BPN Submission on draft NSW Heritage Strategy – Page 3 – FOKE

CASE STUDY: Gordon Railway Station

Will Gordon Railway Station be able to cope with the mandatory additional 9,500 dwellings without compromising its heritage>

Will the population increase will overwhelm the infrastructure capacity for the number of people travelling from Gordon Railway Station the railway line and undermine its heritage?

State Heritage Inventory

Gordon Railway Station

LINK HERE

All Addresses

Statement of Significance

Gordon Railway Station Group is significant at a state level as an excellent representative example of an early 20th century suburban station building group located on the North Shore line, which retains a high degree of integrity and quality in its architectural detail. The station group demonstrates the importance of the role of the railway in opening up the areas of the northern suburbs of Sydney for settlement at this time. It is able to evoke an earlier era of rail travel through its grouping of the original Platform 2/3 station building, platforms and booking office, along with sympathetic later additions.

The station contributes to the cohesive character of the North Shore line, characterised by its early 20th century railway architecture, generally in landscaped settings, which demonstrates the rapid construction of this section of the rail network. Gordon station stands out in the North Shore group of stations, due to its overhead booking office, which is an unusual feature in this region.

Date Significance Updated : 26/10/2010

Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Departments copyright and disclaimer.

Assessment of Significance

SHR Criteria a) Historical Significance

Gordon Railway Station is historically significant at a state level. Opened in 1890, Gordon Station was one of the first stations along the North Shore line, and demonstrates the role of the railway in facilitating the rapid subdivision and development of the northern suburbs of Sydney. The elements that contribute to this significance include the 1909-1910 station building, booking office, overhead walkway, and platforms.

SHR Criteria c) Aesthetic Significance

As a complex, Gordon Railway Station is of state aesthetic significance as a fine example of an early 20th Century railway station along the North Shore line, which retains a high degree of integrity and quality of detail. The elaborate nature of its architectural detail is perhaps indicative of the importance of Gordon Railway Station as an early intermediate terminus along the North Shore line. This station building contributes to the cohesive group of 20th century railway architecture which is characteristic of the northern section of the rail network, and demonstrates the rapid historical construction of the North Shore line. The reconstructed waiting room contributes to the general early 20th century character of the Gordon Railway Station, and is a physical record of one the earliest structures at the station, although in itself it has little heritage value.

SHR Criteria d) Social Significance

Gordon Railway Station has social significance as evidenced by the community involvement during the design and construction of the new lifts and access arrangements. Local historical societies are also known to include the station complex in historical tours of the local area, thereby demonstrating the high esteem held by particular members of the community for the Gordon Railway Station.

SHR Criteria f) Rare Assessment

The location of the booking office on the overbridge is rare along the North Shore line, which is perhaps indicative of the importance of Gordon Railway Station as an early terminus along this line.

SHR Criteria g) Representative Assessment

Gordon Railway Station is of representative significance at a state level as an early 20th century railway station complex. Elements that contribute to this significance include the 1909 station building, overbridge and platforms. The footbridge is a good representative example of such structures, of which 28 were constructed in Metropolitan Sydney, with a number still remain within the metro network. The brick station building on the island platform is a good and intact representative example of early 20th century station building constructed along the North Shore line.

Integrity/Intactness

The station group retains a high level of integrity, with sympathetic modern additions.

Assessment Criteria

Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register to determine the level of significance.

Description

Designer/Maker: New South Wales Department of Railways

Builder/Maker: New South Wales Department of Railways

Construction Year Start & End: 1909-1909

Physical Description

CONTEXT

Gordon Railway Station is located east of the Pacific Highway at Gordon. The station complex includes three platforms; an early 20th century overhead walkway and booking office with modern lift towers on the northern side; an early 20th century station building on an island platform; a reconstructed late 19th century timber waiting room; and an easement approximately 10m wide on either side of the railway tracks, which has been landscaped. The station is accessed via modern stairs and disabled ramp from either side of the station. There is a commercial strip on the western side of the Pacific Highway immediately across the road from the station.

LANDSCAPE SETTING

Both the eastern and western lengths of the rail corridor are landscaped with several mature trees and shrubs including poplars, jasmine, jacaranda, palms, agapanthus, camellias and lawned areas.

