polychromatic brick station building. The ground floor level consisted of 15 main rooms, and accommodated toilets, waiting rooms, dining and sitting room, bar and kitchen, offices, lobby and customs office. The enormous 70-metre platform with cast iron posted verandah was the longest in the State, until a portion was removed in the late 1980s. The station was closed in 1986.

Serviceton now

Further information and photographs at Shane McCarthy's "Patterns of steam" and Neville Gee's "VR stations and stopping places" and John Sargent's "Country railway stations Victoria" series  and Mark Bau's VR.net site.