Physical description:

BUILDINGS

Overhead Booking Office & Concourse, (Type 19) (1892)

Platform Building, Platform 1/2- Type 11 (1927)



STRUCTURES

Platform 1/2, (1927)

Platform Canopies & Stair, (1990s)

King Street Overbridge, (1892/1927)



TRAM DEPOT SITE

Tram Storage Shed, (1899)

Tram Offices, (1900)

Main Tram Track Area, (1899)

Secondary Tram Yard, (1899)



MOVABLE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL



CONTEXT

Newtown Railway Station is entered from King Street via the overhead booking office or through the southern access onto the rear concourse. Stairs lead down from the booking office and concourse to the platform level. The railway station entrance forms an integral part of the Civic Square to King Street. Newtown Tram Depot is entered from King Street via gates located to south of the Newtown Station overhead booking office. There is also an entrance from Angel Street to the east of the site.



OVERHEAD BOOKING OFFICE & STATION CONCOURSE (1892)

External: The overhead booking office is constructed in English bond brickwork. On the King Street elevation, the brick walls are painted and have a cement rendered coating about 1500mm high along the footpath. Decorative engaged pilasters remain on either side of the original opening. The south and east elevations have been completely rendered. The hipped roof is covered in shingle terracotta tiles and surmounted at the centre by a square louvre-vented bellcote, which is clad with ribbed lead, and capped by a helmet dome. The finial from the top of the dome is missing. The eastern side of the hip (where the building meets Bridge House) is clad in corrugated steel roofing. A chimney is built at both ends and at the north this abuts the adjoining ‘Bridge House.’



The timber-framed windows are Edwardian double hung sash windows with large glass panes to lower sashes and multi-panel sashes with coloured glass. The semicircular window to King Street has anti vandalism reinforced fibreglass fitted to most of the panes and security bars to the inside. The northern window retains original glazing as well as hardware.



To King Street is a timber framed veranda, supported on six cast iron columns, with a skillion roof with corrugated steel sheeting. The columns have the name 'G.Fletcher and Son, Waverley' cast into the bases. The King Street veranda was built in 1902 as an early station building addition. It appears in its original configuration. Still present are early 20th century glass sphere incandescent pendant footpath lights as well as later fluorescent fittings. Early photos show a tram lookout on this elevation which no longer exists. To the railway side (east) is a small concourse, partly sheltered by a cantilevered awning with standard double bowed steel brackets supported on decorative cement haunches. The soffit lining of this awning is corrugated steel fixed to intermediate exposed purlins. Vertical timber boards form a valance at each end of the awning and a timber fascia runs along the front. There is also a simpler corrugated steel skillion roof awning, supported on steel posts, projecting out from the entrance to the Station Manager’s office adjacent to Bridge House.



The remainder of the area is covered by a flat roofed awning of ribbed steel decking supported on steel frames and circular steel posts. There is also a fire escape stair leading to the first floor of the adjacent building. The stair has a painted brick enclosure under the landing which is the toilet facilities for the shop (on the northern side of the booking office). It has aluminium framed windows and a flat steel roof. The concourse once contained the 1891 iron passenger footbridge leading to the platforms (which have now been removed) and it was replaced in 1927 by the present concrete deck on steel girders and a face brick balustrade. The edge of the concourse to the railway side is screened near the entrance with glazed aluminium framed panels and patent steel fencing (typical arched design) which extends along the edge of the concourse and out onto King Street to the south of the booking office. On the southern elevation, to the rear of the building, is an entrance directly onto the concourse. This elevation has a mass of poorly executed service runs and conduits which have an extremely negative impact on the building.



Internal: The building generally has painted brick walls laid in English bond, a concrete floor covered with a variety of contemporary finishes and painted timber boarded ceilings with stepped cornices between arched timber roof trusses (which appear to remain for the full length of the building). In the centre of each main ceiling space are original circular filigree-vented ceiling roses. Lighting generally is provided by either circular or strip tube type fluorescent fittings.



Booking Hall - Formerly the parcels and ticket office, and converted in 1927 into its present configuration with widened doorways each side which are now fitted with modern heavy hinged and fixed steel grilles. The north boarded wall has been fitted with two modern security ticket windows with 19th century inspired architraves to the public side. Services and conduits are fixed to the walls. The floor is covered in tiles and a large bookstall installation with shutters on the south side. An early 20th century indicator board is placed near the doorway



Ticket Office - Originally part of the main public booking hall, this space was converted in 1927 into the ticket office. Generally is a contemporary fitout. Carpets have been laid on the floor.



Staff Office and Kitchenette- it was originally part of the booking hall. Converted in 1927 into part of the parcels office and in recent years the staff office and kitchenette with contemporary fittings dating from c1990. Partitioning for new adjoining spaces and the false ceiling is formed by plasterboard sheeted timber studs. Above the staff office is a small mezzanine area for staff toilets and the housing of the computer rack. The plasterboard false ceiling to the mezzanine rooms allegedly conceals the higher original ceiling. The floor is finished with vinyl tiles. The toilet facilities have compressed fibre cement sheeting on timber framed walls and ceilings. The floor and skirtings are finished with ceramic tiles. The fittings are contemporary. The stair was built c1990 as a timber two-flight stair with a steel pipe handrail.



