Auburn railway station, South Australia

Former railway station in South Australia, Australia

Auburn

Auburn railway station, restored as the Mount Horrocks Wines cellar door (29 September 2009)

General information
Location| Stanley Street, Auburn, South Australia
Coordinates| 34°01′30″S 138°41′22″E﻿ / ﻿34.02498665947038°S 138.68936135017697°E﻿ / -34.02498665947038; 138.68936135017697
Operated by| South Australian Railways
Line(s)| Spalding line
Distance| 119 kilometres from Adelaide
Platforms| 2
Tracks| 2
Construction
Structure type| Ground
Other information
Status| Closed to passengers, repurposed as a wine tasting venue
History
Opened| 5 July 1918
Closed| 24 May 1954 (passengers)
February 1983 (freight)

Auburn railway station was located on the Spalding railway line. It served the town of Auburn, South Australia.

## History

[edit]

Old gates for the former railway yards at Auburn Now part of the Riesling Trail (September 2009)

Auburn railway station opened on 5 July 1918 with the opening of the railway line between Riverton and Clare (later extended to Spalding on 9 January 1922).[1] The station consisted of a railway yard, a goods shed and a station building.[2][3]

The station closed to regular passengers on 24 May 1954, with the service being replaced by a co-ordinated road-bus service serving Jamestown and the towns along the Spalding railway line, to connect with trains at Riverton.[4]

In July 1978, the station and the line's associated infrastructure was transferred from South Australian Railways to Australian National. Rail services through Auburn ceased in February 1983 as a result of track damage between the towns of Sevenhill and Penwortham, which caused the demise of the railway. The line was formally closed on 17 April 1984.[5]

## Restoration

[edit]

After the closure of the line between Riverton and Spalding, for many years, the station fell into a state of disrepair.[6] In April 1998, the station was restored as the Mount Horrocks Wines cellar door venue following substantial renovation. In 2000, vineyards were planted at the station.[7] In 2010, the 19 kilometres (12 mi) section from Riverton through Rhynie to Auburn was subsequently redeveloped as the Rattler Rail Trail and opened in 2010. The original 33 km (21 mi) section from Auburn through the Clare Valley to Clare and beyond was extended northwards to the former Barinia siding, and was opened in November 2009.[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The History of the Railway Branch-Line by John Wilson
2. ^ Railway Yard, Auburn
3. ^ Railway Station, Auburn
4. ^ Spalding. Ruins of the 1922 built railway station. Opposite aresome of the 10 stone railway workers cottages. The railway closed in 1983 after bushfires destroyed rail infrastructure near Clare
5. ^ Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 55\. ISBN 0-909650-49-7.
6. ^ 1834/classic_pictures_menu_files/classic_present_day_pics_files/north_line_stations/spalding_line.htm AUBURN
7. ^ Mount Horrocks Wines
8. ^ "Riesling Trail Location". 13 June 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2015.