Tamworth railway station, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tamworth
Station front in November 2009
Location	Marius Street, Tamworth
Coordinates	31°05′14″S 150°55′51″E / 31.0873°S 150.9308°E / -31.0873; 150.9308
Owned by	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Operated by	NSW TrainLink
Line(s)	Main Northern
Distance	455.1 km (282.8 mi) from Central
Platforms	1
Tracks	1
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	TMW
History
Opened	9 January 1882
Services
Preceding station NSW TrainLink Following station Kootingal toward Armidale NSW TrainLink North Western Line Werris Creek toward Sydney
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name	Tamworth Railway Station, yard group and movable relics
Type	State heritage (complex / group)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	1260
Type	Railway Platform/ Station
Category	Transport - Rail
Location
Tamworth Location in New South Wales

The Tamworth railway station is a special, heritage-listed train station. It is located in Tamworth, Australia. This station is on the Main Northern line. It first opened on 9 January 1882. This happened when the train line was extended from West Tamworth to Kootingal. The station is also known as the Tamworth Railway Station, yard group and movable relics. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

The station has one main platform. There is also an old platform at the southern end. This old platform was once used for a train service to Barraba.

Train Services

Tamworth station is used by NSW TrainLink's daily Northern Tablelands Xplorer service. This train travels between Armidale and Sydney. NSW TrainLink also runs a bus service from the station to Inverell.

Other Transport

You can also catch buses from the station's front area. New England Coaches offers services to Coffs Harbour and Warwick. NSW Trainlink also has bus services to Dubbo and Port Macquarie.

Station History

The Tamworth railway area is part of the Main North line. This line starts in Sydney and goes north towards the Queensland border. The Main North Line used to be the main way to travel between Sydney and Brisbane. However, trains had to change tracks at Wallangarra. Now, the line is closed north of Armidale. The main route between Brisbane and Sydney is now the North Coast line.

Tamworth's Beginnings

Tamworth is in the eastern part of the Darling Plains in NSW. An explorer named John Oxley visited the Peel Valley in 1818. By 1831, the first large sheep and cattle farms were set up. Most of the land was divided into big farms by the mid-1800s. People mainly used the area for raising cattle and sheep. Later, in the 1900s, sheep and wheat farming became more common.

In the 1830s, a town started to grow on the Peel River's southwest bank. This is where West Tamworth is today. In 1850, a public town was officially created on the other side of the river. This new town became the main town, called Tamworth. The town grew, and by 1861, Tamworth had 654 people. This included both the government town and the company town.

Tamworth became a municipality in 1876. It had flour mills, a tannery, and factories making butter, plaster, bricks, and clothes. It also had a hospital, post office, court house, and schools. In 1888, Tamworth was the first Australian town to use electric lighting!

The Railway Arrives

The Great Northern Railway reached East Maitland in 1857. It then reached Singleton in 1863, Muswellbrook in 1869, and Murrurundi in April 1871. From Murrurundi, coaches took people to Tamworth. The train line reached Quirindi in 1877, and then Tamworth in 1878.

The first railway platform in West Tamworth opened on 15 October 1878. It was only called West Tamworth after the line crossed the river to East Tamworth. The current Tamworth railway station opened in 1882.

The single train line from West Tamworth to Kootingal opened on 9 January 1882. The Tamworth station officially started service on the same day. The building contract for the West Tamworth to Uralla section was given out in 1879.

Both Tamworth towns became busy when the railways arrived in 1878. The railway brought a lot of wool traffic from the north. When a new part of the Main North line opened, the temporary end-point became a busy place. Horse or bullock teams carried supplies from the train yard to other towns. They returned with wool and other goods. Tamworth was one of the few larger towns that kept growing even after the railway moved on.

Station Design

The station building from the 1880s has a unique design. It shows off the beautiful style of the Victorian era. Inside, it originally had a waiting room, offices for the station master, tickets, and parcels. It also had a ladies' waiting room and separate toilet and lamp rooms. Even though parts have been added over the years, the building still looks very much like it did when it was new. The station also has a lovely landscaped garden area in front. Many of the original plants are still there today.

The station master's house is special because it was bought after it was built. It doesn't look like other railway buildings from that time. It was built in 1877 for the nearby Wesleyan Church. The railway line separated it from the church in 1881. This is when the NSW Railways bought it to be the station master's home.

Station Features

The inside of the Tamworth signal box in 2009.

The station has several important parts:

• A beautiful first-class station building, built in 1882.
• Two houses: the Station Master's house (built 1877, bought 1881) and a brick gatehouse (built 1882).
• A brick and concrete platform, built in 1882.
• A footbridge, which connects different parts of the station.
• Wooden level crossing gates and gatehouses at the Sydney end of the loop.

The area around the station is nicely landscaped. There's a park and plants in the front area, which were put there around 1880. Some of the trees are from when the station first opened.

Inside the signal box, there are some old items. These include an old platform lamp, three cane hoops, and a box for collected tickets. There's also an old circuit phone, a wooden rotating chair, and a timber table.

Heritage Importance

The Tamworth Railway Station is very important to the history of New South Wales. It's a grand Victorian-era station that still looks much like it did when it was built. It has a rare landscaped garden area from that time. The station building is a great example of a first-class station. It shows off beautiful design and details from the peak of railway building in the late 1800s. It helps us understand how the Great Northern Railway (GNR) developed. The size and quality of the building show how important Tamworth was as a town and railway location.

The Tamworth railway station was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Historical Significance

The Tamworth railway area is important because it shows the history of the Great Northern Railway (GNR). The GNR was a big achievement in transport and engineering in NSW. It was the third main railway line in NSW, connecting towns to each other and to Sydney. This had a huge impact on the economy and people's lives in those towns and across NSW. Tamworth shows this history with its well-preserved first-class railway station. It was built in the 1880s when railway construction was at its busiest in NSW.

Beautiful Design

The Tamworth railway station building is very beautiful. It adds to the look of the town, especially with its gardens. It's a single-story building made of brick, designed in a Victorian Italianate style. It has painted bricks with special stucco details. The front of the building has three classic gables. Unlike other similar buildings, Tamworth station has beautiful details on both the platform side and the road side.

Community Connection

The station is important to the local community. It has provided jobs, trade, and a place for people to meet for a long time. It helps people feel connected to their town's past. It's a special part of daily life for many people in the community.

Learning from the Past

The station building, houses, and other parts of the area can help us learn more about the history of NSW railways. They also show us the role and importance of Tamworth in that history.

A Great Example

The Tamworth railway station building is a great example of a first-class railway station in NSW. While each of the 19 first-class stations in NSW had different designs, they all show how important the railways were. They also show the importance of these stations built in major regional towns across NSW.

Images for kids

• 

  Station front in November 2009

• 

  The interior of Tamworth signal box, in 2009.