LILYDALE RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT
72-86 MAIN STREET, LILYDALE VIC 3140
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Statement of Significance
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LILYDALE RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - History
Lilydale Railway Station Archaeological Precinct: The Lilydale Railway line constructed in 1882 linked Melbourne to Lilydale. Connections from Lilydale to Healesville were completed in 1886 and to Warburton in 1901. The station and yard underwent continuous development most notably in 1913 and 1925 (Signalling Record Society 1998), followed by further developments and adages up until today. Initially constructed to the southeast of the station grounds the engine shed and turntable were relocated to the north-western area of the railway yard in 1913 (Figure 4, Figure 5) (Signalling Record Society 1998). Brick ash pits, water tank and a coal stage were all constructed in the vicinity of the turntable and engine shed after its relocation. Photographs of the turntable taken between 1960 and 1963 indicate that the walls were constructed of stone (Brudar 2015) and are reminiscent of the turntable pit in the Castlemaine Railway Yard that originally dates from the 19th century and has been restored (Dorman 2017). Turntables were used to turn locomotives back to the direction from which they came, and the circular pits were 50 to 70 feet in diameter (Victorian Railways n.d). The turntable at Lilydale was 70 feet in diameter (Victorian Railways n.d). According to the structural plan of the Lilydale – Healesville line, there are two brick pits situated between the water tower, west of the turntable; one on the siding to the engine shed and the second on the siding to the turntable (Figure 4). These features can clearly be seen on the historic aerial imagery from 1958 and 1962, however they are missing from the 1968 imagery (Figure 6, Figure 7). Water towers were used by steam locomotives to replenish water to their boilers. Brick pits located underneath and between rail tracks were used as ashpits and inspections pits. Ashpits were areas where a locomotive could drop its fire and ash build up before returning to the engine/machine shed and inspection pits for maintenance. It was common to have piping and drainage running through these pits (Victorian Railways n.d). Pits were placed adjacent to coal stages/towers in order for coal to be dumped into the pits from a hopper car, where it was then generally raised by a conveyor type system to the top of the stage and then placed into a storage bin. The southern pit is shown to be located west of the coal stage and on the siding to the engine shed and therefore could have acted as an ash pit or coal storage. Brick pits were also located inside engine/machine sheds providing access for works to the locomotives as is observed in the Lilydale engine shed in photographs from the early 1960s (Brudar 2015). The engine shed at Lilydale was constructed from tin and the coal stage was a timber structure (Berry & Sargent 2002:34). An early railway bridge was built over the former alignment of the Olinda Creek. This bridge was possibly a timber structure and annotations on the 1925 plan suggest that this bridge was buried when the Olinda Creek was realigned and the new bridge at its current location to the north east was built (Figure 5). Former Lilydale Railway Bridge: The railway from Melbourne to Lilydale was opened in December 1882. The new railway had a significant impact on the layout and future development of Lilydale, with the original settlement gradually relocating closer to the train line. Lilydale was originally located on a patch of high ground to the east of Olinda Creek, but after the railway was built, Lilydale Station was situated on the lower ground, on the alluvial flats to the west of Olinda Creek. The location of the station influenced the development of the town, which spread westward to link the higher ground in the east to the area around the station. The bridge was constructed in about 1925, replaing an earlier bridge over Olinda Creek immediately south of Main Street. Presumably the earlier bridge had been constructed in or around 1882. The creek has been diverted is no longer present but its alignment is still visible on an aerial image from 1945. The bridge is now buried beneath the current rilway formation. It is not known when it went out of use and was replaced.LILYDALE RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - Interpretation of Site
Lilydale Railway Station Archaeological Precinct: The Lilydale Railway Yard and Lilydale Sidings Bridge underwent numerous developments and sustained different levels of impact, since the opening of Lilydale Railway line in 1882. After being relocated in 1913, the turntable, coal stage, engine shed, water tank and brick pits were still operational and intact until at least 1962. However, between 1962 and 1968, the engine shed, water tank and coal stage were demolished as observed in two subsequent aerial images taken in 1968 and 1970 (Figure 8, Figure 9) and photos of the turntable in between 1960 and 1962 (Brudar 2015). The substation was constructed around 1988 and imagery suggests that the disturbance was limited to the footprint of the building (Figure 9). The substation was constructed above where the northern section of coal stage was originally located. The level of impact to the northern two thirds of coal stage would be high suggesting the potential of archaeological deposits directly under the substation to be low, however it is possible remains exists outside the footprint of the substation. The aerial images from 1952 to 1970 also show gradual vegetation growth over the turntable and engine shed (and its pit) area, with their delineation still observable. The delineation of the engine shed pit and the turntable is less evident in 1988, however, this area has not been directly disturbed or built over suggesting the potential for remains to be present at this location is high. The recent works associated with the Maroondah Highway level crossing removal project which uncovered the remains of the brick pit at this location further highlight the possible preservation of these features beneath the current ground surface. There is significant potential for structural remains, particularly of the turntable, the engine shed, the brick pits and water tank to remain preserved under vegetation, although the extent of any ground disturbing works is unknown. Former Lilydale Railway Bridge: This is the site of a former railway bridge over a former channel of Olinda Creek. When the creek was diverted and reclaimed the bridge was no longer required and has been buried beneath the existing rail line formation. The remains recently exposed are probably those of the bridge constructed in 1925, which replaced an earlier bridge structure. It is unknown at this stage whether remains of the original bridge structure are also preserved.
Heritage Inventory Description
LILYDALE RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - Heritage Inventory Description
The decision was reached as it was determined that the existing Former Lilydale Railway Bridge and Lilydale Rail Yard and Lilydale Sidings Bridge both reference associated railway features at the same station, therefore, the existing site should be extended to incorporate all the potential remains of the railway infrastructure. The HI extent will follow the boundary of the existing railway bridge and a separate polygon which was supplied with the new site card. Below are the site descriptions for both locations. The site is located at the north-western extent of the current Lilydale Railway Station sidings, south of Beresford Rd in Lilydale (Map 1, Map 2). The majority of the site is covered by grass and vegetation and the southern extent of the site contains the substation and surrounding asphalted surface (Figure 1). The substation does cover a large part of the coal stage, but it is possible that archaeological deposits exist to the south or adjacent to the substation building (Figure 2). The north-east section of the site encompasses the possible buried remains of a former timber bridge over a previous alignment of Olinda Creek. This bridge was possibly buried in 1925 during the realignment of the creek and the construction of a new bridge to the north-east (at the present location). A brick pit was uncovered during the works for the Maroondah Highway Level Crossing Removal Project in the north area of the Lilydale stabling yard (Figure 3). The site is that of a former railway bridge over a former alignment of Lilydale Creek, immediately south of Main Street, Lilydale. The bridge structure and the waterway have been buried and the site is now beneath the current railway formation. A small section has been exposed during construction works, revealing part of the timber bridge structure.
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SEASONING WORKS SITE AND TERRACOTTA LUMBERWALLVictorian Heritage Inventory
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