Milsons Point railway station is a heritage-listed

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

located on the North Shore line, serving the Sydney suburb of Milsons Point in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. It is served by

Sydney Trains Sydney Trains is the operator of the suburban passenger rail network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The network is a hybrid urban-suburban rail system with a central underground core that covers over of track and 170 ...

T1 North Shore line services. The station is located above ground, accessible via stairs and a lift, in Milsons Point, in the North Sydney Council local government area of

, Australia. It was designed and built by the Sydney Harbour Bridge Branch of the NSW Department of Public Works. The property was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 2 April 1999.

History

1924 Sketch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge - northern approach

In 1815, government architect

Francis Greenway Francis Howard Greenway (20 November 1777 – September 1837) was an English-born architect who was transported to Australia as a convict for the crime of forgery. In New South Wales he worked for the Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, as Australia' ...

, in a report to

Governor Macquarie Major General Lachlan Macquarie, CB (; gd, Lachann MacGuaire; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821, an ...

, proposed the building of a bridge from Dawes Point at the city's edge to the northern shore. The original Milsons Point station was not in its present location, but on the edge of Sydney Harbour approximately on the site of the present northern pylon of the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North Shore. The view of the bridg ...

and the North Sydney Olympic Pool. This location enabled passengers from the North Shore to transfer directly from steam trains to ferries to reach

Circular Quay Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping port, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the northern edge of the Syd ...

. It opened as the southern terminus of the

North Shore railway line The North Shore Line is a railway line serving the North Shore in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The North Shore Line extends from Sydney Central station through the western limb of the City Circle, across the Sydney Harbour Bridge an ...

on 1 May 1893. when extended from its previous terminus at

St Leonards St Leonards may refer to: Places Australia *St Leonards, New South Wales **St Leonards railway station *St Leonards, Tasmania, suburb of Launceston *St Leonards, Victoria Canada *St. Leonard's, Newfoundland and Labrador New Zealand * St L ...

(opened from Hornsby 1 January 1890). The site, squeezed between the rock cliffs and the edge of Sydney Harbour was cramped, with two side platforms, one of which was built on piles partly over the water's edge, and three tracks between, including a centre road. Immediately adjoining it to the west was the colonnaded Milsons Point ferry wharf for the ferry service to Circular Quay in the Sydney central business district and tram terminus for the North Sydney cable tramway (opened 22 May 1886) and subsequently electrified from 11 February 1900.Milsons Point Station
NSWrail.netMilsons Point Railway Station
NSW Environment & Heritage Concrete had been extensively used for foundations and walls since the 1890s. By 1910, reinforced concrete was in use, but not for superstructures directly supporting railway tracks. The Bellevue Street underbridge at

Glebe Glebe (; also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s))McGurk 1970, p. 17 is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved ...

was the first to use it for this purpose, in 1919. In 1915, to enable a start on the construction of the

between Milsons Point and Dawes Point, the Government instructed the Railway Commissioners to vacate the station and a new four platform, station was constructed at the site of the boundary fence between the present-day

Luna Park Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Island parks. Luna parks are small-s ...

and Lavender Bay Sidings. This station was in operation for just seven weeks, from 30 May 1915 to 18 July 1915, as the inconvenience to passengers transferring between ferries and trains was unacceptable. Due to later overcrowding, a third platform was added on 12 December 1920 by removing the centre road track and laying a new track on inland side of the new platform 2.

Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin ''Australian Railway History'' is a monthly magazine covering railway history in Australia, published by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society on behalf of its state and territory Divisions.Dr John Bradfield, Chief Engineer, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Railway Construction. The plans and specification provided the alternatives of a cantilever or an arch bridge. Twenty proposals were received from six different companies of various types of design. The tender of Dorman Long & Co Ltd, of Middlesbrough, England, for an arch bridge was accepted, the design being substantially in accordance with one of Dr Bradfield's proposals. The detailed design was carried out by the contractor's consulting engineer, Sir Ralph Freeman, and the fabrication and construction were under the direct charge of Mr Lawrence Ennis, a director of the firm. The design and construction of the bridge were supervised at all stages by Dr Bradfield and his staff.

