The former Hobart railway station served as the largest railway station terminus on the Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR) network. It was part of the Main Line, connecting Hobart to Launceston and Wynyard, and playing a central role in facilitating both passenger and freight transport across the island.[1]
Hobart | |
|---|---|
| Closed commuter rail station | |
 The former Hobart railway station was redeveloped into headquarters for the ABC in the 1980s. | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 42°52′39.38″S 147°19′57.32″E / 42.8776056°S 147.3325889°E |
| Operated by | Tasmanian Government Railways |
| Line(s) | Main Line |
| Platforms | 4 |
| Tracks | 10 |
| Construction | |
| Parking | None |
| Bicycle facilities | None |
| Other information | |
| Status | Closed |
| History | |
| Opened | 1871 |
| Closed | 4 October 1981 |
The station was constructed in 1871 by the Tasmanian Main Line Company (TML).[2] The Hobart railway station was further expanded in the 20th century, with the major works undertaken in the early 1950s, including the development of three 180-metre (600 ft) long concrete cantilevered canopies.[3] After the completion of construction works, the station had four platforms and a large concourse, as well as shopping stalls and food vendors. In the 1960s and early 1970s the railway station saw more than 70 trains a day come and go.
With the gradual cessation of passenger services in the latter half of the 1970s and the takeover by Australian National Railways in 1978, the railway station was sold and redeveloped in the 1980s. Sections of track that went into the station were demolished for the extension of the Tasman Highway onto Davey Street and Macquarie Street, and today, the redeveloped site houses the studios of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Baháʼí Faith Centre of Learning, with the only remaining part of the rail terminal the original sandstone TMLR station building from 1871.[4] The remaining railway heritage, including passenger rolling stock, has been preserved at sites including the Tasmanian Transport Museum in Glenorchy and the Don River Railway in Devonport.
Hobart's public transport infrastructure has since seen limited development compared to mainland Australia, with a proposed light rail project (Riverline) facing uncertainty due to political and financial considerations.
In 2024, the Tasmanian Heritage Council permanently listed a 115-metre (377 ft) rail shed constructed in 1915 at Macquarie Point called the "Goods Shed" on the state's heritage register, citing state-level historic cultural significance for its contributions to Tasmanian rail heritage.[5]
History
editThe Tasmanian Main Line Railway Company (TMLR) opened the line from Hobart to Evandale Road (later Western Junction) in 1876. This railway significantly reduced travel times between Hobart and Launceston, making transportation more efficient and accessible for Tasmanians.
During its peak in the 1930s and 1940s, the Tasmanian railway system was extensive, radiating from Launceston and Hobart to various regional destinations like Herrick, St Marys, and Marrawah. The railways were a major employer, offering a wide range of jobs and enabling widespread access to goods and passenger services.
In the 1930s, a proposed new railway station plan, outlined by Premier Albert Ogilvie, and submitted for consideration by the Public Works Committee, encountered mixed reactions. Designed with a 140 ft frontage on Argyle St and praised for its efficient layout by architect Colin Philp, the station aimed to boost suburban railway traffic. Estimated at £225,600, including a 700-yard tunnel under the Domain to avoid public disruption, the project garnered technical approval despite objections from medical professionals at the Hobart General Hospital. They expressed concerns about space constraints, arguing that all available land near the proposed site was crucial for hospital expansion.[6][7]
Despite its historical importance and widespread use during its heyday, the Tasmanian railways faced challenges during World War II, leading to overuse and under-maintenance. By the 1970s, declining passenger patronage and financial difficulties prompted the closure of many passenger services, including the last train from Wynyard to Hobart in July 1978.[8]
Services
editTasman Limited
editThe Tasman Limited was the only named train operated by TGR (The West Coaster was operated by the private Emu Bay Railway). Inaugurated in April 1954, the train originally began as an express railcar service; however, later became a first-class luxury passenger service, operated with special articulated coaching stock, buffet service and modern X class diesel locomotives. Seating was reserved, and the service ran from Hobart railway station to Wynyard with connections to Launceston, every day of the week except Sundays.
The Tasman, as it was colloquially known, outlasted all other TGR passenger services, and was officially the last regular scheduled government passenger train to operate on the Tasmanian rail network, the last train departed Hobart at 9.20am on Friday 28 July 1978.
