1889 Second Class Return to Lang Street, Please
	Hardly what you would hear at the ticket counter at Preston Station these days, but a perfectly feasible request from commuters back in 1889 when the Melbourne to Preton-Reservoir railway first opened .   Today's commuters may find great grandpa's request a little confusing, but our guide to public transport may help  ...

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Centuries of Neglect

A simple reality check will show that the northern corridor of Melbourne's suburbs have always been amongst the lesser privileged regardless of the political leanings of whatever Colonial or State goverment has been in power.

Not the least of the official neglect was that of the basic commodity or public transport, a situation little improved today.

The opening or railway line in western, southern and eastern suburbs was a fait accompli many years before the good citizens of Northcote, Preston (or Heidelberg) got to play train-spotters.   Suburban stations (some of which were convenient stops on country lines) that wereopened any number of years before any consideration was given to the Darebin district included :

1854	Sandridge (Port Melbourne)	1861	Maidstone	1882	Lilydale
1857	St. Kilda	1873	Broadmeadows	1882	Ringwood
1859	Williamstown	1877	Dandenong	1884	Coburg
1860	Essendon	1877	Pakenham	1886	Laverton
1861	Brighton	1882	Camberwell

Preston-Reservoir  to Melbourne (opened 8 October, 1889)

Plans for the construction of "our" railway finally came to fruition with the passing of the Railway Act of 1882, introduced into the Parliament by the land boomer, Thomas Bent, then Minister for Railways and later the Premier of Victoria.   "Bent by name", "Bent by nature", Thomas Bent was a colourful politician of the old style that considered anything that was good for him was good for Victoria!

The Act encompassed plans for a network of new railways in suburban Melbourne and became known as the "Octopus Act", a reference to the tentacle-like spread of new lines across Melbourne.   The sections of the Act covering what became known as the Inner Circle Line were Schedule 14 from Royal Park to Whittlesea (although it was referred to as the Fitzroy-Whittlesea Railway), and Section 59, Royal Park to Clifton Hill.   Section 9 of the Act granted the Government the power to compulsorily acquire land for railway use.

The Coburg line was the first established under the Act and when it became finally became the turn of Preston, Northcote and Heidelberg, it was decided to include the existing stations between Spencer Street and Royal Park and then a track through the northern part of Carlton and Fitsroy was preferable to a direct route through Collingwood and Fitzroy and the potential costs of acquiring properties in these already densely populated areas.   

The primary tender was to build the railway line from Royal Park to Whittlesea (through cuttings and over necessary bridges) and the successful bidder was David Munro & Co., a company that had been involved in building other railways (although some reports suggest  not always at a profit), the agreed price £97,818/15/4 the lowest of the twelve tenders received.  Various other sub-contracts were also let - for erection of level crossings, gatekeeper's cottages, plaforms, goods shed and at the end of the line, a turntable to reverse the trains at Whittlesea.  

Munro & Co.'s contract included the construction of 16 bridges, by far the most costly that over the Merri Creek at Northcote, the second biggest that over the Darebin Creek north of the Epping Station.  The construction of the line from Royal Park to Whittlesea took just over two years, with most of the time taken by the necessary crossing over the Merri Creek.    Once the bridge section was completed, the line was extended to Reservoir in just over a month, and from Reservoir to Whittlesea between September and early December, 1889.

The Heidelberg section (not in the Munro contract) also required crossing the Creek and a single-track bridge perhaps hastened the construction, the line being opened in May, 1888, some 16 months ahead of the Reservoir section of the Whittlesea route.  The Heidelberg line was also blessed by having an existing section of track between Clifton Hill and Alphington, originally planned to be part of an Outer Circle line that ran from Fairfield along the route of today's Chandler Highway to East Camberwell,   The section from Alphington to Fairfield was never completed, and although trains ran on what was dubbed "The Nowhere to Nowhere Line", the service was hastily abandoned.

But no party ...

There was no festivities for the opening of the section to Reservoir, a fact bemoaned by the Leader, but (given the publication was less than twelve months old), the paper celebrated regardless before opening an already festering sore and a rude wake-up call just two months later ...

