Gawler railway station

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Gawler
GawlerStationAdelaide.jpg
LocationTwentythird Street, Gawler South
Coordinates34°36′30″S 138°44′23″E / 34.60833°S 138.73972°E / -34.60833; 138.73972Coordinates: 34°36′30″S 138°44′23″E / 34.60833°S 138.73972°E / -34.60833; 138.73972
Owned byDepartment for Infrastructure & Transport
Operated byAdelaide Metro
Line(s)Gawler
Distance39.8 km from Adelaide
Platforms3
Tracks3
Construction
Structure typeGround
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
History
Opened1857
Rebuilt1872 & 2012
Services
Preceding station Adelaide Metro Following station
Gawler Racecourse
towards Adelaide
 Gawler line Gawler Oval
towards Gawler Central

Gawler railway station is located on the Gawler line.[1] Situated in the South Australian town of Gawler, it is 39.8 kilometres (24.7 mi) from Adelaide station.

History[]

Gawler station opened in 1857 as the terminus of the Gawler line. It was built on pastoral land owned by the local parliamentary member of the period. The original platform building was replaced in 1879.[2][3] Subsequently, a horse-drawn tram serviced Gawler's main street (Murray Street), almost a kilometre away. The tramway handled both passengers and goods, with several goods sidings, and a connection to the main line to facilitate the delivery of locomotives built by James Martin & Co. The railway was extended to Roseworthy and Kapunda in 1860 then to Morgan in 1878.

With the opening of the Barossa Valley line in 1911, Gawler became a junction station, and North Gawler station (now named Gawler Central) was built which eventually led to closure of the tramway. Further branches from both railway lines meant Gawler Station was quite busy. Neither line is now used beyond the metropolitan transit, and the current station contains a kiosk and three platforms. South of the station, lie stabling sidings for Adelaide Metro's rolling stock. The station marks the end of the double track section from Adelaide, with the line becoming single track just north of the station.

The Gawler Lions Club has adopted the station for restoration work. It now houses an art gallery, displaying local artists, and is open on weekends. The club also successfully lobbied for a steam engine built by James Martin & Sons, previously located on Thomas Terrace between the Gawler Oval and Gawler Central stations. The locomotive is also in the process of being restored.[4] An upgrade of the station was completed in March 2012: the heritage train shed was dismantled for restoration off-site, both platforms were upgraded, and a new toilet was installed.[5]

Railway electrification to Gawler began in 2018 and is expected to be completed in early 2022; the original November 2021 reopening being delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

Services by platform[]

Platform Destination/s Notes
1 Gawler Central/Adelaide Mostly used for terminating services from Adelaide, no passenger services during weekends
2 Gawler Central/Adelaide Mostly used in peak hours during weekdays, also some terminating services from Adelaide, no passenger services during weekends
3 Gawler Central/Adelaide Mostly used for services to Adelaide and Gawler Central, all passenger services use this platform during weekends

In popular culture[]

The station building has appeared in a number of films and television shows, including The Shiralee and McLeod's Daughters.

References[]

  1. ^ Gawler Central timetable Archived 10 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Adelaide Metro 4 February 2013
  2. ^ Bassett Town & the Railway Town of Gawler
  3. ^ "Place ID 6072". Australian Heritage Database. Department of the Environment.
  4. ^ Projects Gawler Lions Club
  5. ^ Stations Upgrade Program Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure
  6. ^ "Gawler Railway Electrification Project". Gawler Council. Retrieved 9 December 2020.

External links[]

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