- Source: Cemetery Station No. 1 railway station
The Cemetery station" target="_blank">Station No. 1 was a railway station" target="_blank">station situated on the Rookwood Cemetery railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Operating from 1867 to 1948, it primarily served the Rookwood Cemetery. The station" target="_blank">station's architectural design was overseen by James Barnet, the New South Wales Government Architect.
History
The Cemetery No. 1 railway station" target="_blank">station (also known as No. 1 Mortuary Receiving Railway station" target="_blank">Station) was situated on the Rookwood Cemetery railway line. It was decided that funeral processions could be conducted with more dignity and ease if more formal stations were constructed to replace the original ones, which had corrugated iron and timber structures. A scheme was initiated in 1868 to segregate funeral operations from regular railway activities by establishing new platforms. This effort commenced with the construction of the Cemetery station" target="_blank">station inside the Necropolis.
The station" target="_blank">station opened as Haslem's Creek Cemetery on 1 April 1867. Some time before 1872, the station" target="_blank">station name was changed to Necropolis. The station" target="_blank">station was called Mortuary Terminus before having its name changed to Mortuary General Cemetery on 26 July 1897, when its name was transferred to the new terminus (later Cemetery station" target="_blank">Station No. 3 railway station" target="_blank">station). Finally, the name was changed to Cemetery station" target="_blank">Station No. 1 on 15 June 1908, and it closed on 29 December 1948.
The sandstone station" target="_blank">station building included wide platforms, a ticket office, two vestibules, retiring rooms and a carriage port. This building was elaborately decorated in a similar style to Regent Street railway station" target="_blank">station in Redfern. The work of sculptors Thomas Ducket and Henry Apperly and carvers Moxon and Apperly SMH (Thursday 9 April 1868 p5), included angels, cherubs, gargoyles and various foliage carvings featuring flowers, pears, sycamores, apples and pomegranates. Black and white floor tiles created by Cumberland pottery were laid in a tessellated pattern on the floors.
The building spanned the terminus of the railway line into the cemetery so it created a tunnel effect. It covered an area of 35 by 13 metres (115 ft × 43 ft) and was approximately 6 metres (20 ft) high, being carried on 12 columns. An arch at each end of the building was approximately 12 metres (39 ft) high and 13 metres (43 ft) wide at the base. The northern arch was decorated with two angels opposite each other on the inner side of the arches. One angel appeared to be holding a scroll and its eyes were closed. The other angel was set to look down the railway line and held a trumpet in its hands. The building had a bell-cote for housing a bell that was used during the funeral services. The bell was tolled to warn passengers of the impending departure time. It is believed (but not verified) that the bell would ring as each train arrived, and between 1910 and 1920 the bell was rung 30 minutes before the train was to depart to warn the passengers. It rang again when there was five minutes left to departure.
The station" target="_blank">station was an ornate stone building. After closure the station" target="_blank">station building was dismantled and moved to Canberra in 1958, where it is now All Saints Church. The rebuilt church contains some modifications, the most obvious of which is the change in position of the bell tower to the opposite side.
= Restoration
=In the middle of 2000, work began to improve the station" target="_blank">station site (at Rookwood Cemetery) and to restore the original pathways. The restoration work included exposing the gutters, uncovering the foundations of the platform (located at 33°52'10.86"S 151° 3'4.48"E), indicating the former locations of the structural columns and re-gravelling the pathways. A signpost at the site indicates the name for the station" target="_blank">station as being No. 1 Mortuary Receiving station" target="_blank">Station and states that building work commenced on 14 April 1867, and was completed 10 August 1869.
Gallery
See also
All Saints Church, Canberra
Architecture of Sydney
List of closed Sydney railway stations
Rail transport in New South Wales
Rookwood railway station" target="_blank">station, Sydney
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Adelaide Park Lands
- Cakupan Google Street View
- Cemetery Station No. 1 railway station
- Chennai Central railway station
- London Necropolis railway station
- Cemetery Station No. 4 railway station
- Central railway station, Sydney
- London King's Cross railway station
- London Necropolis Railway
- Cemetery Station No. 2 railway station
- Howrah railway station
- Euston railway station