Richmond Line, Sydney, NSW (T1 nd T5)
The Richmond railway line in the western suburbs of Sydney is a branch of the Main Western line. The line branches off in a northerly direction from the Main Western Line at Blacktown station, and Blacktown platforms 1 and 2 (an island platform) serve the Richmond Line tracks.
The original concept for the Blacktown to Richmond line was to have horse-drawn trains, but the government changed its mind and three tiny 17-tonne engines were purchased new from Manning Wardle and Co. The line opened to Richmond in 1864 under the stewardship of engineer James Moore. In 1926, an extension was opened to Kurrajong, closing in 1952. The line was electrified from Blacktown to Riverstone in June 1975. Electrification from Riverstone to Richmond commenced in 1987 but was suspended in 1988 due to lack of funds, restarting in 1990 and opening in August 1991. Initially electric trains operated as 2-car shuttles between Riverstone and Richmond until the electric power supply was upgraded to allow through running to and from Sydney in 1992.
The line is used by trains on two passenger services. T1 - Emu Plains or Richmond to City; T5 - Richmond to Leppington (Cumberland Line).
The Journey
Marayong
Marayong is located approximately 32 kilometres north west of the Sydney central business district. The name 'Marayong' is derived from the Dharug language word 'Mariyung', which means emu or place of cranes. The name was first given by the New South Wales Railways to the railway station when it opened in October 1922. Around 1900–1905, large areas were subdivided and market gardens and poultry farms were established. The area was part of Quakers Hill but in 1926 the Marayong Progress Association applied to have Marayong made a suburb, in its own right.
The area was mostly rural until the 1960s. Housing Commission (public housing) estates, opened in the 1960s, marked the urbanization of the suburb predominantly south of the railway line. In addition, an industrial area was also released north of the railway line.
Quakers Hill
40 kilometres westnorth-west (WNW) of the Sydney central business district, Quakers Hill is colloquially known as 'Quakers'. The first recorded cartographic use in NSW of the 'Quaker' name is that of "Quaker's Row", today's Church Street, Parramatta. In November 1788 a second settlement was established by Governor Phillip at Rose Hill and was renamed in June 1791, Parramatta. In July 1790 he laid out his plan for the town, with High Street (now George) the main road with another starting at the south bank of the river where Phillip intended a town square with government buildings and an extended wharf. This he named Quakers Row.
As Parramatta grew, the religious conformist of the Quaker's Row inhabitants were moved further west to The Quaker's Hills, where they re-established themselves. The name Quakers Hill was in an 1806 report of the area by government surveyor James Meehan. The origin of the name is unclear and the next references are more than sixty years later when Thomas Harvey used it for his property in what is now western Quakers Hill.
of the river where Phillip intended a town square with government buildings and an extended wharf. This he named Quakers Row.
When the railway station was built in 1872, it was called Douglas' Siding for over thirty years. The catalyst for the name change came with the subdivision of Harvey's Quakers Hill property in 1904. The residents of the newly forming village preferred that name and in 1905, the name of the railway station was changed to Quakers Hill. In the 1960s, Sydney's suburban sprawl reached the Quakers Hill area and the five acre farms surrounding the village began to be subdivided.
addition, an industrial area was also released north of the railway line.
Schofields
45 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, Schofields was once the home to the former Schofields Aerodrome and HMAS Nirimba and is now the suburb of Nirimba Fields.
The name recalls John Schofield (1803–1884) was transported from England to the Colony of New South Wales for stealing when he was just 17 years old. At the time he was a silk weaver from Cheshire. He was transported aboard HMS Minerva in 1821 and was assigned to work for Thomas Harley, a free-settler, on his farm at Baulkham Hills. In 1828, Schofield was granted a Ticket of Leave, which allowed him to live freely within the district of Parramatta.
The railway line from Blacktown to Windsor opened in 1864 and passed through Schofield's land. In 1872, a stopping place was recognised on Schofield's land and a small platform made from railway sleepers was built after that to make boarding the train safer. This platform was known as Schofield's Siding. The name changed over the years to Schofields.
Riverstone
A suburb of Blacktown, Riverstone originally settled in 1803 as part of a government stock farm, and as such is one of the oldest towns in Australia. Prior to settlement and colonisation of Australia, the area that was to become known as Riverstone was inhabited by the Darug tribe. Most of these people died due to introduced diseases following the arrival of the First Fleet, and the remainder were largely relocated to government farms and a series of settlements.
