Allan Bowen
Platform 2
A cool spot for a meal before or after a ride on the Mary Valley Rattler.
The first railway to service Gympie commenced in August 1881 with a service to Maryborough from this site. The Gympie – Brisbane line was opened mid 1891. The original station was re-located on the same site at that time. The construction of the current building occurred in 1913 with services commencing from 1st December. The station construction was similar to other built at the time. That is chamferboard-clad timber frame in pagoda style (not evident here because this section is single story) with cantilevered platform awnings supported by decorative iron brackets. The tiled roof was replaced with metal roofing in the 1970s. It is believed the Gympie station is the largest station structure built by Queensland Rail in the twentieth century. A number of other buildings such as a locomotive shed, workshops, station masters residence and the like were constructed on the site which had around 17.6 km of railway line.
Apart from gold, the station carried a variety of goods including timber, pineapples, beans, bananas and so on. It played a significant role in the movement of troops and equipment during WWII. A deviation line and new railway station (Gympie North) commenced service in 1989 with the old station finally closing as a QR facility in 1995. The Mary Valley Branch Railway ceased operations at the same time following a decades-long decline in patronage. The platform complex was heritage listed on 14 October 2011.
The Mary Valley Heritage Railway Board became custodians of much of the Gympie railway complex in 1997. The Mary Valley Rattler steam train services commenced on 23rd May 1998. The station has been renovated and now appears in excellent condition. The section shown in the image is the Platform No 1 Cafe which serves coffee and meals. Platform No 2 is the outdoor eating area.
Much more detailed information is available at apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=602036
Platform 2
A cool spot for a meal before or after a ride on the Mary Valley Rattler.
The first railway to service Gympie commenced in August 1881 with a service to Maryborough from this site. The Gympie – Brisbane line was opened mid 1891. The original station was re-located on the same site at that time. The construction of the current building occurred in 1913 with services commencing from 1st December. The station construction was similar to other built at the time. That is chamferboard-clad timber frame in pagoda style (not evident here because this section is single story) with cantilevered platform awnings supported by decorative iron brackets. The tiled roof was replaced with metal roofing in the 1970s. It is believed the Gympie station is the largest station structure built by Queensland Rail in the twentieth century. A number of other buildings such as a locomotive shed, workshops, station masters residence and the like were constructed on the site which had around 17.6 km of railway line.
Apart from gold, the station carried a variety of goods including timber, pineapples, beans, bananas and so on. It played a significant role in the movement of troops and equipment during WWII. A deviation line and new railway station (Gympie North) commenced service in 1989 with the old station finally closing as a QR facility in 1995. The Mary Valley Branch Railway ceased operations at the same time following a decades-long decline in patronage. The platform complex was heritage listed on 14 October 2011.
The Mary Valley Heritage Railway Board became custodians of much of the Gympie railway complex in 1997. The Mary Valley Rattler steam train services commenced on 23rd May 1998. The station has been renovated and now appears in excellent condition. The section shown in the image is the Platform No 1 Cafe which serves coffee and meals. Platform No 2 is the outdoor eating area.
Much more detailed information is available at apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=602036