Thursday 6 September 2012

FREMANTLE RAILWAY STATION

Fremantle Station, is a Transperth station 18.7 km from Perth, in Western Australia, and is the terminus of the Fremantle Line, with frequent passenger services to Perth and Midland.  The station features Donnybrook stone construction on the façade with red face brick infill panels on a Donnybrook stone plinth, in Federation Free Classical style featuring a rare example of a large train hall roof. The facade remained unpainted (except for metalwork and timberwork) until it was painted in 1950.

The station was classified by the National Trust in 1974 and entered into the Heritage Council of Western Australia's Register of Heritage Places in 2001. A rationalisation of the rail reserve in 2004 was part of a plan to revitalise the precinct. Fremantle Station has been undergoing a program of staged conservation and restoration works in line with a conservation plan prepared in 1999. This included paint removal and restoration of the main entry façade, refurbishment of most of the internal areas and an electrical upgrade to bring the station up to modern standards.

The station was designed by William Dartnell, Chief Engineer of Existing Lines of the Railway Department in 1905. The construction contract, at an estimated cost of ₤80,000, was awarded in May 1906 to S.B. Alexander and completed on 20 April 1907, with the official opening on 1 July 1907. Originally the station had a 500' by 35' island platform opposite the main 500' by 40' platform, with a subway passenger connection to the station. These have not survived.The Fremantle railway line was closed by the Court Liberal Government in September 1979. Following much public outcry and a change of government it was re-opened in July 1983

This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme.






2 comments:

  1. nice seeing this station. It is unique and nice!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had to look up 'donnybrook stone' - so have learned something new in architectural style. thank you for that!

    now, what about those swans??

    ReplyDelete

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