STRUCTURES

Footbridge (1909)

Platforms (1909)

Modern Steel Shelters

BUILDINGS

Station Building, including Signal Box, Platform 2/3 (c.1909)

Overhead Booking Office (1910)

Station Building, Platform 1 (1993)

STATION BUILDING (c1909)

Exterior: Located on the island platform (Platform 2/3) the station building (c.1909) is a good representative example of the standard railway design A8-A10 station buildings along the Northern line. Walls are red face brick, tuck pointed with moulded rendered string course, architraves and window sills. The gabled roof is modern corrugated steel, and the ends are timber boarded. The lower pitched awnings over the platform are supported on cast iron awning brackets springing from moulded rendered corbels. One face brick chimney with rendered top is sited along the ridge line. At the northern end of the building is located a brick signal box with encircling sliding 6-paned windows on three sides under the main roof line. The exterior of the station is largely in original condition, with no additional openings or infilled elements.

Interior: The interior of the Platform 2/3 station building contains a high degree of original fabric and layout. Original internal details include mini-orb ceiling, ceiling roses, plastered wall finishes with moulded dado, and door and window joinery including 16-paned coloured glass sashes. The floor has been replaced with concrete, and modern fluorescent lighting installed. The interior of the signal box is painted brick to window sill height and timber boarded above the windows, with a mini orb ceiling and timber floor. Fittings include the 28 lever frame, key box, 1927 Indicator board, 1969 indicator board, original timber desk and bells.

OVERHEAD BOOKING OFFICE (1910)

Exterior: The timber framed and weatherboard clad booking office was constructed in 1910 and located on the overhead platform. It has a gabled roof of modern corrugated iron steel with finials. The roof overhang and projecting gable on the southern side provides a sheltered area for ticket purchasing, and features timber boarded ceiling and rose. Two modern ticket windows have been inserted into original openings with decorative timber architraves remaining. Other modern ticket machines have been recessed into the building in new openings with profiled timber architraves. Two new steel and glass lifts are located on the north side of the building and overbridge. New access structures to these lifts have been constructed in a similar style and material to the original booking office, and feature coloured glass panels. The lift access structure on the eastern side includes two small commercial tenancies, only one of which is presently occupied.

Interior: Internally the original layout of the building appears to have been largely altered. Timber panelled wall linings appear original, although the battened plaster ceiling is not. Air-conditioning ducts and fluorescent lights are modern. Doors are timber panelled and windows are 4 or 6-paned sash, which all appear to be original.

STATION BUILDING (1993)

A small timber framed structure reconstructed in 1993 based on the design of the original 1890 waiting room. The structure is clad externally with timber weatherboards and has a skillion roof of corrugated steel. The structure is open with exposed framing, concrete floor and timber bench.

FOOTBRIDGE (1909)

Dating from 1909 the footbridge has a steel haunched beam construction supported on steel trestles. The two bay structure spans two tracks on the eastern side and one track on the western side of the rail corridor. Markings of imported British steel manufacturers are visible, both Lanarkshire, and Dorman Long & Co., Middlesborough. The concourse has a concrete deck and modern steel balustrades. Modern concrete steps on steel supports provide access to the island platform. Similar steps and disabled ramp provide access to the streets on either side of the station.

PLATFORMS (1909)

The island platform (Platform 2/3) at Gordon was built in 1909 as part of the line duplication for the Northern line, and has brick faces and an asphalt platform surface. The overhead booking office and footbridge are located approximately at the half way point of the platform, with the station building located at the southern end. Platform 1 also has brick faces and an asphalt surface and is likely to date from the same period.

MODERN STEEL SHELTERS

As part of the upgrading of the station in which lifts were installed, steel framed shelters were installed at the northern end of both platforms.

MOVEABLE

1914-1918 Honour Roll (Overhead Platform)

1927 and 1969 timber indicator boards still in use (Overhead Platform)

Cast iron drinking fountain (Platform 2/3)

Physical Condition and/or Archaeological Potential

Overhead Booking Office – Good Condition

Station Building (Platform 2/3) – Good Condition

Station Building (Platform 1) – Good Condition

Footbridge – Good Condition

Platforms – Good Condition

Landscape – Good Condition

Modern Steel Shelters – Very Good Condition

Archaeological Potential – Low

Modifications & Dates

1927: Electrification of the North Shore line between Milson’s Point and Hornsby was opened on 15 August 1927.

1928: Full electric services were provided 15 July 1928, and included services at Gordon. With electrification came automatic signalling and most signal boxes were closed. However, Gordon Signal Box remained in service until recent years (as with other North Shore signal boxes including North Sydney, Chatswood, Lindfield) due to the need for local control of terminating trains. When the principal signal control centres were opened at Sydney and Hornsby, these local signal boxes were closed, including Gordon. With electrification of the North Shore line, a relatively small 1500V. D.C. substation was built adjacent to the down North Shore line at Gordon.