Temporary station

From 27 April 1924, a new temporary station was brought into use, approximately back along the line on the site of the present Lavender Bay car sidings, just beyond the present Luna Park amusement park. It was linked to the street by stairs and three escalators, and to a new adjacent ferry wharf. The escalators at Milsons Point were the first installed in Australia, one of which was transferred to Town Hall station when the temporary station closed. The tram line was also relocated to terminate adjacent to the entrance to the new station in Glen Street. First work on the bridge commenced in 1924 with construction of the bridge approaches and the approach spans. Construction of the approach spans was undertaken concurrently with erection of the steelwork for the actual bridge structure. The building of the approaches on the north side included the construction of North Sydney Station, Milsons Point Station and a number of underbridges to carry the railway. The approaches were designed and built by the Sydney Harbour Bridge Branch of the Public Works Department and the Metropolitan Railway Construction Branch of the NSW Government Railways. The northern approaches were built using spoil from the excavation of the North Sydney station site to build a ramp up to the main bridge level. Retaining walls of concrete, built by Monier Concrete, were built along Broughton and Alfred Streets and Bradfield and Pacific Highways. The line from Hornsby to Milsons Point was electrified from 2 August 1927.

Current station

The Milsons Point station was constructed between 1929 and 1932 as part of the northern approaches. It was initially called

Kirribilli Kirribilli is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. One of the city's most established and affluent neighbourhoods, it is located three kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area administere ...

Station, but was changed to Milsons Point before its opening. By June 1931 the station platform had been completed and a portion of the platform awnings had also been erected. The railway decking had advanced as far as Milsons Point, tracks had begun to be laid and the transoms delivered for installation. By January 1932 the platforms had been covered with asphalt, the brickwork of the shops in the arcade below the station was completed as was the tiling, the laying of magnesite flooring in the station office, terrazzo flooring in the lavatories, the erection of the metal awnings at the Alfred Street and Broughton Street entrances, terracotta facing to the station and installation of gates and barriers. Trackwork was completed and ballast laid along the tracks at the same time. On 19 March 1932, the Milsons Point station was officially opened as part of the larger bridge opening celebrations to roadway, railway and pedestrian traffic by the then Premier, Jack Lang. As part of the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and relocation of the North Shore Line to extend across the bridge into the city, a new Milsons Point station was built on the northern approach to the bridge and opened on 19 March 1932. This station was in two parts: two platforms each side of the roadway. The western platforms were connected to the North Shore line with the eastern pair used for a tramway service between Wynyard and the northern suburbs. The tramway and the associated platforms at Milsons Point were removed in 1958 as part of the conversions of lanes 7 and 8 of the Harbour Bridge to become the

Cahill Expressway The Cahill Expressway is an urban freeway in Sydney and was the first freeway constructed in Australia, opening to traffic in 1958. It starts from the Eastern Distributor and Cross City Tunnel in Woolloomooloo, and runs through a series of ...

Platforms and services

Transport links

Busways Busways is an Australian bus company operating services in Sydney, and in the Central Coast, Great Lakes, Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales and Adelaide. It is the largest privately owned bus operator in Australia. History The ...

operate six routes via Milsons Point station: *209: to East Lindfield *269: to McMahons Point wharf *286: to Denistone East M peak hour only*287: to

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

M Peak hour only* View of Sydney Harbour Bridge from platform 1 of Milsons Point Station

290: to Epping *294: to Macquarie University

Hillsbus Hillsbus is an Australian bus company that operates services in the Hills District, New South Wales, Hills District of Sydney. Founded in 2004 when National Express merged its Glenorie Bus Company and Westbus (Hills District operations only) sub ...

operate one weekday peak hour service from Milsons Point station: *622: to

Dural Dural is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 36 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire and The Hills Shire. Dural is part of the Hills District ...

via Cherrybrook

Keolis Downer Northern Beaches Keolis Downer Northern Beaches is a bus operator in Sydney, Australia. A subsidiary of Keolis Downer, it operates services in Sydney Bus Region 8 on the Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches under contract to Transport for NSW. Its headquar ...

operate eight routes via Milsons Point station: *150X: to Manly *154X: to Mona Vale *168: to Westfield Warringah Mall *173: to Cromer Heights *227: to Clifton Gardens *228: to

Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...

Junction *229: to Beauty Point *230: to Mosman Bay wharf

Description

Buildings

The complex comprises platform office and shelter (1932), platform faces (1932), subway entrances (1932), concourse (1932), walls and abutments (1932), and the Burton Street Under-bridge (1932).

