SAWTELL Railway Station has been serving the seaside town for 100 years, having opened for business on 13 July 1925.
The station is located on the North Coast line connecting Sydney to northern NSW.
It is a request stop, meaning trains only stop if passengers are booked to board or alight there.
Sawtell Historical Museum has gathered memories from past users of the station, which are now displayed at the museum at Big4 Holiday Park on Lyons Road.
Among them are those of then Jetty High schoolgirl Janice Murphy (nee Lusted) who remembers the station as “very impressive”.
“There was a parcel office, a Station Master’s office, a Ladies Waiting Room, which was small, and a larger waiting room for everyone.
“There were toilets on the platform.
“I remember that there was a fairly grumpy station master and that was probably because of all the [school]kids.
“It was all weatherboard, the platform was tar I remember. I don’t know what was under that though, but I think it was railway sleepers.”
Assistant Station Master in 1972, Terry Mason, recalls helping to get the station connected to town water, facilitating the installation of the toilet block.
“This proved to be a major asset to the station and much appreciated by the travelling public,” he said.
“The toilet block was a major improvement, replacing the former pan facility.”
Terry was very popular with the Sawtell community after this.
Born in Sawtell and now living in Melbourne, Robert McPherson remembers, “The station was unmanned in the beginning, but it was very important for sending produce to the Sydney markets.
“The goods shed was built in the 1930s.
“Deliveries were locked in the shed by the goods train staff and my grandmother held a key, so that local shopkeepers [and] the pub could borrow the key and collect their goods.
“It was an honesty system and there was trouble with the theft of goods.
“In 1937 the local constable, Buchanan, hid there all night and caught someone.”
Photographs and written memories can be viewed at Sawtell Historical Museum.
By Andrea FERRARI
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