"...there was no banquet to celebrate the event and nothing for the youngsters.  But some of the residents of Preston signalised the prestigious event by hoisting some very attractive bunting ...  too much praise cannot be given to the splendid carriage accomodation.  The first-class carriages are simply superb, being large, spledidly upholstered, and in ever way comfortable.  The second-class carriages are the best we have seen on any line, and quite equal to, if not superior to many first-class carriages on some lines ...  we want a direct railway, and must not rest till we get it.  Come it must, and the sooner the better."

There was a banquet at Whittlesea in December when the outer section of line was opened.  Sadly the organisers opted to hold it in a large marquee and heavy rain soaked many of the V.I.P.'s in attendance).   

... and things haven't changed in 117 years

Given the sad history of public transport over the last century, The Leader should have had more sense than to believe the good times and high-quality service was likely to last for very long after the line was established.   Their first edition for 1890 came obviously just after the holiday period, and a few realities were starting to show (Connex executives need read no further) :

"For downright greed and cool cheek, the Railways Department licks creation ... excursionists are huddled like sheep in open goods trucks until just about parboiled.  For this glorious priviledge of sweltering discomfort the department has the cheek to charge full rates ...the platry excuse for such vicious and beastly accomodation is a deficiency of "rolling stock" ...how long is this humbug to be tolerated ..."

And on to Whittlesea (opened 23 December, 1889)

The line was built through to Whittlesea primarily for freight purposes, the trains carrying milk, some livestock and timber from the farming areas around the Plenty River.  Bell Station for several decades had holding yards for pigs which were then driven up to Oakover Road and the J. C. Hutton's ham and bacon works.   Despite long public protests, the yards weren't closed down until the late 1940s.

Given the freight revenue was a key factor in the extension, several sidings were linked to the maiin line to allow for easier load on goods : the Northcote Brick Works siding was opened in 1892 and extended across High Street to where the shopping centre in Separation Street now stand, the Reservoir Stone Company sidng opened in 1895 and little later another at the Epping Quarries.

The original line beyond Epping to Whittlesea is still shown in street directories - fhe track from Epping (where rails still remain) ran east-north-east until it crossed Plenty Road at the intersection of Gordon's Road, South Morang, and from that point almost due north to Whittlesea, most of the line lying less than 100 metres from Plenty Road.

With the northern suburbs now extending well beyond Epping, the Bracks Government some five years ago made an election promise to extend the line past Epping to at least South Morang with the possibility of a spur line through North Epping, but the plans seem to have been conveniently shelved with the election won

Preston Station ?

Although the locals had fought for many years for a railway service, there was certainly no consensus of opinion at to where Preston actually was!

Residents of the area around Regent Street claimed their area was Preston, as it was the original settlement when the name was first used.   But the citizens of South Preston between Dundas and Bell Streets also insisted the name on the basis that it was the developing part of the district and "brought Preston a mile closer to Melbourne". 

Stations on the new rail line were ultimately built at Bell Street, at Murray Road (not included on the original route, but added when plans for the Shire Hall were announced), Regent Street and at North Preston.    The Railways Department neatly dodged the controversy over the naming rights for Preston by prefixing each of the three local stations with the title - Preston (Bell), Preston (Murray) and Preston (Regent) as well as Preston - Reservoir!

Having Northcote and Middle Northcote proved confusing, and even after the former was changed to Merri, there were still problems, one report suggesting that the Railways finally acceded to having Murray renamed to Preston because of the audible similarity of the names "Merri" and "Murray".

Get Your Metcard

When the line opened, sixteen trains ran in each direction on weekdays, but if you missed your Sunday train, you had a fair wait with just six trains per day, including nearly a three-hour gap after the first train at around 9:45 a.m.   With the round-about route, the journey from Preston-Reservoir to Spencer Street took 39 minutes, 22 minutes of that on the Inner Circle Section between Merri and the city.   With the new undergrouns stops, the trip today via the "direct" route takes 36 or 39 minutes depending on whether the train is via the City Loop.

