Perth Railway Precinct (Perth Railway Station)
The foundation stone for the first Perth Railway Station was laid on 10 May 1880. It was part of the Eastern Railway from Fremantle to Guildford which opened in 1881. Designed by the Colonial Architect, Richard Roach Jewell, the foundation stone was laid by Lady Robinson.
However, by 1893 the station proved inadequate for the new volume of traffic Perth was experiencing, so a new building was designed by the Government Architect, George Temple Poole. The new building was erected on the vacant ground between the old station and Wellington Street. It was a two-storey block, much longer than its predecessor, with single-storey wings at each end.
The plinths, window-sills and parapet were cement mouldings, to contrast with the tuckpointed brickwork. The ground floor had an entrance hall, ticket office, refreshment room, waiting rooms, and some offices, while the upper floor was intended for the clerical staff of the Western Australian Government Railways. When the new station opened, the older one was demolished.
The building has been renovated and expanded many times since being built, and there have been regular suggestions that it should be demolished and a brand-new station built. Several proposals have been put forward suggesting that Perth’s central station should be located elsewhere, usually to the north of the present location, but none of these ever got past the planning stage.
The foundation stone for the first Perth Railway Station was laid on 10 May 1880. It was part of the Eastern Railway from Fremantle to Guildford which opened in 1881. Designed by the Colonial Architect, Richard Roach Jewell, the foundation stone was laid by Lady Robinson, who received a commemorate trowel with an engraving of the station on it.
However, by 1893 the station proved inadequate for the new volume of traffic Perth was experiencing, so a new building was designed by the Government Architect, George Temple Poole. The new building was erected on the vacant ground between the old station and Wellington Street. It was a two-storey block, much longer than its predecessor, with single-storey wings at each end. By bringing the building nearer to the street, the space occupied by the old station and platforms became available for constructing a new platform.
The front elevation was “business-like†without having any unnecessary decorative details. The plinths, window-sills and parapet were cement mouldings, to contrast with the tuckpointed brickwork. The ground floor had an entrance hall, ticket office, refreshment room, waiting rooms, and some offices, while the upper floor was intended for the clerical staff of the Western Australian Government Railways. When the new station opened, the older one was demolished.
The building has been renovated and expanded many times since being built, and there have been regular suggestions that it should be demolished and a brand-new station built. Several proposals have been put forward suggesting that Perth’s central station should be located elsewhere, usually to the north of the present location, but none of these ever got past the planning stage.
As part of the New MetroRail project, the station was refurbished with new underground platforms, which opened on 15 October 2007. The existing platforms were refurbished with the above ground platforms reduced from nine to seven. Parts of rail line were also sunk, to open up connecting land between the Central Business District and Northbridge.
Today, Perth Railway Station remains the central point of the Western Australian network, serving millions of passengers every year.
Inquirer 12 May 1880
Herald 18 September 1880
Inquirer 25 January 1893