Ballarat railway station, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Ballarat railway station is a railway station serving the city of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia
.
The station is located on the Ballarat line and serves both freight and passenger functions.
Passenger services originating and terminating at Wendouree
, Ararat
and Maryborough
also pass through the station on the journey to or from Melbourne.
The railway station buildings are of major architectural and historical significance to Ballarat and Victoria and many of the historic features including the mechanical swing gates and signal boxes have been preserved. It is one of only three in Victoria to have had a 19th century train shed
(along with Geelong and St Kilda).
A bluestone engine shed was built to the south and the goods shed
to the north were added in 1863. In 1877 the footbridge
and waiting room
s on the south side were added,.
, stationmasters office and clocktower were added in 1891 however the clock was not added at this time.
With the closure of Ballarat East Railway Station and the amalgamation of councils, the station gradually dropped the name West Ballarat.
of Victoria
The clock was added to the tower in 1984.
On December 13, 1981 fire badly damaged the interiors of the 1888 section including the station master's office, waiting room, booking office, dining room and clock tower All of these areas were later repaired and retained and other features restored however some interiors including the booking office were subsequently modernised.
and the introduction of VLocity trains as well as services to Ararat in 2005, passenger numbers at Ballarat station boomed increasing by as much as 40% a year. The resulted in the call for a second station, Wendouree railway station to alleviate congestion primarily caused by park and ride
commuters from Ballarat's outer western suburbs. The station saw a big increase in trains as the result of the opening of the Maryborough, being at the junction of the line.
Most V/Line services use platform 1, as it has direct access to the ticket office, waiting room, and coach terminal. Platform 2 is used as required, such as when heritage trains visit the station.
Ballarat railway station is of major significance for its historic architecture.
The exterior features a prominent 1888 neoclassical clocktower and portico balcony for the stationmaster's office.
The remaining interiors include a waiting room with large cast iron Egyptian revival columns, stained wood and stained glass skylight. There is a refreshments room (still used) and a dining room.
The engineering of the facilities including train shed, bluestone warehouse buildings is also of note.
The original mechanical swing gates have been altered and are still in operation.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The station is located on the Ballarat line and serves both freight and passenger functions.
Passenger services originating and terminating at Wendouree
Wendouree, Victoria
Wendouree is a large suburb on the north western rural-urban fringe of the City of Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia. It is the most populated suburb in urban Ballarat with a total of 10,752 inhabitants counted at the 2006 Census....
, Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
and Maryborough
Maryborough, Victoria
-Education:Maryborough has three schools:*Highview Christian Community College*Maryborough Education Centre Years Prep–12*St Augustine's Primary School Grades Prep–6-Music:...
also pass through the station on the journey to or from Melbourne.
The railway station buildings are of major architectural and historical significance to Ballarat and Victoria and many of the historic features including the mechanical swing gates and signal boxes have been preserved. It is one of only three in Victoria to have had a 19th century train shed
Train shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
(along with Geelong and St Kilda).
History
Construction on Ballarat West Railway Station began in 1862 with the original buildings constructed at a cost of almost 22,000 pounds with the original railway line to Melbourne going via Geelong to service the booming Ballarat goldfields.A bluestone engine shed was built to the south and the goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
to the north were added in 1863. In 1877 the footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
and waiting room
Waiting room
A waiting room is a building, or more commonly a part of a building where people sit or stand until the event they are waiting for occurs.There are generally two types of waiting room. One is where individuals leave one at a time, for instance at a doctor's office or a hospital, or outside a school...
s on the south side were added,.
Age of Greatness
Following the opening of the direct line from Ballarat to Melbourne was established in December 1889 and increase in patronage led to plans to upgrade the station. A grand porticoPortico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
, stationmasters office and clocktower were added in 1891 however the clock was not added at this time.
With the closure of Ballarat East Railway Station and the amalgamation of councils, the station gradually dropped the name West Ballarat.
Preservation
Noted for their historic architecture, the building is classified by Heritage Victoria and the National TrustNational Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
of Victoria
The clock was added to the tower in 1984.