From Whittlesea, the journey took just on 90 minutes depending on the engine used.   For many years, the Whittlesea trains ran express from Preston-Reservoir to Croxton.

For the locals heading off to the big smoke when the line opened , it was nine pence (eight cents today) First Class from Preston -  Murray) or sixpence (five cents) Second Class.   Those craving the luxury of a first class compartment could save a penny with a brisk walk to Preston - Bell, but anyone relaxing in First Class for the full journey between Melbourne and Whittlesea parted with 3/8d; for the rest of us it was 2/7d, but as with all the fares, there was a significant discount for a day return ticket.

Regardless of the class in which one rode, those dressed in their city fineries would have been reluctant to open a window with the trains powered by steam from coal-burners and with a thick plume of trailing black smoke.

Electrification

The scheme to electrify Melbourne's railways and this eliminate the smoke hazards saw a large electric substation constructed on the north side of Park Street (neatly mid-way between North Carlton and North Fitzroy Stations).   The North Fitzroy Power Station was one of several arounfg the Melbourne railway grid that converted 22,000 alternating current from the Newport Power Station to 1,500 direct current that powered the railways through overhead lines.

The electrified section from Princes Bridge to Reservoir first operated on July 31, 1921 and was extended to Thomastown in December, 1929, to Lalor in NNovember 1929 and finally to Epping in 1964.

The Last Train From Whittlesea

Station  (link to image)	Opened	Renamed	On	Renamed	On	Closed	Our Stuff
Whittlesea	23-Dec-1889						Very little trace remains of the former terminus at Whittlesea with the exception of a small gangers hut at the northern end of the platform
Yan Yean	23-Dec-1889						Most of the Yan Yean platform is still intact, now on private property.  The station appears to have been on the corner of Plenty and Arthur's Creek Road
South Yan Yean	23-Dec-1889	Mernda	Unknown				The  station opened as South Yan Yean but being between Yan Yean and South Morang was a bit confusing and it became Mernda (date unknown).  The station was near the corner of Plenty and Bridge Inn Roads.
South Morang	23-Dec-1889						The South Morang station was just to the west of Plenty Road midway between McDonald's and Gordon’s Roads where the line crossed from west to east to run parallel with Plenty Road to Whittlesea. Part of the platform still exists but on an overgrown condition
Epping	23-Dec-1889
Thomastown	23-Dec-1889
Preston – Reservoir	8-Oct-1889	Reservoir	1-Dec-1909
Preston – Regent Street	8-Oct-1889	Regent	1-Aug-1905
Preston – Murray Road	8-Oct-1889	Murray	1-Aug-1905	Preston	1-Dec-1909
Preston – Bell Street	8-Oct-1889	Bell	1-Aug-1905
Thornbury	8-Oct-1889
Croxton	8-Oct-1889
Middle Northcote	8-Oct-1889	Northcote	10-Dec-1906
Northcote	8-Oct-1889	Merri	10-Dec-1906
Clifton Hill	8-May-1888
Collingwood *	8-May-1888	Victoria Park	21-Oct-1901				Trains to Heidelberg ???????????
Nicholson	8-May-1888	North Fitzroy	16-Oct-1889			15-Nov-1948
Fitzroy *	8-May-1888					19-May-1892	Heading out off the city, a spur line ran from North Fitzroy Station in Brunswick Street south-eat behind the old Fitzroy Football Ground to Fitzroy Station on the north-west corner of Queens Parade and Napier Street.
Lang Street	8-May-1888	North Carlton	19-Aug-1889			15-Nov-1948	The southern side station still stands as a community centre on the north side of Park Street between Canning and Station Streets.   Just why is it was Kndrdige Street is a mystery unless there were changes in street names at some stage.
Royal Park	9-Sep-1884						Royal Park station was already established as part of the Coburg line
Flemington	10-Apr-1885	Flemington Bridge	5-Dec-1885				The original name was changed shortly after opening to avoid confusion with Flemington Racecourse, first opened 1861, cloed 1864 and re-opened 1867.   The station was also part of the Coburg line although it opened a few months after the line first operated.
Macauley Road	1-Dec-1887	Macauley	1-May-1909				Opened as part of Coburg line
North Melbourne	6-Oct-1859						North Melbourne was built as part of the route for Melbourne's second railway, to Essendon and opening in 1859
Spencer Street	17-Jan-1859