1990s: The former Gordon substation was replaced by a modern D.C. substation on the opposite side of the line and the original substation building (brick) was demolished.

N.d: Some relatively modern additions such as shelters / awnings have been provided on the island platform.

Current Use: Railway Station

Former Use: Aboriginal land, farm, timber-getting

Listings

History

In 1887, tenders were called for construction of a branch line extending south from Hornsby to the North Shore. The 16.8km section between Hornsby and St. Leonard’s was opened on 1 January 1890. Stations provided at the opening of the line included Chatswood and St. Leonard’s. A single line was constructed at the time. The line between St. Leonard’s and Milson’s Point (the terminus at the edge of the harbour) was completed 1 May 1893.

Gordon Railway Station was opened on 1 January 1890. In 1909 the single line was duplicated between Hornsby and St. Leonard’s. At Gordon, during the duplication the original single platform and station building were replaced by a new island platform with a standard brick island-platform style station building. The island platform served the Up North Shore line and the Down North Shore line. A third platform was built at Gordon (the Local Platform) adjacent to the Up line. This platform allowed for termination of local trains at Gordon. At the time of duplication, an overhead footbridge and booking office was built which allowed local residents to cross from one side of Gordon to the other and allowed access to the platforms via sets of steps.

A goods siding (adjacent to the Down line), crossovers and a signal box on the platform (part of the station building) completed the track arrangement.

Richard Henry (R.H.) Patterson took up the position of Assistant Building Inspector at Ku-ring-gai Shire (later, Municipal) Council in 1926. By 1927 he was promoted to the position of Building Surveyor and Parks Superintendent, under Shire Engineer, Lionel Price. Patterson became the ‘driving force’ behind Council’s park development and beautification program… He placed greater emphasis on the use of native species… (for street tree planting). He nonetheless also used exotic species, for example to beautify the railway station gardens in Ku-ring-gai (James, 2015, 71, 73, 74).

Historic Themes

Records Retrieved 24

Australian Theme	New South Wales Theme	Local Theme
1. Environment	Environment – naturally evolved	Parks
1. Environment	Environment – naturally evolved	Other open space
1. Environment	Environment – naturally evolved	Modification of terrain
1. Environment	Environment – naturally evolved	Introduce cultural planting
1. Environment	Environment – naturally evolved	Changing the environment
3. Economy	Transport	Railway Station
3. Economy	Transport	Building the railway network
3. Economy	Events	Developing local landmarks
3. Economy	Environment – cultural landscape	Landscapes of urban amenity
3. Economy	Environment – cultural landscape	Landscapes of institutions – productive and ornamental
3. Economy	Environment – cultural landscape	Landscapes and parklands of distinctive styles
3. Economy	Environment – cultural landscape	Developing local, regional and national economies
4. Settlement	Land tenure	Resuming private lands for public purposes
4. Settlement	Land tenure	Changing land uses – from rural to suburban
4. Settlement	Land tenure	Administering and alienating Crown lands
4. Settlement	Accommodation	Building settlements, towns and cities
4. Settlement	Accommodation	A Picturesque Residential Suburb
5. Working	Labour	Working on public infrastructure projects
5. Working	Labour	Working in the public service
5. Working	Labour	Railway work culture
Governing	Government and Administration	State government
7. Governing	Government and Administration	Developing roles for government – building and operating public infrastructure
7. Governing	Government and Administration	Developing roles for government – building and administering rail networks
8. Culture	Creative endeavour	Applying architectural design to utlilitarian structures

Recommended Management

Records Retrieved 3

Management Type	Date Updated
Recommended Management – Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education	7/02/2024
Recommended Management – Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines	7/02/2024
Recommended Management – Review a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)	7/02/2024

References and Internet Links

Records Retrieved 3

Type	Author	Year	Title	Link
Written	James, Dr. Peggy	2015	The Life and Works of Richard Henry Patterson
Tourism	Attraction Homepage	2007	Gordon Railway Station group	View Details
Written	Sheedy, David	2002	Conservation Management Plan – Gordon Railway Station

Data Source

The information for this entry comes from the following source:

Data Source: State Government

Record Owner: Heritage NSW

Heritage Item ID: 5012021

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the heritagemailbox@environment.nsw.gov.au

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