Shop to the north - Originally part of the booking hall and converted in 1927 into the parcels office, this space was converted (pre 1990) into a shop with modern sliding aluminium framed doors for the full width to the street. This space was unavailable for access. The brick walled addition to the east (under the fire stair) provides toilet facilities for this shop.



PLATFORM BUILDING (1927)

External: Rectangular (painted) face brick building, originally with a gabled roof and integral shallower sloped single cantilevered awning. The roof was replaced c1975 with the present ribbed steel roof which follows the low-pitched line of the platform awnings. The building is seven bays in length, with the bays defined by engaged brick piers which coincide with the awning supports. The original chimneys have been removed (presumably when the roof was replaced). The awnings have standard double bowed steel brackets supported on decorative cement haunches and bolt fixings to the station building brick walls. The soffit lining is corrugated steel fixed to intermediate exposed purlins and follows the roof slope. The building has simple bargeboards and fascias which have replaced the original vertical timber boards which formed a valance at each end of the awning. The awning roof is continuous from the main roof, and is corrugated steel.



The external walls rise from a projecting brick plinth three/four courses high with simple detailing, such as arched brick heads and brick on edge sills, to the doors and window openings. The original timber windows were double hung with a single paned lower sash and a six paned upper sash featuring coloured glass. A large number of the doors and windows have now been partially or completely bricked up, with some new windows and doors in existing, modified, openings. Most of these new windows have been painted out. Security grilles and flyscreen doors have been installed on the north elevation (Platform 1). Original door openings featured fanlights matching the upper window sashes. All the original timber panelled doors have been either removed or modified, and some original slate thresholds remain. The brick privacy screen to the eastern end of the building has been removed. The platform building was one of the earliest to have the face brickwork painted due to vandalism.



Internal: The original building comprised of an ‘out of’ room, a station master’s office; general waiting room; ladies room and ladies toilets, a store and men’s toilets. The internal usage has now changed and is predominantly storage. The toilets have a modern fitout and finishes. All of the ceilings and cornices were replaced when the roof was rebuilt. Original plaster wall finishes remain, with evidence of dado moulding in some instances, and with some original vents. The former Station Manager’s office has the original staff moulding to the chimney breast. The floor finish to the toilets is vinyl and is painted concrete in the other rooms.



PLATFORMS (1927)

Platform 1 (Up) and Platform 2 (Down) is an island platform arrangement. The platforms are brick faced with a concrete surface. There is painted signs on the platform surface (mostly directional). Platform 1: Platform of steel post/concrete panel construction. Coping raised and renewed. Platform 2: Steel UC Post and precast panel construction, being raised.



CANOPIES & STAIR (1990s)

Connecting the platform to the rear concourse is a steel framed stair with pre-cast concrete steps. The stair is contained within brick walls with a bull-nosed capping and has modern tubular steel handrails, which continue on to the platform.



The stair is covered by a 1990’s steel framed flat roofed awning. This awning continues along the platform, to meet the platform building, and is supported by a series of steel post and beams. The roof of the canopy is designed to line up with the building’s roof profile.



KING STREET OVERBRIDGE (1892/1927)

This large overbridge, constructed in 1892 and modified in 1927, carries in part the overhead booking office, King Street and part of the Enmore Road intersection over five railway lines. It is constructed of reinforced concrete decking supported on a combination of wrought iron and steel girders and at the western end pre-cast concrete beams. The beams and girders are supported in turn by a series of massive load bearing brick structures containing rooms now unused. These rooms would have been accessed from the previous platforms (now demolished). At street level the roads at the western end are screened by brick balustrades with sandstone cappings.



TRAM STORAGE SHED (1899)

External: This is essentially a large single storey structure with a major internal storage space and flanked on the north and south by small single storey annexes. Construction is of load bearing English bond face brickwork with attached piers to all four facades, the open end is supported now by steel RSJ posts and in-filled with corrugated steel vertical sheets on steel frames. The north and south brick gables enclose the iron sawtooth roof structure and has a series of large circular vents bordered by polychromatic brickwork.



The vents enclosing the interior roof structure are fitted with timber louvres while the adjoining ones are completely open. Windows to the south-west areas of the façade, in the area of the converter room, are generally steel-framed with cement rendered external surrounds. The main roof is of corrugated steel and the skylights are of original wire-reinforced glass in steel glazing bars, except where the roof is fire-damaged.



The annex buildings, where they have survived in near original form, are constructed of face brickwork in Flemish Bond with timber windows. The roofs are clad with unglazed terracotta tiles in Marseilles pattern, generally in a hipped form. Exterior detailing includes the use of bricks of special profile to give an ogee to the lower course under a window or an elegant scotia to the lower edge of an abutment.



