Wongan Hills Railway Precinct

Child Places

• 12414 Railway Barracks, Wongan Hills
• 16644 Station Master's House, Wongan Hills
• 12462 Railway Houses, Ganzer Street

Statement of Significance

THE RAILWAY STATION PRECINCT REPRESENTS THE IMPETUS TO DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION.
IT REPRESENTS ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY AND ITS CONTINUED SUSTAINABILITY.
IT REPRESENTS A WAY OF LIFE NO LONGER PRACTICED.
THE SITE IS SIGNIFICANT IN REPRESENTING A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE, A DIFFERENT CULTURE AND NATIONALLY DEMONSTRATING A DIVERSITY OF
WONGAN HILLS’ DEVELOPMENT.
THE SITE REPRESENTS A WAY OF LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH AN OCCUPATION.
THE PRECINCT IS POSSIBLY THE ONLY ONE IN THE STATE WITH A RAILWAY BARRACKS, WATER TOWER, GOODS SHED AND STATIONMASTER’S HOUSE
STILL INSITU, DEMONSTRATING A DISTINCT RAILWAY IDENTITY.
MURAL ADDED TO THE TOILET BUILDING IN 2005

History

HISTORICAL THEME: TRANSPORT IMMIGRATION OCCUPATION SETTLEMENT
AFTER LAND IN THE WONGAN HILLS REGION BEGAN TO BE SETTLED FROM 1905, AGITATION FOR A RAILWAY LINE COMMENCED. GOOMALLING WAS
THE RAILHEAD IN 1902 AND BY 1908 A PARLIAMENTARY PARTY TRAVELLED TO THE WONGAN HILLS DISTRICT TO DETERMINE THE SITUATION.
EARLY IN 1911 THE BILL WAS PASSED BEFORE PARLIAMENT WHICH APPROVED THE EXTENSION OF THE RAILWAY NORTHWARDS FROM WONGAN HILLS
TO MORAWA. (190 MILES—304 KILOMETRES). BY THAT TIME THE RAILWAY LINE FROM GOOMALLING TO WONGAN HILLS WAS ALMOST COMPLETE,
CONSTRUCTION HAVING BEEN COMMENCED AT GOOMALLING ON 13 JULY 1910, WITH THE FIRST 12.8 KILOMETRES (8 MILES) TO JINTINNING
OPENED BY FEBRUARY 1911. THE ENTIRE 53 KILOMETRE (33 MILE) SECTION OF THE RAILWAY NORTH FROM GOOMALLING TO WONGAN HILLS
CONSTRUCTED BY ATKINS AND FINLAYSON AND WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED ON 22 AUGUST 1911.
THE PREMIER, FRANK WILSON PERFORMED THE CEREMONY, WITH MR & MRS CHITTY, THE DISTRICTS OLDEST RESIDENTS HOLDING THE RIBBON. THE
RAILWAY LINE NOW ALLOWED FOR THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS TO AND FROM GOOMALLING WITHOUT A THREE DAY RETURN JOURNEY WITH A HORSE
TEAM.
ON MAY 22 1912, CONSTRUCTION OF THE LINE NORTHWARDS TO MULLEWA WAS COMMENCED FROM WONGAN HILLS AND IN JUNE FROM MULLEWA.
WONGAN HILLS BECAME THE CENTRE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FOR THE NEW RAILWAY. THE CONSTRUCTION WAS UNDERTAKEN BY RAILWAY
CONSTRUCTION BRANCH OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. A LOOP LINE WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR TURNING THE RAILWAY ENGINES AND THE COAL
STAND WAS LOCATED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE WATER TANK STAND.
BY 20 DECEMBER 1913, BOTH SECTIONS LINKED AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OWNED AND OPERATED THE LINE UNTIL HANDING IT OVER TO
WAGR ON 1 MARCH 1915. IT WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED ON 5 MARCH 1915.
THE STATIONMASTER’S HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED BY JULY 1913 AND ON 1 AUGUST 1913 WONGAN HILLS OPENED AS A BOOKING STATION AND
BUILDINGS WERE LOCATED ON THE SITE AS THE NEED AROSE; SIDINGS, COAL STAGE, GOODS SHED. IN 1920 RAILWAY STATION BUILDINGS WERE
RELOCATED FROM TRAFALGAR (KALGOORLIE) AND RE– ERECTED AT WONGAN HILLS.
