Riverstone railway station is a heritage-listed suburban railway station located on the Richmond line, serving the Sydney suburb of Riverstone. It is served by Sydney Trains' T1 Western Line and T5 Cumberland Line services. It was designed by the NSW Government Railways and William Weaver and built from 1883 to 1939. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
History Two routes to Windsor were proposed in 1846 for the introduction of railways into the colony of New South Wales. The line was built as the first line to be operated as a horse-drawn tramway. In 1856 a petition for the establishment of a railway from the residents of Windsor and Richmond had been presented to the Government. In 1860 a grant of £57,000 was approved for a railway between Blacktown and Windsor. In the following year it was increased to £60,000 for a railway between Blacktown and Richmond.
The route of the railway line between Blacktown and Richmond was surveyed in 1862, with construction commencing late in that year. The engineer for the project was William Weaver (1828–1868), a former Colonial Architect of New South Wales. Contracts for earthworks, permanent ways and bridges were let from 1862 to William Randle & G. Gibbons on 11 December 1862. The contract was taken over by Messrs Iredale & McNamara on 28 September 1863.
The Richmond line opened on 29 November 1864 by Governor Sir John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar as a rural branch line in response to the area's success as a farming district and its location at the intersection of two stock routes. A pilot engine was run before all passenger trains for safety. The original stations were Riverstone, Mulgrave, Windsor and Richmond. An upgrade to the track took place in the late nineteenth century. A major upgrading of most stations on the line occurred in the 1880s.
The early decades of the 20th century brought further improvements and upgrades to the line. For example, the establishment of Richmond air-force base in 1925 resulted in increased use of the line. In 1938 congestion at Clarendon railway station caused by a Royal Australian Air Force air show resulted in extensive improvements. All stations were increased to 450 feet and additional facilities were installed at Richmond.
Riverstone station was located on the eastern side of the line with a track layout which included a short platform loop, and a siding for general goods and to serve the local sawmill. In addition to the brick platform, the station included a brick built combined waiting room, station office and living quarters constructed in 1864. In 1879 a siding known as Richards Siding was built to service the abattoirs.
Commencing in 1876, Engineer-in-Chief John Whitton undertook the major upgrading of the branch line. At Riverstone a new station, goods siding and shed, and station master's residence were completed between 1886 and 1889. The present brick platform building was constructed in 1889. From 1889 the original platform building was used as a parcels office and a post office. A c.1880s picture from the cover of Grantham Estate Purchasers' Companion and Guide, Boyd & King, Mitchell Library shows the Riverstone railway layout.
The general waiting room was originally divided into two, the main waiting room and the ladies waiting room. In 1946 it was partly converted into an office and was again altered in 1952. Both original waiting rooms had fireplaces, and a World War I Honour Roll hung over the main waiting room fireplace until the 1970s (when it was removed for restoration and then disappeared).
In 1919, a room was added to the original station building for the post office. By 1944, the post office had vacated the structure, but it continued to be used as a parcels office, with one room dedicated to the storage of bicycles. In recent years, parts of the structure have been removed.
A timber platform was erected on the loop line in 1939. The line to Riverstone was electrified in 1975 and the platform and small structure were renewed. In 2001, canopies were erected on both platforms.
The residence was built at the same time as the new station and replaced the former combined office/residence constructed in 1864. The new Station Master's residence conformed to a pattern that evolved in the 1880s which expressed the front elevation asymmetrically, with a verandah extending only halfway across the front and a projecting master bedroom. The design was consistent with other substantial brick residences in the 1880s. It was one of the last residences erected in brick in the 19th century following the arrival of Chief Commissioner, E. M. G. Eddy. The building has had later skillion-roof additions to the rear and side. Considerable internal alterations have also taken place to most rooms, except the bedrooms.
The signal box was a two-room c.1939 fibro and timber clad building located on the platform. In 1975, a crew amenities building was built at the Richmond end of the platform.
No buildings other than those on the platform and the 1889 residence survive.
The War Memorial (owned by Council) was built in 1919 and designed by George Cook, Manager of the Windsor Branch of E.L. Kingsley & Co., monumental masons, and built by E.L. Kingsley & Co. The memorial has continued to be updated with details of military officials engaged in subsequent campaigns. In many towns, war memorials have been placed in station forecourts and at times on platforms. This occurred because of the paucity of available public land on which memorials could be made. Railway stations were once an important and central component of town life and memorials therefore had a high level of visibility. Additionally, many railway men and women volunteered for service in World Wars I and II and their names would appear on the memorials. This is the case at Riverstone.
