Carramar Railway Station Group

Item details


Name of item:	Carramar Railway Station Group
Other name/s:	South Fairfield Station
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway Platform/ Station
Primary address:	Wattle Avenue, Carramar, NSW 2163
Local govt. area:	Fairfield

Boundary:

North: Property boundary to Carramar AveSouth: Property boundary to Wattle Ave East: 5 metres from end of platform (excluding building on Carramar Ave)West: A line across the tracks 5 metres from the end of the western edge of the subway

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Wattle Avenue	Carramar	Fairfield			Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
RailCorp	State Government
RailCorp	State Government
RailCorp	State Government

Statement of significance:


	Carramar Railway Station has local historical significance as a station which represents the significant reconstruction of the original Lidcombe-Regents Park line and its extension to Cabramatta. The 1920s platform building has been altered but it retains the basic architectural features which characterise station buildings of this period. The 1930s booking office is able to demonstrate a shift from the architectural style of earlier 1920s platform buildings, though it has been altered. As a whole the station complex is able to demonstrate suburban railway travel during the 1920s and 1930s.
	Date significance updated: 06 Jul 09
	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 OEH copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Engineering staff, Way and Works Branch, NSWGR
Builder/Maker:	Fabricated by Per Way Workshop, White Bay, Sydney, erected by day labour.
Physical description:	BUILDINGS Platform Building (Type 11) (1924) Booking Office (1938) STRUCTURES Platform 1-2, (1924) Pedestrian subway & stairs, (1924, extended 2009) CONTEXT Carramar Railway Station has two entrances, one from the south from Wattle Avenue, and the other from Carramar Avenue to the north. Access to the station is via a pedestrian subway which has a set of central stairs that lead up to the platform. The station has two platforms, a platform building and a booking office. It has a shopping centre, car park and residential units to its north and shopping centre and car park to its south. PLATFORM BUILDING- Platform 1-2 (1924) External: Rectangular face brick building with gabled roof and integral shallower sloped cantilevered awnings. The face brick, predominantly in an English bond, has been painted. The building is five bays in length, with the bays defined by engaged brick piers which coincide with the awning supports. Original chimneys have been removed. The cantilever awnings have standard double bowed steel brackets supported on decorative cement haunches and bolt fixings to the station building brick walls. There is a decorative timber moulding at the junction with the brick wall. Vertical timber boards form a valance at the end of each awning. The awning roof as for the main roof is corrugated steel. The gable ends feature typical detailing with timber finials and a circular vent. The external walls rise from a projecting brick plinth four/five courses high with a decorative dado moulding run in cement which is continuous between door and window openings. Decorative cement window and door frames rise above the dado moulding. The original window openings feature a moulded cement sill. The original timber windows were typical double hung sash windows. The original window glass has been removed in most cases. Most of the windows now contain diamond pattern vandal proof fibreglass sheeting and/or hardboard coverings (with security bars to top sashes where they are not boarded up). Original door openings featured fanlights matching the upper window sashes, of which only one still remains. No original timber doors remain. Security grilles have been fitted to the doors on the north elevation. One door opening, two window openings on the north elevation and two window openings on the south elevation have been completely bricked up. A new door has been installed on the south elevation leading into the ladies toilet. There is no brick privacy screen to the east elevation as shown on the original plans. Internal: The original ladies toilet facilities (accessed from Platform 2) are very much intact, with original brick cubicle partitions and timber doors. Walls are painted face brick. The male toilets (which may have been reconfigured) also have brick partitions to the cubicles. The store rooms have original ceiling and cornices, cast iron vents and timber floors. Plaster finish to walls with staff mouldings to corners and chimney breasts. BOOKING OFFICE- Platform 1-2 (1938) Exterior: The existing booking office which is located at the west end of the platform is a rectangular plan form with a flat roof and over hanging eaves. The existing structure has been altered substantially such that its distinguishing feature namely the hipped roof and canopies have been removed and replaced by the existing flat roof. The original hipped roof also extended west over the area that is now covered by a flat canopy which has been integrated with the roof and is supported by original brick columns. The extent and layout of the canopy is similar to that of the original building and it therefore retains the domestic proportions that are identifiable with railway buildings of this era and style. The external walls rise from a three course plinth, and it comprises of stretcher bond face bricks with a decorative soldier course at higher levels and above openings. The soffit to the canopy and eaves are lined in fibrocement sheeting. The window openings have brick on edge sills, security bars that are fitted to the inside and steel framed windows which have replaced original timber sash windows. A new modern ticket window has been installed to the north elevation of the building and the former ticket window on the west elevation has been boarded up. This appears to be done as part of a refurbishment in 1998. Air conditioning units have been fixed through a boarded up opening on the east elevation. Internal: Painted brick walls with fibrocement lining to the ceiling and carpeted floor. Ducts and conduits for modern operational equipment are fixed to the walls. The interior was completely refurbished in 1998 and original detailing no longer remains. An original door and hood to the to east elevation have also been removed. PLATFORMS (1924) Platforms are all brick faced with asphalt surface and stepped coping profile. Platform 1 (Up) and Platform 2 (Down) form an island platform arrangement. PEDESTRIAN SUBWAY & STAIRS (1924) The subway runs from north to south under the rail tracks and accommodates the two entries into the station. The subway has brick walls which are mostly original and have been rendered and painted and a ceiling which is made of original concrete slabs reinforced with steel joists. A set of original concrete stairs with painted brick walls lead up onto the platform from the subway. Steel balustrade and metal fencing sit on a brick double bull nosed capping between brick piers around stair well at platform level. The subway originally had a 1924 booking office located to the south of the stairs, however this former booking office has been bricked up. The subway was extended in 2009 as part of the South Sydney Freight Line upgrade.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	PLATFORM BUILDING (Platform 1-2) The platform building is in a good condition. PLATFORMS The platforms are in good condition. BOOKING OFFICE (Platform 1-2) The booking office is in good condition. PEDESTRIAN SUBWAY & STAIRS The subway is in a moderate condition.
	Date condition updated:06 Jul 09
Modifications and dates:	1929: Railway electrified 1938: New booking office constructed - The form of this building was significantly altered subsequently. The date for these works is unknown. 1998: Refurbishment of booking office 2009: Subway extended


