Stanmore to Petersham
July 2017
Met: Whole group met at Stanmore Station at 9.45 in the waiting room on Platform 3.
Participants - Ron, Chris, Peter, Yvonne, Helen, Richard, Colin and Natalie
Points of Interest:
Distance: About 8.2 km
Late research re the stations:-
On 26 September 1855, the first passenger railway line in NSW opened from Sydney to 'Parramatta Junction', which was located just west of present day Granville Railway Station. Central, Newtown, Ashfield, Homebush and Parramatta all opened on the 26/9/1855
Petersham opened on the 6/1/1857
Stanmore original site opened in 1878
Lewisham original site opened in 1886 then moved in 1891
July 2017
Met: Whole group met at Stanmore Station at 9.45 in the waiting room on Platform 3.
Participants - Ron, Chris, Peter, Yvonne, Helen, Richard, Colin and Natalie
Points of Interest:
- All the buildings at Stanmore station are heritage listed:-Waiting room on Platform 3 (1885) and the former parcels and booking office (1910). There is also a subway built in the 1920s. They are examples of a “2nd Class” station.
- We all loved the polished wooden floor in the waiting room. Stanmore opened in 1878. The line was quadruplicated in 1892 and sextuplicated in 1927 in association with electrification.
- Walked past Stanmore P.S. opened in 1894. The school has an extensive veggie garden and elaborate chicken house or even a 1st class hotel for the hens.
- Walked up Cavendish Street to Enmore passing many interesting houses, some with wooden ballistrades, also some in the style of Victorian Italianate.
- Liked the conversion of a light blue VW van into a ute.
- Stopped at a café in Enmore for coffee/tea and cakes.
- Walked back down Cambridge Street towards Stanmore Road.
- There were many comments as we passed by the tennis courts of Newington College and their spacious grounds and boom gate!
- Passed the former Salvation Army Training Centre in Livingston Road, now used for Public Housing. It was built in 1880 as a private home. A very grand home indeed!
- Continued walking back towards Lewisham, went through the underpass of the station to the other side and walked around the large block that has 2 churches, aged care facilities, a primary and a high school and offices for the St Vincent de Paul Society.
- Then across the road, through Petersham Park, passing the Fanny Durack Swimming Centre and on to Petersham.
- Looking at Peter’s GPS map of the walk on his phone amused us as it showed the criss-crossing we did around these suburbs.
- Petersham station opened 6/1/1857
- This Victorian Italianate station was built in 1885 facing Terminus Street. It had a set of grand entry stairs that would have lead up to the booking offices etc and then through to the platform at the rear. It is the largest and most elaborate C19 station building for the Sydney suburban rail system and is heritage listed. It was the only “1st class station” known to have been built in Sydney.
- We were able to walk on the platform and asked a few questions to a lady who was manning the office for the NSW Rail Institute. The building apparently has water damage and she knew of no plans for the rooms inside.
- The pedestrian subway was opened in 1892, but the access to platforms in the subway was closed in 1988.
- Walked up to Canterbury Road looking for a lunch stop but came back to the other side via the underpass to the pub, called the Public House Petersham.
- This was a great location, wonderful pub food and interesting names for their beers. It was much quieter than the cafes on the main road, even with the piano tuner doing his job!
- We bid our farewells at Petersham with Natalie and Colin walking back to Lewisham to catch the bus and the other members of the group crossed the road to the station.
Distance: About 8.2 km
Late research re the stations:-
On 26 September 1855, the first passenger railway line in NSW opened from Sydney to 'Parramatta Junction', which was located just west of present day Granville Railway Station. Central, Newtown, Ashfield, Homebush and Parramatta all opened on the 26/9/1855
Petersham opened on the 6/1/1857
Stanmore original site opened in 1878
Lewisham original site opened in 1886 then moved in 1891