On 22 May 1975, Riverstone station became the terminus of the electrified line, with passengers changing to CPH and later 600/700 class railcars for the remainder of the journey to Richmond."Goodbye Tin Hare" Railway Digest February 1985 pages 37-39 On 17 August 1991, the line was electrified to Richmond."Electric trains reach Richmond" Railway Digest September 1991 page 311
Modifications and dates 1878 – Ticket office erected. 1879 – Toilet, signal box and goods siding built; the latter was at the eastern end of the platform 1919 – a room was added to the original station building for the Post office 26 July 1923 – Water tank capacity increased to 27kL. 1939 – A timber platform was erected on the loop line and Interlocking installed with central operation and Down platform. c.1939 – Fibro and timber clad, two room signal box located on the platform. 1946 – The General Waiting Room was partly converted into an office and was again altered in 1952; platform and crossing loop extended to 152m long; a * water column provided on the Down side. 18 January 1968 – "F" type lights & half-boom gates at Garfield Road level crossing 1970s – Honour Roll removed from the main waiting room 1975 – A crew amenities building was built at the Richmond end of the platform. 1975 – The platform and small structure were renewed. 2001 – canopies were erected on both platforms.
Description The station has a number of historically significant buildings: Platform 1 Station Building – type 3, second-class (1889) Signal Box – type P (1939) Platform 1 Store and Shelter () Parcels Office (1919) Platform 2 Shelter – aluminium (s) Station master's residence (1883) (22 Garfield Rd – cnr. Riverstone Parade)FuturePast, 2013, 17, 20
It also has a number of historically significant structures: Platform 1 – roadside, brick faced (1860s–89) Platform 2 – roadside, concrete block (s) Former Goods Yard War memorial – (1919) (Council owned) Signs – timber station name board (Council owned)
Platform 1 Station Building (1889)
The station building on Platform 1 is composed of a number of buildings. The first is a single storey, s face brick symmetrical building with two flanking, parapeted wings, which includes a central waiting room with office on one side and the former ladies waiting room on the other, connecting to toilets in the eastern wing. The western wing is the former lamp room. The wings are linked to the main building by small, flat roofed rooms. The roadside elevation is fronted by an ogee profile timber and iron framed verandah between two projecting wings, while on the rail side there is a cast iron fluted column and metal framed awning with decorative brackets. The roadside faces the motor traffic forecourt which swings around the war memorial. Connected to the eastern end of the main building is a brick building under the same flat roof as the more modern shops that face the road behind it. This is linked to the previously free standing, original ticket office.
Internally, the building has been refurbished except for elements such as timber joinery for doors and windows, wall vents and the enclosed fireplace. Tiles in the waiting room, most ceilings and other items have been replaced.
Signal Box (1939)
On the western side of the main building are two detached buildings. The first is the signal box linked to the main building via a shallow roofed metal shelter. It is a fibro-sheet and weatherboard signal box with corrugated metal gabled roof and concrete base. It is a reasonably large box and an unusual building of later design. The original levers have been removed and only a new signalling board remains. The signal box was closed in 1999.
Platform 1 Store and Shelter () The second detached building further to the west of the signal box is a store of similar construction. Further west again is an open passenger shelter with butterfly style corrugated metal awning supported on steel columns and beams. A central steel framed panelled partition divides the both sides of the shelter.
Parcels Office (1919) External: The parcels office is a painted brick building with corrugated steel hipped roof featuring two segmental arched tall windows in the centre and two doors (one segmental arched original timber door with fanlight, and the other metal later door) on either side of the platform elevation. There are no other openings on the building. Windows are double-hung with multi-paned upper sash.
Platform 2 Shelter (s) This shelter is an aluminium framed structure with glass sides and colorbond gable roof extending as an awning on the platform side.
Station Master's Residence () This is a large single storey brick Station Master's residence with hipped and pitched corrugated metal roof, a projecting bay and corrugated iron veranda at the front. The veranda is supported on slender timber chamfered posts. It has a later lean to addition in fibro to the side and a timber lean to at the rear. The building is face brick, partly painted and has two brick chimneys with dentilated and corbelled tops. The residence is currently vacant and reflects its recent conversion into a number of units. Most of its original internal elements including fireplace surrounds and ceilings have been removed and damaged. The original timber moulded window and door frames as well as some moulded timber skirting survive. Damaged paling timber fencing along the Riverstone Parade boundary of the property has recently been replaced by timber picket fence together with new timber paling fencing along the platform side of the boundary. The building fronts Garfield Road West and features metal standard railway fencing on this boundary.
It is a Type 7 (J3) residence. This is a moderately common type, as 13-15 examples exist. It is in poor condition, but is a robust structure. There are building code and disability access issues to be overcome for commercial reuse. However, it is in a prominent position and otherwise has good commercial reuse potential, particularly due to the large backyard.FuturePast, 2013, 41, 45