Structures
editGoods Shed
editErected in 1915, the single-storey Goods Shed is a timber-framed, rectangular structure, mostly clad in painted corrugated steel sheeting, measuring about 115 by 24 metres (377 ft × 79 ft). The roof consists of two gabled sections. The interior features timber framing and trusses, original openings for timber sliding goods doors, and narrow, textured glass panels in white-painted timber frames, all deemed highly significant for heritage.[9] The structure was heritage-listed in 2024.[5] Under a current development proposal by Cox Architects, the Goods Shed will be relocated about 100 metres (330 ft) north, forming part of the Macquarie Point Stadium precinct entryway.[10]
Railway Roundabout
editThe Railway Roundabout is a 1960s roundabout, featuring a distinctive fountain designed by workers at the Cadbury factory, which won an international competition. Originally celebrated as a space-age gateway to the city, the fountain and surrounding area fell into disrepair by the late 1990s. However, a $370,000 restoration in 2012 revived its significance. The fountain, characterised by its Googie architecture, is now protected by heritage listing and continues to serve as a prominent community space, highlighted during events such as Dark Mofo.[11]
Roundhouse
editThe Hobart Roundhouse, with a diameter of 102 metres (334 ft), was a significant railway roundhouse capable of accommodating 22,000 people and featuring a 23 metres (75 ft), electrically driven turntable, the largest in Australia, which could turn 60 locomotives per hour. It served 45 engine roads and housed modern facilities like hydraulic lifts for removing locomotive wheels, hot water circulation for boiler cleaning, and various staff amenities. At its completion in 1915, the roundhouse was well-equipped with the latest machinery and powered by electricity.[12] Demolished in stages, with the final part removed in 1984, the roundhouse has inspired recent development proposals at Macquarie Point, including an unrealised 2015 masterplan by John Wardle[13] and the 2024 Macquarie Point Stadium precinct plan by Cox Architects.
Sources
edit- Federated Builders' Association of Australia (12 April 1915), "Hobart Railway Station. Peculiar Government Methods. (12 April 1915)", Building : The Magazine for the Architect, Builder, Property Owner and Merchant, 15 (92), Building Publishing Co.: 35, retrieved 23 July 2024
- "Tasmanian Main Line to Hobart (1 January 1886)", Walch's Tasmanian Almanac for (1886), J. Walch & Sons: 195, 1 January 1886, retrieved 23 July 2024
References
edit- ^ McKay, Crystal (21 July 2024). "It's been 45 years since Tasmania's last passenger train service ran. Could it make a comeback?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Townsley, W. A (August 1956), "The Tasmanian Main Line Railway Company", Papers and Proceedings: Tasmanian Historical Research Association, 5 (3): 40–52, ISSN 0039-9809
- ^ "Modern Design of New Hobart Railway Station". The Mercury. Vol. CLXXII, , no. 25, 456. Tasmania, Australia. 23 July 1952. p. 10. Retrieved 24 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Cooper G, Goss G (1996). Tasmanian Railways 1871-1996; 125 years. Devonport: CG publishing Co. ISBN 0-646-27633-6.
- ^ a b "Hobart Railway Good Shed Permanent Listing on the Tasmanian Heritage Register". Heritage Tasmania. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "Main Line to be Deviated". The Advocate (Australia). Tasmania, Australia. 2 February 1937. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "PROPOSED NEW RAILWAY STATION FOR HOBART". The Mercury. Vol. CXLVII, , no. 20, 854. Tasmania, Australia. 25 September 1937. p. 15. Retrieved 24 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Stokes, H.J.W. (1978) The Rise and Fall of the Tasman Limited, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, vol XXIX, number 493 November 1978, pp.237 - 244.
- ^ Winder, Adair (18 April 2024). "Hobart's proposed Mac Point Stadium faces precarious future following heritage listing of goods shed". Architecture Australia. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Rowbottom, Chris (8 July 2024). "Mixed reaction to Hobart's new Macquarie Point stadium design, as architects explain concept". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Robertson, David (18 September 2018). "Curious Hobart: A love story between a city, and its 'UFO roundabout'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "The Hobart Round House". The Examiner (Tasmania). Vol. LXXIV, no. 248. Tasmania, Australia. 18 October 1915. p. 7 (DAILY). Retrieved 23 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Johnson, Sian (23 November 2015). "MONA to shape new public space for Hobart". Architecture Australia. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2024.