On December 13, 1981 fire badly damaged the interiors of the 1888 section including the station master's office, waiting room, booking office, dining room and clock tower All of these areas were later repaired and retained and other features restored however some interiors including the booking office were subsequently modernised.
Second Boom
Following the Regional Fast Rail projectRegional Fast Rail project
The Regional Fast Rail project was a rail transport project of the State Government of Victoria, Australia undertaken between 2000 and 2006 aimed at improving the passenger services on the Victorian regional railway network , specifically to reduce travel times, enhance service frequency and...
and the introduction of VLocity trains as well as services to Ararat in 2005, passenger numbers at Ballarat station boomed increasing by as much as 40% a year. The resulted in the call for a second station, Wendouree railway station to alleviate congestion primarily caused by park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
commuters from Ballarat's outer western suburbs. The station saw a big increase in trains as the result of the opening of the Maryborough, being at the junction of the line.
Services
- Ballarat line - terminating V/Line services, returning to Southern Cross
- Ararat line - peak hour V/Line services to Wendouree (as well as 3 trains per day to Ararat)
- Maryborough line - daily V/Line service to Maryborough
Most V/Line services use platform 1, as it has direct access to the ticket office, waiting room, and coach terminal. Platform 2 is used as required, such as when heritage trains visit the station.
Connections
Ballarat station services coaches to and from:- Bendigo
- Halls Gap and the Grampians National ParkGrampians National ParkThe Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern...
(via AraratArarat, VictoriaArarat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
and StawellStawellThere are a number of settlements named Stawell:* Stawell, Somerset, in England* Stawell, Victoria, in AustraliaOther uses* HMAS Stawell, a Bathurst class corvette named after the Australian settlement...
) - HorshamHorsham, VictoriaHorsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...
, Dimboola, Nhill and AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... - Geelong
- HamiltonHamilton, VictoriaHamilton is a city in western Victoria, Australia. It is located at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway and the Henty Highway...
and Mount Gambier - Ouyen, DonaldDonald, VictoriaDonald is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Richardson River, at the junction of Sunraysia Highway and Borung Highway, in the Shire of Buloke. The town is named after William Donald, a Scottish pastoralist who was the first settler in the area in 1844...
and Mildura
Architecture, structures and facilities
The exterior features a prominent 1888 neoclassical clocktower and portico balcony for the stationmaster's office.
The remaining interiors include a waiting room with large cast iron Egyptian revival columns, stained wood and stained glass skylight. There is a refreshments room (still used) and a dining room.
The engineering of the facilities including train shed, bluestone warehouse buildings is also of note.
The original mechanical swing gates have been altered and are still in operation.
Trails
The station is the official starting point of two multiuse trails:- The Wallaby Track, part of the Great Dividing TrailGreat Dividing TrailThe Great Dividing Trail is a multi-use track through the historical Goldfields region of Victoria to the north-west and west of Melbourne. The trail passes along the southern most parts of Australia's Great Dividing Range....
goes to DaylesfordDaylesford, VictoriaDaylesford is a town located in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria, Australia. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. At the 2006 census, Daylesford had a population of 3,073...
and BuninyongBuninyong, VictoriaBuninyong is a place in Victoria, Australia. The town is on the Midland Highway, south of Ballarat on the road to Geelong. It's known locally as the drug smuggling capital of the South West region. Local Dealers are said to import the majority of their cannabis supply from farmers in Durham Lead...
. - The Ballarat-Skipton Rail TrailBallarat-Skipton Rail TrailThe Ballarat–Skipton Rail Trail in western Victoria, Australia, runs 53 kilometres along the old Skipton railway line from western Ballarat, southwest through Haddon, Smythesdale and Pittong to Skipton...
goes to SkiptonSkipton, VictoriaSkipton is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The town is situated on the Glenelg Highway 166 kilometres west of the state capital, Melbourne and 52 kilometres south west of the regional centre, Ballarat. Part of Corangamite Shire Local government area, Skipton is on the banks...
.
Further reading
Between Ballarat and Ballan, closed stations include (from Melbourne) Gordon, Bungaree, Warrenheip and Ballarat East.