NORTH MELBOURNE LOCOMOTIVE SHED
300-372 FOOTSCRAY ROAD WEST MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
Why is it significant?
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NORTH MELBOURNE LOCOMOTIVE SHED - History
The North Melbourne Locomotive Depot was constructed to store and re-coal Victorian Railways steam trains, replacing the former Spencer Street and Williamstown Locomotive Depots. The rail was established on the eastern end of the former West Melbourne Swamp (Leader, 10 April 1886). The Swamp was divided in 1888 by the excavation of the artificial Railway Coal Canal (later known as the southern end of the Moonee Ponds Creek). The western side of the swamp then was drained and used for the West Melbourne Rubbish Tips, while the eastern part of the Swamp was also drained, filled-in and used as the Melbourne Rail Yard with railway lines extending through this area the northern and western railways lines out of Melbourne’s Spencer Street station. As many as 200 locomotives were serviced and housed in the shed. It was in continual operation from its opening in 1888 until its demolition in 1965 with the phasing out of coal-powered trains (Ward et al. 1991: 185). The main depot shed was a large building, approximately 210 m long by 60 m wide and contained three large rail turntables for the storage and maintenance of steam engines. It was known as Depot K188 (Langford 1965, 105433). This building was located in the central part of the site. The K188 shed was demolished on the 20 January 1965 (Lee 2007). The area was levelled, and additional railway tracks were constructed over the site after 1965 and the area remained in use by the railways until the present. Area surrounding the main K188 shed, the Locomotive Depot complex was filled with rail lines leading into and out of the main K188 shed, a Coal Loading Wharf on Moonee Ponds Creek/Railway Coal Canal, and a coal loading stage, and other buildings at various stages between the 1880s–1960s. Review of archival maps of the area indicate that there were no structures built on the south-eastern end of the North Melbourne Locomotive Depot area, aside from the large brick water tower.NORTH MELBOURNE LOCOMOTIVE SHED - Interpretation of Site
Previous archaeological excavations within H7822-0166 have occurred for the West Gate Tunnel Project, under consents C1382 and C1479. Significant remains of the main Loco Shed K188 were excavated in archaeological test trenches, geotechnical test trenches, NDD services detection, VicTrack communication trenches, and trenches excavated for Bridge 81 permanent structures (strip footings for support walls). The results confirmed that the entire brick paved floor, three large rail turntables, entry and exit access rail lines, maintenance pits, rails, wall bases and wall footings of the Loco Shed K188 and associated sheds on the western side are well-preserved below shallow crushed rock, clay and building rubble fill deposits, at depths of between 150 mm to 2000 mm (the northern half of the site has been covered in deeper fill deposits). At the northern edge of the VHI site, there were also highly significant historical artefact-bearing deposits found at 1.8–2m depth below the ballast laid for the Melbourne Rail Yard. This deposit contained a late 19th century domestic and commercial artefact assemblage from contexts that were deposited as refuse in the former West Melbourne Swamp, prior to the formation of the rail yard and Loco Depot. Regarding the Coal Wharf, it likely dates from the opening of the North Melbourne Locomotive Depot operations in 1888, and most likely went out of use after the construction of Footscray Road and its road bridge in the 1920s. This date range is based on a review of historic plans of the area. The Coal Wharf is seen on the MMBW 1895 plan of the area, on the east bank of the Railway Canal (later named the Moonee Ponds Creek) (MMBW 1895; Figure 6). The wharf is still present on the 1912 nautical chart of Hobsons Bay and the Yarra River (Cox 1912; Figure 7). However, in the 1936 nautical chart, the Coal Wharf is no longer present (Martin 1936; Figure 8). The 1936 plan also shows the construction of Footscray Road and the narrowing of the Coal Canal. The wharf was most likely timber framed and similar in construction to other late 19th century wharf structures in Melbourne’s west, such as the Newport Coal Wharf (H7822-0535) (Duncan 2006: 159–160) and Footscray General Cargo Wharf South (H7822-0478) (Duncan, 2003, VHI site card). A large building was also present close to the wharf on the eastern creek bank, that may have been used for storing coal or other materials. There was also the former reversing loop rail line that encircled the northern, western, and southern sides of the North Melbourne Locomotive Depot site. The approximate location of the wharf and the wharf building have been marked on Figure 2, based on georeferencing the historic plans and aerial photography.
Heritage Inventory Description
NORTH MELBOURNE LOCOMOTIVE SHED - Heritage Inventory Description
The current VHI site, North Melbourne Locomotive Shed (H7822-0166) incorporates the K188 Depot Shed, Wagon Repair Building, Paint Shop and loop rail line. The North Melbourne Locomotive Depot was in operation from 1888 until 1965. This VHI site has been updated to include the former Rail Coal Wharf into the the current North Melbourne Locomotive Shed site. The VHI site extent has been increased to include the footprint of the former Coal Wharf, as shown on the attached map of VHI site extent. The North Melbourne Locomotive Depot included a former Coal Wharf, connected to the Depot area and located on the eastern bank of the Railway Coal Canal that had been artificially constructed after the West Melbourne Swamp was drained and filled-in. The Coal Wharf was likely constructed with the Depot in 1888, and was likely removed in the 1920s, based on a review of archival maps and plans. The date of operation of the Coal Wharf is therefore placed between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The current location of the former Coal Wharf is now within the eastern bank of the Moonee Ponds Creek – see attached VHI site extent map (Figure 2). This area is publicly accessible land through which the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail shared-user path passes. The bank has been infilled and extend out to the west since the 1930s (Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7, Figure 8).
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ST JAMES OLD CATHEDRALVictorian Heritage Register H0011
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FORMER PRESBYTERIAN UNION MEMORIAL CHURCH COMPLEXVictorian Heritage Register H0007
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RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Register H0091
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