THE RAILWAY DAM WAS EXCAVATED IN 1913 AND 1914. IT HAD A CAPACITY OF 4.5 MILLION GALLONS. IN THE 1920’S A ROOF WAS CONSTRUCTED
OVER THE DAM. THE 25,000 GALLON RAILWAY TANK AND STAND WERE ERECTED IN THE RAIL YARD IN 1913—1914. THIS WAS SUPPLEMENTED BY A
23,000 GALLON UNDERGROUND TANK FROM PITHARA WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE YARD IN 1927.
THE STATION FIRST OPERATED AS A GOODS AND COACHING STATION FROM 1 AUGUST 1913. THE RAILWAY WORKERS BARRACKS WERE BUILT IN 1914
AND 1915 AND BY 1921 THEY WERE EXTENDED WHEN THE NEW LOCO DEPARTMENT WAS BUILT NORTH OF THE STATION. THE STOCKYARDS WERE
COMPLETED IN 1917 AND THE WEIGHBRIDGE INSTALLED IN 1922. IN 1934 THE CBH BIN WAS ESTABLISHED AT WONGAN HILLS STATION.
FROM THE BEGINNING THERE WAS CONTINUED LOBBYING FOR A NEW RAILWAY STATION AT WONGAN HILLS AND BY 1937 A NEW STATION WAS
PROMISED, HOWEVER, WHEN THE COMMISSIONER OF RAILWAYS CONFERRED WITH THE DEPUTATION HE DECIDED AGAINST A NEW STATION.
IN 1945 AN APPLICATION TO THE ROADS BOARD TO MOVE THE BINS TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE RAILWAY RESERVE INCREASED SPECULATION THAT IT
WAS A MOVE IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEW STATION.
AFTER WORLD WAR TWO AND DURING THE 1950’S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S IMMIGRATION POLICY FACILITATED THE NEW AUSTRALIAN
IMMIGRANTS, REFERRED TO AS “BALTICS”, DUE TO THE EUROPEAN REGION OF THEIR ORIGIN. THE DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP (TENTLAND) WAS THEIR
HOME FOR UP TO THREE YEARS.
THEY LIVED IN PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS IN CORRUGATED IRON HUTS OR IN TENTS. MANY OF THE 3 METRE SQUARE HUTS HAD TENTS ATTACHED.
THERE WAS ACCOMMODATION FOR FAMILIES AND SINGLE MEN. THEY HAD TO CART WATER FROM THE RAILWAY TANK TO SMALL HOLDING TANKS.
THEY STAYED IN THE CAMP UNTIL THEY COULD AFFORD TO BUY THEIR OWN HOME (THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM) THEY WORKED VERY HARD FOR THEIR
FUTURE.
RAILWAY HOUSES WERE PROVIDED FOR RAILWAY EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON THE TRAINS AND IN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGERIAL POSITIONS.
THE HOUSES WERE THE ONLY ONES IN WONGAN HILLS WITH WATER CONNECTED TO THEM. IT WAS SUPPLIED FROM THE RAILWAY WATER TANK.
THE HOUSES WERE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE BY—PASS ROAD THROUGH WONGAN HILLS.
DIESEL TRAINS CAME INTO SERVICE ON THE GOOMALLING MULLEWA LINE ON 3 JULY 1955.
THE ENTIRE RAILWAY AND SIDING FACILITIES WERE REDESIGNED TO ENSURE A MORE EFFICIENT OPERATION AND TO RE ROUTE GRAIN TRUCKS AWAY
FROM TOWN. THE NEW STATION BUILDING WAS LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE AND THE ENTIRE YARD LAYOUT WAS REVERSED.
IN 1964 A NEW GRAIN STORAGE FACILITY (TYPE A1) WAS INSTALLED BY CBH REPLACING A BIN AND TEMPORARY STRUCTURES.
THE STATION WAS SUBSEQUENTLY BUILT, AND OFFICIALLY OPENED BY CHARLES COURT, THE MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, RAILWAYS
AND THE NORTH WEST ON 27 NOVEMBER 1965.
IN 1969 AN E1 BIN WAS ALSO LOCATED AT WONGAN HILLS.
THE PASSENGER AND GENERAL FREIGHT TRAINS STOPPED RUNNING BY 1985 AND THE STATION CLOSED ON 30 SEPTEMBER 1985. ONLY WHEAT AND
SUPER LOADS ARE NOW TRANSPORTED BY RAIL.
IN 1989, THE WONGAN HILLS ARTS SOCIETY AND TOURISM GROUP STARTED USING THE BUILDING AND CONTINUE TO DO SO.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.