Stations added after the opening

Station	Opened	Renamed	On	Renamed	On	Closed	Our Stuff
RMSP 77	Oct-1949	Lalor	27-Aug-1952				RMSP = Royal Mail Stopping Place
Keonpark	16-Dec-1929	Keon Park	By Feb 1972
Ruthven	5-Aug-1962						The station was named in honour of William Ruthven, a Victoria Cross winner during the First World War and later a politician who was the Labor representative for Preston in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1945-55 and then following a redistribution represented Reservoir until his retirement in 1961.
Rushall	1-Jan-1927

The Inner Circle Line

Although undoubtedly better than nothing, the new railway with its extended route through North Fitzroy, Carlton and Royal Park was unpopular as it gave no access to the industrial areas of Collingwood and much of Fitzroy where many Preston men worked.  Even for those visiting the city on a social or shopping visit, the terminus at Spencer Street and the prospect of a further cable tram trip to the centre of Melbourne was onerous and complaints over the service continued for another decade.

Even with the direct route, some passenger trains still ran on the Inner Circle loop and the line was upgraded to a double track and electrified in 1921.   Passengers preferences for the direct route later saw the line restored to a single track and the last regular passenger service ran in 1948.   The Inner Circle Line was re-opened briefly  during the Melbourne Olympic Games, to transport spectators to the Carlton Football Ground 
The Spur Lines

From North Fitzroy, a spur line ran south-east across St. George's Road (this and the main Inner Circle line neatly straddling the old fire station) to Fitzroy Station on the north-east corner of Napier Street and Royal Parade, the platform established to provide for football followers heading for the old Brunswick Street Oval.  

The expected patronage never came and the spur was closed to passenger trains just four years later.   The line continued to be used up until 1981 for freight (largely carrying coal to the Metropolitan Gas Company's gasometer, a prominent landmark that stood on the south-western corner of Queen's Parade and Smith Street until the early 1970s).   A goods yard and later a wheat silo where established to the east of Edinburgh Gardens, but although the Inner Circle Line itself form Royal Parkk to Clifton Hill was also electrifed in July 1921, the spur line was never powered.

The Fitzroy yards were accessible from Queen's Parade and after their closure on 1 August 1981 were re-developed into a mixture of public housing and private town houses. The footbridge over the goods yard was was removed toMoorooduc on the Morning Peninsular and now forms part of a tourist railway. The tracks and old railway gates in St. George's Road remained until the early 1980s - the original route is still shown on street directories as as a pathway and cycle track.

There was another spur from Clifton Hill to Collingwood Station (now Victoria Park).  Just what the rationale was for this diversion remains a mystery – "Victoria Park" was equally well-known as Dight's Paddock, and although a few junior football and cricket teams used the area, it was to be another four years before the Collingwood Football Club was formed and entered the senior Victorian Football Association competition.   This spur line became part of the "direct link" to Melbourne opened in 1901.

Clifton Hill to Princes Bridge (opened 21 October 1901)

Station	Opened	Renamed	On	Renamed	On	Closed	Our Stuff
Collingwood *	8-May-1888	Victoria Park	21-Oct-1901				Collingwood was originally the terminus of a spur line that ran from Clifton Hill.
Collingwood Town Hall	21-Oct-1901	Collingwood	1-May-1909
North Richmond	21-Oct-1901
West Richmond	21-Oct-1901
Jolimont	21-Oct-1901
Princes Bridge	1854 (1879)					30-Jun-1980	Princes Bridge was the terminus for the first railway in Australia connecting Melbourne and Sandridge (Port Melbourne). This line, only with others to St. Kilda, Brighton and Hawthorn that also terminated at Princes Bridge were run by private companies, the foremost of which was the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company until they were taken over by the State run Victorian Railways Department in 1878. Princes Bridge Station was closed in 1866 and the tracks connected to the new Flinders Street Station but reopened in 1879 and operated as the Victorian Gippsland Railway Station. It returned to its original role as a suburban station in 1901 with the re-routing of the Heidelberg and Whittlesea lines through Collingwood and the western part of Richmond. The station officially became part of Flinders Street under a combined Headmaster on 16-Aug-1921 and was officially closed on 30 June 1980.

