Railway Station Precinct
Symonds Street QUEENSCLIFF, QUEENSCLIFFE BOROUGH
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Statement of Significance
Statement of Significance as recorded under the Queenscliff Heritage Study 2009
What is significant?
The Railway Station Precinct comprises the station building itself, the associated platforms, tracks and sidings, small sheds and a (non-original) water tower (to the west of the main building) and a crane base (to its north), together with open areas of land around it.
The precinct also includes a series of other buildings that do not contribute to its significance. The specific buildings and elements of individual and contributory significance which are important to the precinct are identified in the attached schedule.
How is it significant?
The Railway Station Precinct is of historical and aesthetic significance to the Borough of Queenscliffe.
Why is it significant?
The Railway Station precinct is of great historical importance to the township of Queenscliff and the Borough as a whole. The construction of the railway in 1879 (the station buildings followed in 1881) established an efficient overland supply route for supplies including important building materials from the metropolitan centres. The station was one of the three transport gateways to Queenscliff. Army recruits, building materials, general supplies and equipment all arrived by road, boat or train. The railway also provided a cost-effective means of access to the locality for holidaymakers, aiding the development of tourism in Queenscliff during the boom period of the 1880s. The scale of the station's waiting room reflects its role as a facility oriented in large part to tourism.[i]
In its own right, the Queenscliff Railway Station building is of architectural and historical significance as a fine, representative and externally intact example of late nineteenth century railway station design (refer to separate citation). It has also been identified as of architectural significance as an essentially intact example of a country railway station built to a unique design rather than to a standard pattern.[ii]
More broadly, the Railway Station precinct has retained a traditional open quality with residential development in the surrounding streets set well away from the station itself. The siting on Swan Bay contributes to its picturesque setting.
The complex also retains a series of significant outbuildings and associated structures. FOOTNOTES
[i] Victorian Heritage Register entry for the Queenscliff Railway Station.
[ii] Victorian Heritage Register entry for the Queenscliff Railway Station.
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Railway Station Precinct - Usage/Former Usage
The Geelong to Queenscliff railway, station and yards were built between 1878 and 1882 on land permanently reserved as foreshore to Swan Bay. The land had been covered with Samphire Scrub and Acacia down to the edge of Swan Bay and, apart from the station and associated railway works and buildings, remained substantially undeveloped until the 1950s. The earlier fishermen's huts that were dotted throughout this area were moved across to the Flat proper at the time of the railway development.
Railway Station Precinct - Physical Description 1
Character:
The character of the area is one of a picturesque seaside railway station and sidings set on the edge of Swan Bay. The station complex is a focal point as one enters Queenscliff from the Steamer pier and at the ends of Hesse and Learmonth Streets. The area of open parkland around it provides the northern boundary to the centre of the town reflected by the recreation ground and Victoria Park on the south boundary and Princess and Citizens' Park on the east seaward boundary. These perimeter park zones provide an important buffer between the town and sea.
Railway Station Precinct - Physical Description 2
Extract from the 2009 study
This precinct includes the area bounded by Symonds Street between Hesse and Mercer Streets and currently includes properties on the south side of Symonds Street; the continuation of Hesse Street to the rear of the properties along Wharf Street to Bridge Street; the continuation of Mercer Street to Swan Bay; and the southern edge of Swan Bay.
The character of the area is one of a picturesque seaside railway station and sidings set on the edge of Swan Bay. The station complex is a focal point as one enters Queenscliff from the Steamer pier and at the ends of Hesse and Learmonth Streets. The area of open parkland around it provides the northern boundary to the centre of the town reflected by the recreation ground and Victoria Park on the south boundary and Princess and Citizens' Park on the east seaward boundary.
The station building with the verandah over the station platform has a double gable profile with keyhole fretwork to the valences. The cantilever trussed verandah is bracketed off tall timber columns, with pronounced capitals, which support the tie beams to the king-post trusses. The trusses are supported by the south wall except where the waiting area occurs and incidental columns pick up the truss ends.
At the west end of the station a third gable to the elevation provides the depth to this end of the building to accommodate a small dwelling which includes a gabled entrance porch centred on the residence This elevation is largely obscured by a close boarded timber fence.
The 1888 gabled extension on the south-east corner of the building which housed the parcels office is still evident as is the skillion verandah on the east elevation which was erected around the same time to cover the booking area. The building appears to be generally intact from the exterior, as is the character of the precinct.
The pilot's coal shed was replaced by a buoy shed for Ports and Harbours in the 1930s.[i] The spur line which served the fish sheds on Fishermen's Pier has also been removed, as has the turntable and the engine shed in nearby Bridge Street[ii] although a steel-clad workshop building does remain (at 26 Bridge Street).
There are also a series of small iron clad sheds and a non-original water tower (to the west of the main building) and a remnant crane base (to its north). There are other non-descript buildings and a large area of on-grade carparking in the northern part of the precinct (in the location of the earlier spur line).
Current plantings within the precinct are a mix of recent with some more mature tree specimens.
The precinct also includes a series of residences on the north side of Symonds Street, these date generally from the Victorian and Federation periods. A modern Senior Citizens Club complex is located south of the station itself.
[i] Lands Department Plan, Parks and Foreshore, Surveyor K. Chappel, 27.2.1936, CPO
[ii] Lands Department Map Q-31, surveyor R.J. Gray, 19.4.1967, SLV
Heritage Study and Grading
Queenscliffe - Queenscliffe Urban Conservation Study
Author: Allom Lovell & Associates P/L, Architects
Year: 1982
Grading:Queenscliffe - Queenscliffe Heritage Study
Author: Lovell Chen
Year: 2009
Grading:
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LATHAMSTOWEVictorian Heritage Register H1052
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PILOTS COTTAGESVictorian Heritage Register H1618
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ROSENFELDVictorian Heritage Register H1134
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