Queanbeyan railway station

Queanbeyan station opened on 8 September 1887 when the Bombala line was extended from Bungendore. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. In March 1913, Queanbeyan became a junction station when construction commenced on the line to Canberra. Major additions and other changes to the railway precinct/yard at Queanbeyan included alterations to the parcels office and refreshment room (1890), an office erected for the Sub-Inspector of Per Way (1891), small loading bank provided (1891), engine shed built (1896), gantry crane installed (1903) unloading bank built, and laying in a siding for unloading materials for the Canberra Branch railway line (1913), crossing laid in to Canberra Branch and locomotive water supply increased by 810kL (1924), ash pit built (1927), 60' turntable transferred from Nimmitabel to Queanbeyan (1926), portable workshop provided for the rail motor fitters (1950), siding laid in for stabling of 2-car diesel trains (1952), refreshment rooms closed (1956), renewing goods shed stage in steel and concrete (1963), additional shelter over goods shed stage erected (1961), and rest house closed (1974).nswshr-1226-1747 Part of the goods yard was transferred to Council for community use ==Services==

Queanbeyan is served by three daily NSW TrainLink Xplorer services in each direction operating between Sydney and Canberra. NSW TrainLink also operate a road coach service from Queanbeyan to Cootamundra. The station is frequently used by Canberra Railway Museum specials. {{Sydney Trains platform box == Description ==

The heritage-listed complex includes the type 5, first class brick station building (1887), the brick platform, weatherboard signal box with skillion roof (1920s), the stationmaster's residence at 43 Henderson Road (1887), the F-frame signal cabin with flat roof and hardiplank boards, the turntable (1926), water column, water tank and small ganger's shed. ;Signal box (1920s) and Signal frame The two signalling structures are simple square structures with single pitch roofs clad in corrugated iron and timber framed walls clad in weatherboard (1920s) or hardiplank. ;Station Master's Residence (1887) The brick Station Master's residence features a standard L-shaped plan with symmetrical front facade with full width verandah, a hipped roof clad in corrugated iron, and corbelled brick chimneys. The station group including the station building and Station Master's residence, platform, signal box, signal frame, turntable, water column and water tank have a high level of integrity. The gangers shed has a moderate level of integrity. == Heritage listing ==

Queanbeyan Railway Precinct is of state significance as a late Victorian period railway precinct that remains relatively intact and includes several original items from the 1880s including the 1885 roadside station building and Station Master's residence. The station building is particularly significant, being a fine example of a Victorian first class station building. The station building is the largest and most ornate of the station buildings on the Bombala Line, signifying Queanbeyan as an important location in Southern NSW, even prior to the declaration of Canberra as the nation's capital. Queanbeyan railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The place has historic significance demonstrating the late 19th century development of the NSW railways. The site includes several items dating from the opening of the line at Queanbeyan in 1887 and has significance demonstrating the layout of a late 19th Century railway station. The station building as the largest and most ornate station on the line is particularly significant in demonstrating the importance of Queanbeyan as an important location in Southern NSW, even prior to the declaration of Canberra as the national capital. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The site has aesthetic significance as a railway precinct that retains several original items that demonstrate railway design in the 1880s. The 1887 station building is a fine example of a Victorian first class station building with fabric and fine detailing typical of the period. The 1887 Station Master's residence is a good example of a standard Victorian railway residence. The place has strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The site is of social significance to the local community on account of its lengthy association for providing an important source of employment, trade and social interaction for the local area. The site is significant for its ability to contribute to the local community's sense of place, is a distinctive feature of the daily life of many community members, and provides a connection to the local community's past. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The station building has representative significance as a fine example of a first class station building, similar in design to other station designs from this period in NSW. Other items including the Station Master's residence, signal box, signal frame, gangers shed, turntable, water column and water tank, demonstrate widespread late 19th and early 20th Century railway customs, activities and design in NSW and are representative of similar items that are found in other railway sites across the state. ==References==