In 1803 a government stock farm was established in what was to become the Riverstone/Marsden Park area, on the basis of the abundant water supply and good grazing land there. Originally, beef cattle farmed in the area were driven overland to the Hawkesbury River for transport by sailing ship to the convict settlement at Sydney Cove. The construction of the Sydney to Richmond Railway line in 1864 both eliminated the need for this and opened up the region to non-rural development. An important meatworks was established there in 1878, undergoing various stages of rebuilding and expansion until it closed permanently in 1992.
In 1988, as part of a Federal Government programme to commemorate the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia, a heritage museum was established in the old Masonic hall.
Vineyard
50 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, Vineyard is bounded in the west by Eastern Creek until its confluence with South Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River. Vineyard takes its name from the vineyards in this area, since this suburb was originally part of Windsor's winegrowing district.
In 1803 a vineyard, the last of three to be established by the Colonial Government of New South Wales, was planted in what was then known as the Castle Hill area. Two French prisoners of war were brought out from France to oversea the operation. Some years later, John Paul Ouvrier (he changed his name from “Jean Pierre Ouvrier” to John Paul when he became a Naturalised Australian citizen in 1860), who had immigrated from France with his 2 sons around the 1830s, revived the operation. It enjoyed limited success, however the memory of its existence lives on in the name of the locality of Vineyard which recalls the project and identifies its location.
Mulgrave
White settlement of the district began in the period between 1794 and 1800. Lieutenant-Governor Grose named the locality 'Mulgrave Place' honouring Constantine Phipps, the second Baron Mulgrave, who had died in 1792. Baron Mulgrave had been an English naval officer and statesman and a colleague and friend of Joseph Banks.
Mulgrave railway station is on the Richmond railway line. It is four stations from the terminus station at Richmond. Mulgrave station is 53 kilometres from Sydney's Central Station, which takes approximately 1 hour 6 minutes to travel by train during peak hour. The station along with the arrival of a steam train features in The Seekers at Home TV special, 1968. Filmed as the setting for the song "Angeline is always Friday", steam hauled services ceased to operate shortly afterwards.
Photo: courtesy NSW Rail
Mulgrave Tank
Mulgrave Tank was located on the 400 metre timber viaduct spanning South Creek between Mulgrave and Windsor Railway Stations. The viaduct was first constructed with the opening of the Blacktown to Richmond line in 1864 then upgraded to take heavier rolling stock in 1876. The viaduct featured a water tank to provide water for the steam locomotives hauling the trains along the line. A steam driven pump was used to fill the tank mounted next to the track directly above South Creek. The platform opened in 1887 and closed in 1891.
In 1988, as part of a Federal Government programme to commemorate the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia, a heritage museum was established in the old Masonic hall.
Windsor
Richmond and Windsor are two of Australia's oldest towns and were established in the 1790s as centres for the fertile agricultural and fruit growing region of the upper Hawkesbury River. Both towns have a rich colonial heritage and are home to some of the finest Georgian sandstone buildings in NSW. Once a thriving inland river port through which produce in and out of the area passed, Windsor has retained its olde worlde charm thanks to a collection of fascinating, well maintained 19th Century buildings. Many of the oldest surviving European buildings in Australia are located at Windsor.
A day trip by train from Sydney to Windsor is a recommended day out for those who enjoy stepping back in time. Though the main attraction is the old buildings, the town is far more friendly and laid back than the big city and is a great place to take a slow wander, stop for morning tea or lunch when you feel like it, then head back to the city by train when you are ready.
Clarendon
Clarendon station was opened in 1870 and was known as Hawkesbury Racecourse. It was renamed Clarendon station in 1876. The suburb of Clarendon borders the RAAF Base Richmond, a Royal Australian Air Force base at Richmond which was established in 1923. The air base is currently the home to the RAAF's transport squadrons. During the Vietnam War logistic support and medical evacuations were supplied by the Hercules from RAAF Richmond. Clarendon takes its name of William Cox’s homestead, which in turn was named after an estate in England.
East Richmond
East Richmond railway station opened on 2 July 1939. Historically, East Richmond has been served by services operating from Sydney CBD/North Shore, branching off the Western Line at Blacktown. However, after a major timetable change for the Sydney Trains network on 26 November 2017, Cumberland line services started continuing out to Richmond, rather than terminating at Schofields, during the late night, taking over from the Richmond line.
Richmond
Richmond is the second largest of the Macquarie Towns, five towns created by Gov. Lachlan Macquarie in the Hawkesbury region during his ten years as Governor of NSW in the 1810s. It still has a substantial number of interesting, historic buildings, though it has been greatly changed by a population boom and the inevitable modern developments. The Battle of Richmond Hill took place in May and June 1795 between the Darug people and the European settlers. It is perhaps the first time that the colonial authorities sent in the troopers and expressly stated their intent to 'destroy' the whole local Aboriginal population of an area.