Current use:	Railway Station
Former use:	Nil

History

Historical notes:

By the 1920s a decision had been made to extend the Lidcombe-Regents Park railway to Cabramatta as a relief to the Main West and Main South via Granville and this was completed in 1924. The work also involved major reconstruction of the original Lidcombe-Regents Park section of the line. Goods trains were operating on the line from 15 May 1924 and passenger trains operated from 19 October.

Carramar Station was opened as South Fairfield on 15 May 1924 and was renamed Carramar on 1 July 1926. The station was constructed with an island platform and small waiting room with subway access from Sandal Crescent. A new booking office was constructed c.1938, with little further change to the site arrangements since this time.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Impacts of Railways on Urban Form-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Carramar Railway Station is historically significant at the local level as a station which represents the significant reconstruction of the original Lidcombe-Regents Park line and its extension to Cabramatta. The extant early 20th century platform building and the pedestrian subway date from the opening of the station and demonstrate the 1920/1930s period of suburban railway travel.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Carramar Railway Station has local aesthetic significance with its 1920s island platform building which retains characteristic features of this type of station building namely the linear form, gable roof and integrated awnings. The 1930s booking office, though altered, demonstrates a shift in the style from earlier railway platform buildings. The buidlings and subway characterise the type of construction and architectural style employed in early 20th century railway station buildings in the Sydney region.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The place has the potential to contribute to the local community's sense of place, and can provide a connection to the local community's past.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	Carramar Railway Station has low archaeological research potential. Any evidence pertaining to the 1924 booking office in the subway is not considered significant as it is likely that such information would be available at other railway sites.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The buildings at Carramar station are common in the Metropolitan network.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The island platform building at Carramar is representative of the standard 1920's suburban railway platform building. The booking office and subway have been altered however retain some charateristics representative of these types of railway structures.
Integrity/Intactness:	PLATFORM BUILDING (Platform 1-2)Externally the building has been altered in terms of its door and window openings which have been removed, bricked in or boarded up but it still retains original fabric such the original brickwork, standard double bowed steel brackets, decorative cement haunches and timber finials. Modern services such as lighting and CCTV cameras have been installed and the windows are covered over in most instances, however these interventions are considered to be reversible. Internally significant original fabric in the ladies toilets has also been retained. BOOKING OFFICE (Platform 1-2)The building has been substantially altered from its original form, with the removal of the original hipped roof form which has reduced the integrity of the building.PLATFORMS The original platforms are extantPEDESTRIAN SUBWAY & STAIRSThe stairs and subway are intact, however cracking in the brickwork and vegetation growth, as well as staining from rusting of reinforcement in concrete slabs, reduces the integrity of the structure.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

1. Conservation principles: Conserve cultural heritage significance and minimise impacts on heritage values and fabric in accordance with the ‘Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance’. 2. Specialist advice: Seek advice from a qualified heritage specialist during all phases of a proposed project from feasibility, concept and option planning stage; detailed design; heritage approval and assessment; through to construction and finalisation. 3. Documentation: Prepare a Statement of Heritage Impact (SOHI) to assess, minimise and prevent heritage impacts as part of the assessment and approval phase of a project. Prepare a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) prior to proposing major works (such as new additions, change of use or proposed demolition) at all places of State significance and all complex sites of Local significance. 4. Maintenance and repair: Undertake annual inspections and proactive routine maintenance works to conserve heritage fabric in accordance with the ‘Minimum Standards of Maintenance & Repair’. 5. Movable heritage: Retain in situ and care for historic contents, fixtures, fittings, equipment and objects which contribute to cultural heritage significance. Return or reinstate missing features or relocated items where opportunities arise. 6. Aboriginal, archaeology and natural heritage: Consider all aspects of potential heritage significance as part of assessing and minimising potential impacts, including Aboriginal, archaeology and natural heritage. 7. Unidentified heritage items: Heritage inventory sheets do not describe or capture all contributory heritage items within an identified curtilage (such as minor buildings, structures, archaeology, landscape elements, movable heritage and significant interiors and finishes). Ensure heritage advice is sought on all proposed changes within a curtilage to conserve heritage significance. 8. Recording and register update: Record changes at heritage places through adequate project records and archival photography. Notify all changes to the Section 170 Heritage & Conservation Register administrator upon project completion.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register	Carramar Station
Heritage study	Carramar Station

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Guidelines used
State Rail Authority Heritage Register Study	1999	SRA121	State Rail Authority	No
S170 Heritage & Conservation Register Update	2009		OCP Architects	Yes
Heritage Platforms Conservation Management Strategy	2015		Australian Museum Consulting	Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	Don Fraser	1995	Bridges Down Under
Written	John Forsyth	2007	New South Wales Railway Stations: an alphabetical arrangement of railway station and place names
Written	John Forsyth	1960	Historical Notes for the Lidcombe-Cabramatta railway.
Written	Tony Prescott	2009	Historical Research for RailCorp's S170 Update Project

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	State Government
Database number:	4800207

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