HO93 - Melton South Railway Station
Brooklyn Road MELTON SOUTH, Melton Shire
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Statement of Significance
The Melton South Railway Station (including the station building, signal boxes and platforms), Brooklyn Road Melton South, is significant as a rare and moderately intact example of the 'Kaniva' style of railway stations of the late nineteenth century for the extension of the western railway to the South Australian border. Originally built in the town of Leeor in 1898, the station building was relocated to Melton South in 1898. The station represents the origin of the township of Melton South, and in particular its former timber and chaff mill industries.
The Melton South Railway Station is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (AHC D.2). It demonstrates original design qualities of the Victorian 'Kaniva' style of railway station buildings. These qualities include the hipped roof form clad in galvanised corrugated steel, single storey height, horizontal timber weatherboard wall cladding, rendered brick chimney with multi-corbelled top, timber framed double hung windows and timber framed door openings, narrow eaves and the broad skillion post-supported verandahs on the road and platform facades. The bitumen platform and the signal boxes also contribute to the significance of the place.
Melton is the oldest of only two remaining Kaniva type stations, a type that was built for the Western (Adelaide) Line. Further, it is the only Kaniva type station to remain in operation as a railway station.
The Melton South Railway Station is historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC A4) as the first stage of the direct Melbourne to Ballarat railway, whose opening in 1884 was attended by dignitaries including the Victorian Premier (Duncan Gillies), Minister for Railways (Alfred Deakin), Solicitor General (James Balfour), and the Sir William Clarke MLC. It was an important new development in the Melton district, which facilitated the development of a number of industries in the area, notably timber and chaff milling, and general rural and town growth. In particular it was the cradle of the township of Melton South. Its central role in the establishment and early community life of this hamlet is illustrated by the operation of a post office from the station in the period 1891 to 1918, and in the name of the area's primary school (1911) as the 'Melton Railway School'. The station is one of very few extant early buildings in Melton South and one of only two surviving Melton South public building (the other being the 1923/25 brick school building). It is also also significant for its unusual origins, being transported from the small western town of Leeor in 1898, and completed in 1900.
Overall, the Melton South Railway Station is of LOCAL significance.
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HO93 - Melton South Railway Station - Physical Description 1
Physical Description -
The Melton South Railway Station, Melton South, is a small weatherboard hipped roof building, with verandahs on both platform and road side. It includes a platform signal box, with signal frame. At the west end of platform is an intact galvanised corrugated steel - timber van goods shed. Interior passenger facilities have been extensively modernised since 1998, including sympathetic extensions to west end of main building. The east end platform storage building is thought to be of recent origin. The platform sides are sheeted in cement slabs of modern origin.
In his 1982 study of Victoria's railway stations Andrew Ward described the station as unique, in that its 'western' half (this was incorrect - he meant the 'eastern' half), containing the 'station master's office' (incorrectly labelled 'residence' in his plan) was removed from Leeor, this being a standard design for its type. He described the 1900 alterations as having been undertaken 'in a manner consistent with the style of the group', the verandah valancing to both elevations, and the chimney stacks, as being in good condition. The capitals to the roadside verandhad had been removed, and two sets of double glazed doors had been replaced with single doors.
The 'Kaniva type' of which Melton was an example, were built for western line to Adelaide. As this line was heavily trafficked the stations included 'a large booking lobby and general waiting room. It was accessible from the roadway via a porch fitted with two sets of double doors which opened onto verandahs along the roadside elevation. The station master's office combined booking, telegraph, parcels, and signalling functions and included an interlocking frame bay with a clear view over the tracks along the platform. And finally, the ladies' waiting room was situated at one end and adjoined the yard toilet. Both waiting rooms were provided with fireplaces'. In accordance with Departmental policy established during the mid 1880s it did not have an attached residence nor yard containing lamp room and toilet facilities but rather scattered them along the length of the platform in company with the van goods shed and similar facilities. The style of decor was limited with an eye to the budget, and the style featureed timber lined walls and ceilings, decoration and verandahs: 'herein lay its charm'. The Kaniva style was 'certainly the most imposing "all timber" design created during the Victorian Age'. [1]
In conclusion, regarding Melton, Ward reported that:
'Melton is an important example of its group retaining the character of the original standard design. The cantilever verandah is unique.'[2]
In his 1988 study for V/Line Andrew Ward described the Melton Station as 'a standard single storeyed timber station building with corrugated iron clad nipped roof, posted verandah to roadside elevation and cantilevered platform verandahs'. The buildings were listed as being in good condition, and of fair integrity.
Ward described the station as being 'representative of a small group of station buildings erected during the Speight era on the Western line, although it is better represented in this respect by Kaniva. Of the others, only Nhill (much altered) remains.'[3] He recommended the Melton Station Buildings for inclusion in the then Government Buildings Register.[4]
The station building remained generally in its c.1898-1900 state until sometime after 1988,[5] when a substantial western extension and other alterations were carried out. The extension was undertaken with the same materials (timber wall cladding and corrugated iron roof cladding), overall plan, and hipped roof as the original. The interior remodelling and renovationn included the installation of new large glass doors and windows on both the platform and the road side of the main passenger area of the station. One of the two chimneys (the western one) was removed. Both the platform and roadside verandahs were extended in the original style. The western (1898) end is largely intact, with platform signal box, chimney, and two roadside windows remaining.
A corrugated iron van goods shed with large wooden doors at the west end of the platform has been retained (probably with an unobtrusive skillion verandah and timber seats added on the platform side). A similar sized timber shed with large wooden doors on the platform to the east of the station, in the approximate position of an early 'waiting shelter and room' identified in Ward's 1982 study, is reported to be a new storage structure.
[1] Ward, A, Donnelly, A, 'Victoria's Railway Stations' (ARHS, March 1982), Vol.3, pp.198-200
[2] Ward (1982), op cit, Vol. 3, pp.191-192
[3] Andrew C Ward & Associates, 'Study of Historic Railway Buildings and Structures for V/Line' (March 1988), Vol.4, pp.484-486.
[4] Ward (1988), op cit, Vol.1, Appendix, p.8.
[5] Ward (1982), op cit, p.198; Ward (1988), op cit, p.484 (photo)
HO93 - Melton South Railway Station - Integrity
Integrity - Moderately intact
HO93 - Melton South Railway Station - Physical Conditions
Physical Condition - Good
HO93 - Melton South Railway Station - Historical Australian Themes
Melton Historical Themes: 'Transport'
Heritage Study and Grading
Melton - Shire of Melton Heritage Study phase 2
Author: David Maloney, David Rowe, Pamela Jellie, Sera Jane Peters
Year: 2007
Grading:
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ATHERSTONE HOMESTEAD COMPLEX REMAINSVictorian Heritage Inventory
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