Wallangarra railway station is a heritage-listed railway station at Wallangarra in the Southern Downs Region town of Queensland. It was built in 1877 along the state border of Queensland and New South Wales, with a giant 2-tone stripe painted across its platform so no one would be in any doubt where Queensland stopped and New South Wales started.
Wallangarra railway station was on the only railway route between Sydney and Brisbane and had to handle the break-of-gauge where Queensland Railways' 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Southern line met the New South Wales Government Railways' 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Main Northern line. Wallangarra was the terminating point for the Sydney Mail, with passengers transferring to the Brisbane Limited for the remainder of the journey to Sydney. In 1930 New South Wales's North Coast line from Sydney to Brisbane was completed; as it used only standard gauge for the whole route, it was a more efficient route than travelling via Wallangarra, leading to the decline of Wallangarra station. However, Wallangarra continued to be served by passenger trains until the services from Brisbane and Sydney were truncated at Toowoomba and Tenterfield respectively on 1 February 1972.
Wallangarra railway station opened on 14 February 1887, when the Queensland Railway's 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Southern line was extended from Stanthorpe to Wallangarra. On 16 January 1888, the New South Wales Government Railways' 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Main Northern line was extended from Tenterfield to Wallangarra, thereby opening an inter-colonial rail link between Brisbane and Sydney. Because of the break-of-gauge, the Wallangarra railway station was built astride the state border with a single island platform with one building, with the western side for by the narrow gauge line from Queensland and the eastern side by the standard gauge line from New South Wales.
Each side of the building sported the awnings and signage of Queensland Railways and New South Wales Railways respectively. Even though the two lines shared a common station at Wallangarra (which sits astride the border), the New South Wales side of the station was initially named Jennings after the town on the New South Wales side of the border but ultimately became known as Wallangarra. Temporary buildings were first erected with the permanent buildings being erected from 1887 to 1890.
The transhipping station and yards of the Wallangarra railway station lead to the creation of two townships on the border, Wallangarra on the Queensland side and Jennings on the New South Wales side. Several years after the railway station was opened linking the two state railway lines, the border township of Wallangarra was described as being of "quite a pretentious appearance consisting of butchers, bakers, blacksmiths and with an aerated water factory".
The station was built on an island platform, with station awnings on both sides. The Queensland side awnings (western platform) being to Queensland design patterns and that on the standard gauge side (eastern platform) being built after New South Wales pattern. Both colonies had name boards in their usual style. The original station building occupies the present southern section, and consisted of office, lobby, store and closets.
The booking office also served as the customs office and general waiting room as well as the Station Master's office. In 1892 drawings were prepared by Henrik Hansen for a new bar, dining room, refreshment room, female staff (girls) bedrooms and kitchen. The Queensland/New South Wales border forms part of the fenceline for the Station Masters property. The station master's residence was unusual for a Queensland station residence as it was constructed in brick. A Post Office was opened in the station in March 1887.
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The station building consists of a long double-sided single-storey hip roofed brick station with cast iron verandahs. The Brisbane platform which has a cast iron curved shade similar to South Brisbane and Emerald stations. A small-stock slaughtering yard consisting of high-walled brick for the refreshment rooms adjoined the station building. The New South Wales side awning was built in 1890, and is sheeted with flat raked iron. Brackets and columns were cast by the Toowoomba Foundry. The elevations now overpainted, have pilasters at regular intervals with archways marking the location of the original lobby. Internally space was provided for offices and a large kitchen, dining room and bar.
The offices are located to the south of the present ticket lobby with refreshment rooms and post office now vacated to the north where there is also an enclosed yard (slaughtering yard). The refreshment room fittings have been removed. The station platform features a two road horse dock platform at its southern end. The Queensland/New South Wales border diagonally crosses the platform approximately 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) to the north of the horse dock platform.
The Station Master's house faces the Sydney platform and is constructed of brick. It is an asymmetrical villa, being constructed in a L-shape with faceted bay in the projecting wing, posted verandah (reconstructed), stuccoed quoins and decorative brackets to the gable ends, and prominent chimneys. To the west of the station are two buildings identified by Ward in his survey as being the Locomotive Inspector's quarters and running men (crew) quarters.
While Queensland always officially called the station Wallangarra (although usually wrote it as Wallan-garra after circa 1908), the naming of the railway station by the New South Wales authorities was inconsistent and caused confusion to travellers. On 16 January 1888, the New South Wales named it Jennings, but renamed it Wallangarra on 1 February 1889. On 1 October 1889, it became Jennings for the second time but reverted to Wallangarra on 1 January 1890. On 1 January 1891 it became Jennings for the third time, reverting finally to Wallangarra in April 1904.
The town on the New South Wales side of the line is still known as Jennings. Named after the first Catholic Premier of NSW, Sir Patrick Jennings, the small village of Jennings is home to around 200 people. By comparison, Wallangarra had a population of 468 people.
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