Historic Maldon station reopened
Monday, 29 August 2011
Maldon Railway Station entered a new chapter in its proud history today with its official re-opening yesterday.
At a community celebration at the station Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport Edward O'Donohue, and Victorian Goldfields and Railway President Paul McDonald cut a ribbon to mark the formal completion of the $600,000 refurbishment work following a fire in October 2009.
"The Government strongly supports the ongoing operation of the Victorian Goldfields Railway," Mr O'Donohue said.
With the completion of restoration work, the Victorian Goldfields Railway once again has a fully functioning station from which to operate.
The station is an important reminder of Maldon's role as a prominent mining centre and it now looks better than ever and will continue to play a vital role in tourism for the region.
Works included installation of a new slate roof, repairs to windows and doors, structural repairs to most of the station building, interior work on the ceilings, kitchen and station master's office, plus plumbing and electrical work.
"The railway's hardworking volunteers do a fantastic job keeping the romance of the steam age alive and well," Mr O'Donohue said.
He said VicTrack, which is the custodial owner of the station, had worked closely with heritage partners to deliver additional work to refurbish the station verandah and bring it up to a standard matching the remainder of the restored building.
Paul McDonald, President of the Victorian Goldfields Railway, thanked Mount Alexander Shire Council, Heritage Victoria, the State Government and VicTrack for their combined work in restoring the station.
"Maldon Station has been part of the heart of the township since it was first opened in 1888," Mr McDonald said.
"The station served a vital role in supporting the gold mining industry and the economic development of the region. Now it plays an equally important role in supporting tourism in the region and bringing history to life for our thousands of visitors annually."
Mr McDonald paid tribute to the work of Castlemaine-based Vic Restorations Building Services.
"They have done an excellent job restoring Maldon Station to its former glory," Mr McDonald said.
"Attention to detail has been their hallmark. For instance, the roof slate came from a quarry in Wales that has been producing roofing slate since the thirteenth century."
The heritage-listed building is architecturally significant as an example of the 'Maldon style' of station building. While there are several stations of this style in Victoria, Maldon's is the only one outside metropolitan Melbourne.
The station was built during the massive Victorian railway construction program of the 1880s.
