RINGWOOD RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT
MAROONDAH HIGHWAY RINGWOOD, MAROONDAH CITY
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Statement of Significance
The structural remains of the former Ringwood Railway Station Tool Shed and any associated archaeological deposits or features are significant.
The former Tool Shed at Ringwood Railway Station is significant because of its association with the Belgrave and Lilydale lines, first established in the 1880s in response to the growing population and widening sprawl of Melbourne’s suburbs.
The Ringwood Railway Station Tool Shed is historically significant because it is associated with the advent of railway electrification in the early 20th century, which almost completely replaced the previous all-steam operation of the railways with a more efficient system (Lee 2007, p. 178).
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RINGWOOD RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - History
Ringwood Railway Station was originally constructed in 1882 as a siding to the Lilydale line (Vicsig 2007). The station itself was built in 1889, a Tudor style red brick building situated north of the railway line, with extensions made in the 1920s and 1950s. A ticket office was established two years later in 1891 on the south side of the railway line. Around the same time, the line was duplicated to increase public transport services to the area. Both of these buildings remain standing today. A footbridge was constructed in 1921, followed closely by a signal box in 1926, after which the railway line became electrified. A Station Master’s Residence was built north of the railway line and northeast of the footbridge in the early 20th century, as well as a tool shed south of the siding track. Over the next few decades, development of Ringwood Railway Station continued, including the erection of automatic signals in 1959, stabling between 1961 and 1962 and the construction of an additional platform in 1999.RINGWOOD RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - Interpretation of Site
The Station Master’s Residence at the Ringwood Railway Station was constructed in the early 20th century at the junction of Maroondah Highway and Warrandyte Road. The residence faced east towards the suburb of Croydon and was surrounded by timber fencing. The building would have been made chiefly from timber, with a corrugated iron roof and steel or iron posts bolstering the front verandah. The primary function of the site was residential, providing the Station Master, and family members, a home and living quarters. The location of the residence close to the station granted the Station Master easy access to the station, as they were responsible for its daily operations, overseeing ticketing, public relations, and maintenance works. The residence and all associated outbuildings were removed between 1957 and 1960, and eventually the area was transformed into a bus interchange. The bus interchange received an upgrade between 2014 and 2016 as part of the broader Ringwood Railway Station redevelopment project. According to Heritage Victoria’s Policy for Determining Low Archaeological Value, pursuant to s. 118(1)(a) of the Heritage Act 2017, for an archaeological site to be approved for inclusion in the Heritage Inventory, it must meet the following thresholds: Threshold A (archaeology): • the place meets the definition of archaeological site under the Act; and • it can be demonstrated that the site contains archaeological features, associated artefacts and/or deposits; and/or • documentary evidence and/or oral history, landscape features, visible site fabric or other information indicates a likelihood that the site contains archaeological remains; and • the archaeological remains are, or are likely to be, in a condition that will allow information to be obtained that will contribute to an understanding of the site; and Threshold B (place history) • the site evidences (or is likely to evidence) an association with a historical event, phase, period, process, function, tradition, movement, custom or way of life; and • the site history is of significance within a state, regional, local, thematic or other relevant framework. The Station Master’s Residence has been assessed against these criteria and is considered to meet both Thresholds A and B. The former Tool Shed at Ringwood Railway Station appears to have been constructed sometime between the opening of the station in 1889 and the early 20th century. Based on examples at other Victorian rail stations of the same time period, it was likely constructed of corrugated iron and a timber frame. It was located south of the siding track and just north of Station Street. Tool sheds were a common feature of the early 20th century Victorian railway system and were used to store equipment for emergency repairs, which were usually undertaken by ‘permanent way’ men (staff who maintained the railway tracks). By the mid-20th century, the Tool Shed at Ringwood Station was no longer standing and the area had been converted into a carpark, which it remains today. According to Heritage Victoria’s Policy for Determining Low Archaeological Value, pursuant to s. 118(1)(a) of the Heritage Act 2017, for an archaeological site to be approved for inclusion in the Heritage Inventory, it must meet the following thresholds: Threshold A (archaeology): • the place meets the definition of archaeological site under the Act; and • it can be demonstrated that the site contains archaeological features, associated artefacts and/or deposits; and/or • documentary evidence and/or oral history, landscape features, visible site fabric or other information indicates a likelihood that the site contains archaeological remains; and • the archaeological remains are, or are likely to be, in a condition that will allow information to be obtained that will contribute to an understanding of the site; and Threshold B (place history) • the site evidences (or is likely to evidence) an association with a historical event, phase, period, process, function, tradition, movement, custom or way of life; and • the site history is of significance within a state, regional, local, thematic or other relevant framework. The Tool Shed has been assessed against these criteria and is considered to meet both Thresholds A and B.
Heritage Inventory Description
RINGWOOD RAILWAY STATION ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - Heritage Inventory Description
The former Station Master’s Residence was situated in the northeastern corner of the Ringwood Railway Station, at the junction of Warrandyte Road and Maroondah Highway. The site of the Station Master’s Residence is presently a large bus interchange, which was upgraded between 2014 and 2016 as part of the major redevelopment of the station.
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