Platform office and platform (1932)

Platform structures include a platform office and shelter awnings over. The platform office retains timber double-hung sash windows. The island platform configuration is accessed via concrete stairs and a recently installed elevator.

Entrances (1932)

The Alfred Street entrance retains its 1932 decorative

awning An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tightly over a li ...

and original light fittings either side. The Broughton Street awning has been replaced (date unknown) with a modern awning that extends over the entrances to shops that face Broughton Street. Above each entrance is fixed a

cartouche In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oval with a line at one end tangent to it, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name. The first examples of the cartouche are associated with pharaohs at the end of the Third Dynasty, but the f ...

with "1932" written on it.

Concourse (1932)

The concourse level includes station managers office, ticket and booking offices, amenities and a series of small shop outlets on the northern side. Access is via covered subway entrance ways in Alfred and Broughton streets. The stairs and walls of the concourse are tiled in cream-coloured ceramic tiles with maroon bands as top courses. The concourse includes a number of small shop fronts used for take away and small businesses, with shops facing Broughton Street. These were included in the original 1932 layout.

Walls and abutments (1932)

The external walls and abutments are finished in rendered concrete in keeping with the overall bridge design.

Burton Street Under-bridge (1932)

The south end of the Station group area includes the Burton Street Under-bridge , a high arch reinforced concrete underbridge constructed as part of the northern approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a similar design as the neighbouring Fitzroy Street Underbridge . The northern end is defined by the Lavender Street Underbridge. This is a reinforced concrete bridge with open spandrels. It is a unique design among the Sydney Harbour Bridge approach under-bridges. These underbridges are dealt with as individual items on separate listingsSee Listing No's 4801823, 4801822

Condition

The station building, platform and under-bridge are in good condition. Some small cracks are visible in the external render around both the Alfred and the Broughton Street entrances. The Milsons Point Station group is largely intact and retains a high level of integrity.

Modifications and dates

*s: Shop and entrance awnings replaced on Broughton Street side *: Platform elevator installed. *N.d: Internal walls in the concourse, stairways and subway areas painted.

Further information

Historic photos of the station construction in 1932 indicate that the fasciae of the station platform shelter are original, as is the decorative awning for the Alfred Street entrance. Tiles are as specified in Bradfield's colour scheme for the city railway.

Heritage listing

As at 25 October 2010, Milsons Point station has state historical significance as an essential component of the northern approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The form and detail of the subway and tunnels in particular are significant as part of the overall design and specifications for the bridge as set down by Chief Engineer JJC Bradfield. The Milsons Point station retains a number of original features and decorative elements from its original construction phase including the platform building and entrance way awning from the Alfred Street side. Milsons Point railway station was listed on the

on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. Milsons Point Station has state historical significance as an essential component of the northern approaches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and as a linking station in JJC Bradfield's city railway network. The station is unusual on the NSW system for being constructed by the specially created Sydney Harbour Bridge Branch of the Department of Public Works rather than NSW Government Railways. The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history. Milsons Point Station is significant for its association with JJC Bradfield, chief engineer and designer for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and his wider Sydney Harbour Bridge and city railway network scheme. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. Milsons Point Station has aesthetic significance for its retention of the original design's decorative features such as the Alfred Street awning, Alfred Street light fittings and cream and maroon tiling on the platform access stairs. The use of reinforced concrete for the construction of the station building is an early example of this construction technique on a large scale. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The place has the potential to contribute to the local community's sense of place and can provide a connection to the local community's history. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. Milsons Point Station is the only intact station built as part of the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It retains original features of the 1932 design which have been completely removed from its sister station at North Sydney. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. Milsons Point Station is a representative externally of the Sydney Harbour Bridge architectural style and internally representative of the City Underground finishes as displayed in Museum and St James Stations.

References

Bibliography

Attribution

External links

*
Milsons Point station details
Transport for New South Wales
Milsons Point Station Public Transport Map
Transport for NSW {{Transport for New South Wales railway stations, North Shore & Northern=y, Northern=y, Western=y, Central Coast & Newcastle=y, state=collapsed Easy Access railway stations in Sydney Railway stations in Sydney Railway stations in Australia opened in 1893 Railway stations in Australia opened in 1932 New South Wales State Heritage Register Milsons Point, New South Wales Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register North Shore railway line