Travel Australia

Railway Stations: Original Darwin Station, Northern Territory

Colourised postcard of Darwin Station

The first section of the narrow gauge North Australia Railway from Darwin to Pine Creek opened in 1888. It was extended south to Katherine in 1926 and finally Larrimah in 1929, which was as far south as it got, never linking up to the Adelaide to Alice Springs railway. It was eventually extended through Pine Creek and Katherine to Larrimah and Birdum Creek (4th September 1929).


Birdun Railway Station, c. 1940

While the town remains very much unheard of, even amongst Territorians, it features on an unusually high proportion of vintage 20th century world globes, thanks to the position it once held at the end of the line. From World War II onwards trains terminated at Larrimah, nine kilometres to the north, and Birdum lost not only its position of importance but also its pub, which was uprooted and shifted to Larrimah as a result.

Never the less it played a vital role in the development of the Northern Territory and Australia during the second world war. The railway gained increased importance in the 1960's and early 70's through the haulage of iron ore from the Frances Creek deposits, about 140 miles south of Darwin. Ore traffic exceeded one million tons per annum, but unfortunately world ore prices dropped forcing the mine to close and other traffic was not enough to justify keeping the railway open. Much of the railway infrastructure remained in place until the line closed on 30th June 1976, as result of the loss of iron ore traffic originating from the Frances Creek operation.

The new standard gauge Alice Springs - Darwin railway opened in 2004 and parts of the new railway were placed on the old North Australia Railway alignment. However some parts of the old line were bypassed. While the new rail link to Adelaide terminates at the new East Arm Wharf, the original line went all the way into the CBD to the Stokes Hill wharf and a purpose built iron ore loading wharf, with a passenger station located on the city doorstep. The original track followed close beside the Stuart Highway through Winnellie and Stuart Park, under the Daly St bridge, and on to Stokes Hill Wharf.



The line played an important part in opening up the Top End, helping in the development of the Pine Creek goldfields, iron ore mines at Frances Creek and agricultural development, as well as providing a passenger service. During periods of wet season floods there were times when the only access was provided by rail bridges over flooded rivers and creeks. It also provided vital transport during the second World War, connecting the airfields and army bases which were established in the defense of North Australia. The Darwin Railway Club at Parap is still a funcioning social club, occupying premises originally built to provide a facility for the railway workers.

Darwin Rail Trail

Darwin Rail Trail (25.5 km one way) follows the path of the first section of the narrow gauge North Australia Railway from Darwin to Pine Creek opened in 1888. It was extended south to Katherine in 1926 and finally Larrimah in 1929, which was as far south as it got, never linking up to the Adelaide to Alice Springs railway. Never the less it played a vital role in the development of the Northern Territory and Australia during the second world war. However once the war was over improving roads and its isolation resulted in the railway being closed in 1976.



The trail is in two sections:

1. Darwin to Yarrawonga (20 km) with access points at McMinns St or Day/Harvey St intersection, Darwin CBD, and Berrimah - Vanderlin Drive link to Casuarina. Older parts of the trail are now well shaded by trees after an extensive tree planting program. In 2006 the Friends of the North Australia Railway restored a 700m section of the original track at The Narrows in Darwin and have re-sleepered the old bridge (with assistance from Darwin City Council). The Rail Trail runs alongside this historic section.

2. Yarrawonga to Howard Springs (5.3 km) with access over the shared pedestrian/cycle bridge off Roystonea Ave (near the Tiger Brennan Interchange at Yarrawonga) (Palmerston), Tulagi Rd. Yarrawonga (Palmerston) and Whitewwood Rd. Howard Springs. The cycle path has retained original railway embankments, hand-excavated cuttings, culverts and four remnant bridges as heritage features. By conforming to the railway corridor there has been minimal disruption to bordering eucalypt woodland and riparian habitats.

An interpretative shelter built at Yarrawonga and Howard Springs includes displays of local and railway history. Path-mounted solar-powered lights have been installed selectively.

2 1/2 mile railway workshops

The locomotive depot and main workshops were located two miles from Palmerston, at Parap. In 1911 the name was changed to the Northern Territory Railway and again in 1919 to the North Australia Railway. Over the years the workshops were known as Paraparap, Parap or 2½ Mile. They formed the railway workshops complex and encompassed a wide range of maintenance facilities. There was a large Locomotive Erecting Shop, Machine Shop, Blacksmith and Boiler Shop, Carriage and Wagon Repair Shop, Paint Shop and some smaller sheds and stores. A comprehensive network of sidings serviced all the buildings.