Internal: The interior of the main spaces are formed by the iron framed sawtooth roofing, supported on four arcades of cast iron circular columns. The northern most row has had most of the columns replaced with fabricated welded steel RSJ posts. The surrounding walls are painted brickwork. The riveted frames are constructed of lightly framed roof principals spanning between lattice girders bracketed off stub posts, over the tops of the main columns. The floors are largely of reinforced concrete, or similar, with a long vehicle ramp at the west end in the centre. There are considerable areas of missing roofing (the total enclosed area of the former battery and converter rooms is roofless).



Former Battery Room (to the south-east corner): Built and partitioned within brick walls to roof for a battery room in 1914 as part of the system associated with the large sub-station installed. Roofing material is now completely removed.



Former Converter Room (to the south-east corner): Built 1914 as a substation occupying the same space as an earlier small sub-station. All equipment has been removed except for the overhead crane 6 ¼ tonne overhead crane which remains on its track. The substantial foundations for the rotary converters and the steel reinforced concrete sub floor remain. Roofing material is now completely removed.



Former Meal Room (to the south-east corner): Built shortly after opening of the tram depot in 1900 it remains largely intact as a single room accessed by a flight of stairs.



Staff Amenities Room and Passage (to the south-east corner): Built early 20th century to supplement the original meal room. The ceilings have been completely removed from this area.



Toilet Wing (to the northern elevation): Built as original staff toilets, now semi-demolished with no roof and the access from the tram shed bricked-up.



Electrical Stores (to the northern elevation): Built originally as stores and offices but now mostly demolished.



TRAM OFFICES (1900)

External: Originally built in 1900 as tram traffic offices with attached toilets in the Federation Period style with a single storey only. In c1914 another floor was added in a similar manner for additional office space. The building is constructed from English bond brickwork with a hipped form roof clad with Marseilles terracotta tiles. There are timber-framed double-hung windows, and a timber bracketed terracotta tiled awning survives at first floor level while the ground floor veranda has been removed. The attached toilet block has a skillion roof behind brick parapets. The veranda to the north of the 1900 building has an open deck of concrete on a brick base; the timber veranda has now been demolished. The single storey offices to the west were originally built c1905 as offices in Flemish Bond brickwork with red ‘rubbing’ brick voussoirs over the windows and doors. The building is now semi-derelict as the roof has been removed.



Internal: All of the ground floor offices are now used as storage areas. They have timber floors, painted brick walls (which were originally plastered) and a plaster ceiling with the original cornices intact. The stair hall to the eastern end was originally part of the offices but converted c.1914 to give access to the first floor. The stair is of timber construction with original boarded wall on the ground floor to the old storeroom. The open passage to the east of the stair is a concrete paved access way to the attached brick toilet block, which is reached by a steel stair. The offices on the first floor have timber floors, painted brick walls (which were originally plastered) and a plaster ceiling with the original cornices intact. Each of the rooms has an original fireplace. The eastern most room has been converted into a bath room with a tiled floor and shower bath.



MAIN TRAM TRACK AREA (1899)

This large open area was formed in 1899 with a series of 16 tram tracks fanning out from two tracks at King Street. Now partly paved over there is evidence of much of the original tram tracks remaining particularly obvious on the northern boundary with the railway line. A boundary wall on Railway Lane is part of the 1918 railway institute building now demolished while the other boundary brick wall is an original retaining wall. The main sewer line connecting to the station travels in a north-south direction from the station platform across the site to Railway Lane.



SECONDARY TRAM YARD (1899)

This is a slightly smaller yard leading off Angel Street which contains a later railway signal and communications building but now is virtually vacant. This area is accessed through chain wire gates from the street. It may contain the foundations of a number of buildings which were once on the site including the Mortuary Station, stables and Blacksmith’s shop. It also was on the north frontage of the tram storage shed with amenities and the electrical stores.



LANDSCAPE/NATURAL FEATURES

None identified.



MOVEABLE ITEMS

NSW Railway heritage listed sites contain significant collections of stored movable railway heritage, including furniture, signs, operational objects, ex-booking office and ticketing objects, paper records, clocks, memorabilia, indicator boards and artwork. Individually, these objects are important components of the history of each site. Together, they form a large and diverse collection of movable objects across the NSW rail network. Sydney Trains maintains a database of movable heritage. For up-to-date information on all movable heritage items at this site, contact the Sydney Trains heritage team.



Key items at this station include but are not limited to:



- Historic Post Box SW corner of Booking Office

- Safe in Ticket Office

- Indicator Board in Booking Hall



ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL

Based on the surviving documentation and the evidence on site it is unlikely there would be any potential archaeological remains at Newtown Railway Station. However, a number of buildings that were constructed on the Tram Depot site have been demolished, including in the secondary yard, the Mortuary Station, stables and Blacksmith’s shop, and which may have remaining foundations and associated building fabric which contributes to the archaeological potential of the site. The Tram Depot property has the potential to yield archaeological remains which are likely to contribute to an understanding of living and working conditions in the Newtown area in the early 20th century.