The expansion of the Sydney suburban area has almost reached Richmond and it is now considered to be an outer suburb of Sydney, even though it is around 65 km by road from Sydney. Richmond railway station is the terminus of the Richmond branch of the Western Line of the Sydney Trains network.
Kurrajong extension
In the 19th and early 20th century rockmelons, peas, tomatoes, beans and watermelons were cultivated at Kurrajong. Kurrajong was known then as the 'kitchen garden of Sydney.' The fertile soil, altitude and climate made the Kurrajong area suitable for growing citrus, apples, passionfruit, and grapes.
The construction of the railway between Richmond and Kurrajong did not receive Parliamentary authorisation until 1919, by which time roads were being improved to a standard that did not warrant a railway to bring the produce of the area west of the Hawkesbury River to the Sydney market. From its opening in 1926 until its closure in 1952 after the line was damaged in floods and was quickly removed, it remained a minor branch line.
NSWGR M-40Z11 Class locomotive at the Yarramundi quarry, c.1950. Photo: courtesy Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division
Nepean Sand and Gravel Siding
The Nepean Sand and Gravel Company Siding was a privately owned railway siding on the Richmond-Kurrajong line which operated at Yarramundi Falls from April 1925 until 1928. The track diverged from the railway line along Kurrajong Road, Richmond and then ran along Yarramundi Lane and across the Yarramundi Bridge to the sand and gravel pit at Yarramundi on the bank of the Nepean River. Gravel from the quarry was used in the construction of Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Phillip
Opened 1928, closed 26-Jul-1952. A very short passenger platform was located on the eastern bank of the Hawkesbury river. It opened in 1928 with the misnomer of Nepean Bridge, and was renamed Phillip in 1934. The location was a favourite swimming and picnic spot.
North Richmond
Opened 8-Dec-1926, closed 26-Jul-1952. This station was located near the north western corner of Grose Vale Road and Bells Line of Road. The railway bridge over the Hawkesbury River was erected on concrete piers which were an extension of those supporting the adjacent road bridge. Upon leaving the river, the line ascended on a 1 in 36 grade through the western river bank and reached Bells Line of Road which it crossed at a 45 degree angle and entered North Richmond station, which had a 61 metre long platform with shelter and a goods siding.
Red Cutting
Opened Sep-1928, closed 26-Jul-1952. After leaving the station, the railway continued in a straight alignment, largely through the property of farmers. Being classed as a "pioneer line", the route was unfenced and the rails second-hand, laid on wooden sleepers with ash ballast. Stopping locations were established between North Richmond and Kurrajong, the first being Red Cutting.
The substantial Redbank Creek Culvert which took the line over Redbank Creek remains in good order and can be visited by following the public footpath that begins at the Redbank housing estate (park at Peel Park and follow the 2km path that hugs the creek).
Kemsley
Platform. Opened Sep-1928, closed 26-Jul-1952. The line from Kensley to Kurrijong passed orchards and small farms as it slowly climbed into what is the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Kemsley platform and the Kurrajong goods shed still exist (although the latter is now located in the Pioneer Village at Wilberforce). The platform was named after the property owner on which the station was built.
Thompsons Ridge Halt
Platform. Opened Nov-1928, closed 26-Jul-1952. The halts were used by orchardists and farmers to load their produce, by
farming families and schoolchildren travelling to Richmond, and weekend bushwalkers and tourists visiting the many guest houses in the region.
Nurri Halt
Opened Sep-1928, closed 26-Jul-1952
Duffys Halt
Opened Sep-1928, closed 26-Jul-1952. Embankments and cuttings became a feature of the line as it headed towards its terminus, Kurrajong station, which was located on a site carved from the side of the ridge on which the village was situated. A concrete slab station building stood on the platform. There was a run-round loop, and looped goods siding which served a goods shed and hand crane.
Kurrajong
Surrounded by farms dotted with grazing cattle and horses, passers-by will delight in the pastoral vistas leading to Kurrajong Village. Located just two minutes from the turn off on Bells Line of Road, it is the perfect location to take a break from your travels. Kurrajong gives the impression that you are far from the madding crowd, inviting you to linger and savour the country air. The village and surrounding area offers opportunities to enjoy dining in unique settings and browse boutique stores where you can buy something out of the ordinary. Superb views can be had from the land on which the church and churchyard of St. Gregory's (1845). It is 100 metres on the left from the intersection of Old Bells Line of Road and Bells Line of Road.
