Millicent railway station explained

Millicent
Address:Railway Terrace, Millicent, South Australia
Coordinates:-37.5946°N 140.3553°W
Distance:400 kilometres from Adelaide
Line:Beachport line
Structure:Ground
Platform:1
Tracks:1
Opened:1879
Closed:12 April 1995 (freight)
2000 (tourist)
Operator:Australian National
Status:Closed

Millicent railway station was located on the Beachport railway line. It served the town of Millicent.

History

Millicent railway station opened in 1879 with the opening of the narrow gauge railway between the port on Rivoli Bay at what is now Beachport inland via Millicent to Mount Gambier in 1878. The line and jetty at Beachport provided the ability for farms in the district to export wool and grain. [1] The station building consisted of a facility comprising a ticket office and platforms for loading and unloading both passengers and freight. [2] The station was named after the daughter of Augustus Short, the first Bishop of Adelaide, and wife of George Glen, S.M., who owned Mayurra Station, on which the town was established. [3]

The line was converted to broad gauge in the 1950s with the section past Millicent being decommissioned in 1959. [4]

Railway operations were suspended on 12 April 1995 with the conversion of the Adelaide-Melbourne railway line to standard gauge. The tourist Limestone Coast Railway ran from Mount Gambier to Millicent with South Australian Railways Redhen railcars from 1998 until the year 2000. [5]

The railway station housed a radio station until the railway lands were sold off for community facilities and a suburban activity centre in 2023. [6] [7]

Notes and References

  1. The Rivoli Bay and Mount Gambier Railway 28 April 1879
  2. Millicent Railway Station
  3. Names of South Australian Railway Stations with their meanings and derivations
  4. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78650272 Broad gauge Railway Opened
  5. Johnny's Pages - Old SAR Shunter
  6. Railway station to be sold 14 February 2023
  7. Millicent railway land under offer