The old building is now back near the former railway line … just a few metres away from where it used to stand when it was a working railway station building

August 17, 2018

The South Burnett Rail Trail will soon have two new attractions at Wooroolin thanks to the efforts of the Wooroolin Lions Club.

The former Wooroolin Railway Station building has been shifted from the Wooroolin Sportsground to its new home next to the rail trail, just a few metres away from where it stood when passenger trains were still servicing the area.

The second attraction, a display of an historic Stolzenberg peanut thresher, is also nearing completion nearby.

The wooden thresher which will form the heart of this display was formerly owned by a Wooroolin farmer, the late Stan Marshall, but may date back to some of the earliest growers in the South Burnett, the Young family.

It will be moved into location next week and housed under a shed built with funding from a successful Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant.

Funds to shift and restore the old station building also came from the same grant but this part of the project has had a rockier path to success, with the South Burnett Regional Council finally voting 5-2 in January to support the Lions Club project after lobbying by local councillor Ros Heit.

The building will sit on steel stumps cemented into the ground.

Noel Weller, who was Wooroolin Lions president when the project began, said a ramp would be built so visitors could reach the former waiting area.

The club plans to mount historic photos in this space.

The building already sports a new roof and is in the process of being repainted by Lions Club volunteers.

Concrete for the foundations will be poured on Friday and the building finally lowered into position.

The railway arrived in Wooroolin in 1903 and the station building was officially opened in 1904.

It was shifted to the Wooroolin Sportsgrounds during the 1990s to serve as a clubhouse for various sporting groups after passenger services stopped on the Kingaroy-Theebine line.

Unfortunately, vandals damaged the building while it was there, and it is now missing all its windows and several of the doors are damaged.

The Lions members plan to replace these over coming weeks to once again make the building secure.

“It will be a work in progress as we’re all volunteers and we’re only doing it on weekends,” Noel said.

The old restroom, station office and ticket office will remain locked and off-limits to the public as the club has only gained permission for the building to be used as static display.

Related articles:

Admiring their handwork … Wooroolin Lions past president Noel Weller and Brian Greensill with Cr Ros Heit who advocated on behalf of the Lions Club with the South Burnett Regional Council
The second structure that Wooroolin Lions have built nearby with the help of a grant from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund … an historic peanut thresher formerly used at Wooroolin will be relocated here next week
FLASHBACK: Wooroolin Railway Station as it appeared in the early 1900s; the Wooroolin grain stores, which still dominate the site today, weren’t built by the Wooroolin Graingrowers until 1964
The Wooroolin Railway Station building at the Wooroolin Sportsgrounds prior to its move
The railway station building trundles its way along Sportsground Road last week on it way to its new “old” home next to the South Burnett Rail Trail (Photo: Ros Heit)
The Railway Station building passes the Transmitter Road intersection (Photo: Ros Heit)

  , ,

 

2 Responses to "Station Returns To Its New Home"

  1. Congratulations Wooroolin Lions and Cr Ros Heit for bringing this excellent volunteer project progressively to fruition for the benefit of the Wooroolin and greater South Burnett Community. No doubt it will be a great tourist attraction and highlight on the Rail Trail when completed.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.