There were two distinct railway facilities. Close to the line, on its southern side, was the Locomotive Running Depot for the Palmerston area, complete with an engine shed large enough to stable four off-duty locomotives, the only turntable on the railway and a tall water tank and standpipes. Beyond the locomotive depot stood a group of tall white iron sheds that were by far the largest buildings in the Territory at that time. They were painted with a wash consisting of slaked lime mixed with the appropriate amount of size. The effectiveness of this type of exterior was that it gleamed white in the tropical sun.

The Parap Workshops were designed to keep twenty locomotives in first class order without having to send them back to Adelaide. The reason for this being it was thought that twenty locomotives were the right number of locomotives to operate the railway through to the centre of the continent. Ten houses for mechanical branch staff were located across the road from the workshops but only six were occupied in 1889 (Harvey, 1968: 54-55). The only workshops larger than these were in Adelaide. The Parap Workshops closed in 1980 with the closure of the narrow gauge North Australia Railway.

Darwin Railways during World War II

At the outbreak of the war, the administration of this railway was located in Darwin, and locomotives were being serviced at the 2 1/2 mile railway workshops, near Armadale Street, Parap. In addition to running the railway, the wharf and sorting shed at Darwin were controlled by the Commonwealth Railways. The wharf at Darwin was "L" shaped, and the movement of rail trucks along it was effected by a steam-driven turntable at the angle. Cargoes were unloaded by casual labor employed by the Commonwealth Railways, into rail trucks and were shunted to the Sorting Shed in the Darwin yard for delivery to consignees.

Plans for the transfer of the Railway Administration to Katherine, 200 miles southward, were made in anticipation of an enemy attack upon Darwin. Instructions were issued to key staff regarding action to be taken to avoid disruption of the service should this transfer prove necessary.

On the morning of 19th February 1942, a strong force of Japanese bombers raided Darwin and wrought great destruction on ships in the harbor and on the R.A.A.F. aerodrome at 4 miles from Darwin. Direct hits on the wharf and the sinking of one of the ships, the "Neptuna", at the wharf, rendered it temporarily useless.

One locomotive, standing on the wharf, was lost in the harbor, and eighteen trucks were destroyed. The only damage done to the railway in this first raid was at 4¼. miles, adjacent to the aerodrome, where the main lines was broken. But it was apparent from the accuracy of the bombing of selected objectives, that the same force of aircraft could return and completely destroy the railway installations in one raid. Immediate action was taken, therefore, to put into effect the pre-arranged plans for the movement of administration, workshops, rollingstock and equipment out of the confined danger zone. All civilian establishments in Darwin were at once closed and some other Government Departments also moved their staffs inland. The Department of the Army assumed control of the Northern Territory, and the section southward to the 20th parallel of latitude (which passes through Katherine) was declared an Operational Area.

Due to the serious disruption of communications following the first air raids, it was necessary to divide the railway administration into two sections; one to remain in Darwin and the other to transfer to Katherine. For a considerable period the only means of communication was by the Army Signal Service which, of course, was seriously overloaded. The difficulties attaching to the safe working of trains and locomotives out of Darwin without telephone communication can well be imagined.

After the first raid, all locomotives in the Darwin area were put under steam, and running crews were instructed to stand by for duty as required. A programmer for the movement of civilians, and rollingstock and equipment not immediately required was brought into urgent operation, and functioned extremely well. On the day following the raid, work began on dismantling the machinery and equipment at the workshops, for loading and transport to Katherine. In the first week of March, makeshift workshops were operating on a site previously known as the Construction Dump at Katherine.

The Administrative staff were accommodated at Katherine in existing buildings and, of course, suffered cramped conditions for the period needed to erect new quarters and office buildings. The Stationmaster's house was taken over for the main office and mess, and for a long period was used also as quarters. This house was of a type common in the tropics, in that it was erected on concrete pillars which raised the building about seven feet from the ground. The section beneath the floor was used for the main office. With these primitive facilities the service was carried on, and the lag caused by the period of transfer was quickly overtaken.