BUNYIP RAILWAY STATION AND TRAMWAY (FORMER)
MAIN STREET BUNYIP, CARDINIA SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
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BUNYIP RAILWAY STATION AND TRAMWAY (FORMER) - History
The land on which the current township of Bunyip is situated was previously the Buneep Buneep run in 1851. A town called Buneep was surveyed beside the Bunyip River on what was then called the Old Telegraph Road. In the 1860s a new road was built to the south of the Old Telegraph Road and called Old Sale Road. Development did not occur in this area despite the plans for a town to be built. Instead, the township of Bunyip developed further south when the Gippsland Railway Line was built (Victorian Places 2015).
A review of historical aerial imagery from 1948 indicates there were former structures in the area of interest to the west of Bunyip Railway Station, but it is unclear what they may have been. A plan drawn by the Railway Department Melbourne in 1909 shows 'Tramway Formation' in the area (Figure 1). In addition, a diagram of tramways in the vicinity of the Bunyip railway station in the late 1800s indicates that there was a tramway extending west from the railway station which was owned by the Bunyip Junction Co-operative (Figure 2). In 1896 the Warragul Guardian (Friday 13 March 1896) reported that 'some of our settlers are sending potatoes to Melbourne this month, so the tram will be kept busy carting the tubers to the station.' In 1902 the South Bourke and Mornington Journal (21 May 1902) reported on the Bunyip Station Master leaving the position and noted: 'what will now become of the 'potatoe [sic] ground'? We cannot rise [sic] an electric tram.' The Bunyip Junction Co-operative Tramway Company was formed in 1893 by village settlers located at the east end of the Koo Wee Rup swamp. Members were expected to contribute work or money to the construction and upkeep of a tramway to Bunyip. The materials for the tramway were funded by the Public Works Department and labour was undertaken by the settlers. The settlers were expected to repay the money from the Public Works Department. The tramway was constructed with wooden rails to the gauge of 2 ft 6 in. To the north, the tramway terminated at the Bunyip Railway Station, adjacent to the railway tracks. There was a shed which sheltered the tramway terminus and trucks. There was a basic office located at the terminus for the Co-operative. From the terminus, the tramway proceeded west along a constructed side cutting, until it reached flat ground at Evans Road, located 1.9 km south (McCarthy 1993: 31-33).
BUNYIP RAILWAY STATION AND TRAMWAY (FORMER) - Historical Significance
The site has local historical significance relating to the history of the Gippsland railway line and the settlement of the Bunyip area. Local early settlers relied on the tramway to transport agricultural produce to the railway station which would then be transported to other locations. The site provides an opportunity to further information on the construction and operation of the local Bunyip Junction Co-operative Tramway, during the late nineteenth century.
BUNYIP RAILWAY STATION AND TRAMWAY (FORMER) - Archaeological Significance
The Bunyip Tramway site has archaeological significance for the potential to contain remnants of the former Bunyip Junction Co-operative Tramway (1883-1898), tramway office and shed located at the tramway terminus. The Bunyip Tramway site is likely to contain archaeological remnants relating to technological history of a community tramway, such as timber rails and sleepers. The tramway was constructed by local settlers and was the only community tramway within the Gippsland region. This demonstrates the sites significance for historical archaeological features, deposits and artefacts.
BUNYIP RAILWAY STATION AND TRAMWAY (FORMER) - Interpretation of Site
The Bunyip Railway Station and the Bunyip Tramway site is likely to contain artefacts or deposits 75 or more years old. The Bunyip Railway Station and Bunyip Tramway is associated with the history of the Gippsland railway line and expansion of the timber industry in the region. The Bunyip Railway Station was operational from the 1870s, initially small growth of the township led to the Railway Station doubling as a post office. As major industries in the Cardinia region such as timber-getting, saw milling, Eucalyptus extraction, brickmaking and quarrying thrived in the area, settlements began to grow. The local timber-getting industries, the Bunyip Railway Station, and the use Gippsland railway line created the opportunity for the township of Bunyip to grow, as the first hotels established in the settlement primarily serviced local and railway line workers. Economic and population growth shifted the small township into a major shire town, with a market for livestock trading and produce established near the railway station. Other establishments were soon built within the township, including general stores, churches, bank branches, and a telegraph station (Context 2011; Piercy 2018). The Bunyip Railway Station is an example of the early development of settlements and growth of local industry in the Gippsland region. The Bunyip Railway Station site is still being currently used as a railway station. Some associated structures, such as the Station’s Master’s residence and metal platform have either been deconstructed or decommissioned. Some of the remnant components of the Bunyip Railway Station including the current existing goods platform and crane to the south of the railway station were constructed in the 1970s when the station was upgraded (Piercy 2018). Historical documentary evidence including railway plans indicates the Bunyip tramway operated in the area between 1883 and 1898. The area has had little development or disturbance, and there are concrete remnants located nearby. Archaeological remnants may be present at the site and could provide physical evidence relating to technological construction and operation of the tramway, built by settlers. The tramway is an example of the only community-funded tramway that was built and operated in the region. The function of this tramway as a means to transport agricultural produce, such as potatoes, was in contrast to other tramways in the Gippsland region which were associated with the timber industry and owned and operated by timber companies. The site is currently a vacant grassed lot which does not appear to be utilized for anything specifically.
Heritage Inventory Description
BUNYIP RAILWAY STATION AND TRAMWAY (FORMER) - Heritage Inventory Description
The area to the west of the Bunyip railway station was identified during the field survey when a large area containing concrete slabs and a concrete structure was observed in the area immediately north of Longwarry-Nar Nar Goon Road (Figure 3). The landscape in this area slopes down from the railway line to the north to the concrete slabs. A concrete remnant which appears to be a ramp was also noted adjacent to the concrete slabs (Figure 4). Around half-way up the slope, there is a flat area which may correspond with a prior tramway (Figure 4, Figure 5). No other features, apart from the flat land, were noted in the area between the concrete features and railway line and it appears that the area is relatively undisturbed. It is unknown what the concrete slabs and ramp structure were previously used for, and if they relate to the tramway; however, the features resemble the remnants of a stockyard. The Bunyip railway station plan (Figure 1) indicates that the tramway was located between the concrete remnants and the railway line. The tramway was on a 'constructed side cutting', which may relate to the flat area observed during the survey. The plan also shows a square area offset from the tramway, in the vicinity of the area surveyed. This may have been the area described as the shed that sheltered the tramway terminus and trucks or the office that was also located at the tram terminus (McCarthy 1993: 33).
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