Old Townsville railway station, formerly the Great Northern Railway Station, is a three-storey red brick structure on Flinders Street in

Townsville CBD Townsville City is a coastal suburb at the centre of the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Townsville City had a population of 2,910 people. It is the city's central business district and a major hub for business ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. The original terminus for the Great Northern Railway, the station became important in the economic growth of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

during the early 20th century. The building is featured in a number of famous photos taken during victory celebrations following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. A new station to service Townsville was built in the early 21st century and the

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

is used for displays of historical photographs and articles. The building still houses

Queensland Rail Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining approximately 6,600 kilometres of track and relate ...

administrative offices.

Building

Proposed Townsville Railway Station, 1910

Constructed in a style similar to the great 19th century railway stations of Europe and Great Britain, the three-storey red brick structure is located on the corner of Flinders and Blackwood Streets at the western end of the

Townsville central business district Townsville City is a coastal Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb at the centre of the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Townsville City had a population of 2,910 people. It is the city's central business d ...

. The facade of the building features

balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

d verandas on the first and second storeys of the building's facade, with two prominent gabled extrusions from the main structure which identify the passenger and administrative entrances the building. The facade of the building also features a large awning supported by large iron brackets. The main roof of the structure is hipped with a number of small side-structures at the eastern end of the building, which also feature hipped roofs. A four-storey brick addition was erected at the western end of the building in 1965 and features a distinctly different architectural style to the rest of the structure. Few of the building's original features remain intact. However, the former ticket hall features all its original fittings, including tiled floors and walls, as well as an honour board for railway workers who died during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The female toilets on the ground floor also contain an original, though repainted,

pressed metal ceiling A tin ceiling is an architectural element, consisting of a ceiling finished with plates of tin with designs pressed into them, that was very popular in Victorian buildings in North America in the late 19th and early 20th century. They were also ...

. Most of the administrative areas of the building have been refitted over the years as office usage has changed. However, a large internal square stairwell with stick balustrading is still intact, as well as the large

french door A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security by ...

s with glass

fanlight A fanlight is a form of lunette window, often semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan. It is placed over another window or a doorway, and is sometimes hinged to a transom. Th ...

s, which open onto the verandas on the upper levels of the structure.

History

Designed by an architectural draftsman in the government railway department, Vincent Price, the building was constructed between 1910 and 1913, and was officially opened on 24 December 1913. It replaced an existing station of significantly smaller scale only a few hundred metres to the west, near the corner of Flinders and Jones Streets. It was designed as a terminus for the Great Northern Railway and housed the general manager and other ancillary staff of the company. The station operated through the Second World War, playing a significant role in the movement of goods too and from Townsville (a major

military base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

) during that period. It has been placed on the state's its heritage register.

Closure

The station was closed when the

Townsville railway station Townsville railway station is located on the North Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the city of Townsville. The station has one platform. Opposite the platform lies a passing loop. It is also the starting point for the Great Nor ...

was opened in 2003. At this time, rail tracks through the city centre were removed.

Railway Digest ''Railway Digest'' is a monthly magazine, published in Sydney, covering contemporary railways of Australia. Overview The magazine's publisher is the Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS), NSW Division. The first issue was published in M ...

November 2002

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Old Townsville railway station Buildings and structures in Townsville Disused railway stations in Queensland Queensland Heritage Register Railway stations in Australia opened in 1913 Railway stations closed in 2003 2003 disestablishments in Australia North Coast railway line, Queensland