Despite the agitation from Preston and parts of Northcote, the locals still had no direct access to Melbourne for another three years when what was known as the Northcote Loop linking the line from just south of the Creek to Clifton Hill was finally opened.

Heidelberg to Spencer Street (opened 5-May-1888)

From Clifton Hill, the route to the city was the same as the Whittlesea service above, but for many decades most trains have run express from Clifton Hill to Jolimont and vice versa. Extended to

Station	Opened	Renamed	On	Renamed	On	Closed
Heidelberg	5-May-1888
Eaglemont	1-May-1926
Ivanhoe	5-May-1888
Darebin	5-May-1888
Alphington	5-May-1888						The line between Clifton Hill and Alphington was originally built in 1883 before being connected to the Heidelberg line in 1888. The original section was intended to be part of the Outer Circle Line, an ambitious scheme linking Fairfield with the Burwood, Ringwood and Lilydale lines. The Outer Circle was finally opened in 1891, following the path of today’s Chandler Highway, stations between Fairfield and East Camberwell being Fulham Grange (near the old Australian Paper Mills in Heidelberg Road, East Kew, Deepdene, Roystead (later Burwood), and Shenley). The former two stations were closed just two years after the line opened, the latter three lasted until October 1927
Fairfield Park	5-May-1888	Fairfield	14-Nov-1943
Dennis	4-Dec-1924
Westgarth Street	5-May-1888	Northcote South	1-Aug-1888	Westgarth	10-Dec-1906		The original Westgarth Street-Northcote South Station was south of Westgarth Street.   Today's Westgarth was a later station was built on the northern side

Whittlesea. The only remaining sign of a station is a ganger's hut on the northern end of the platform http://www.vicrailstations.com	Yan Yean. The platform survives and is clearly visible above, now on private land http://www.vicrailstations.com	South Yan Yean (Mernda)  http://www.vicrailstations.com	South Morang. The site is almost totally demolished, a ridge of broken rubble demarking where the platform once stood. http://www.vicrailstations.com
Epping. Taken from Cooper Street showing the old line extending northwards http://www.vicrailstations.com	North Fitzroy. The image shows the old spur link to Fitzroy Station branching off the main line http://www.vicrailstations.com	North Fitzroy. Date unknown, but obviously after the line was electrified Public Record Office Victoria Photographic Collection PR 3844	North Fitzroy showing the tracks and Park street platform. Date unknown, but probably early 1950s as the northern platform appears to be fenced off Public Record Office Victoria Photographic Collection, PR 3843.
North Carlton. Showing the entrance in Park Street, circa 1950s Public Record Office Victoria Photographic Collection, PR 3842.	North Carlton. Taken from where the original tracks lay and showing the platform area (Contemporary photo of the Community House) http://www.vicrailstations.com	Fitzroy spur and goods yard. This shows the footbridge across the goods yard. The old gasometer that stood on the corner of Smith Street and Queen's Parade until the 1960s can be seen on the left. Public Record Office Victoria Photographic Collection, PR 3847	The Northcote Loop between Merri Creek and Rushall Station, 1958 (many years before the area was extensively filled and landscaped Newsrail, January 1984, p. 9.
Prince's Bridge Station (right) and the Jolimont Railyards, 1918	Flinders Street Station, 1927	Spencer Street Station, c 1890

(Right)  Artist's impression of the original Hobson's Bay Railway Company's station at Prince's Bridge in 1854 (looking towards Sandridge) when Australia's train line was opened.   The image appeared in a special edition of The Australasian issued in 1936 to celebrate 100 years since Melbourne's foundation, but it is not clear whether it was created at the time of the opening or at a later date

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