CAMELLIA - ARHS NSW · Camellia a few weeks later on 14 September 1901. The new name came from a...

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CAMELLIA TherailwaytoCarlingfordwasconstructedasaprivaterailwayownedbyBenjaminChristianSimpson.Simpson’sRailwayActwaspassedon13June1893.ItauthorisedthatarailwaybebuiltfromRosehilltoDuralinthreesections,thefirstbeingfromRosehilltoPennantHills(nowCarlingford),thesecondtoCastleHillandthethirdtoDural.MrSimpsoncontractedHorneandShand,whosebusinesshadalreadyconstructedtheProspectReservoirandtherailwayfromCulcairntoCorowa.Workbeganonthefirstsectionon29March1894.ThefirstpassengertrainrantoCarlingford,thenknownasPennantHills,on20April1896.PassengertrainsfromCarlingfordfirstterminatedatRosehill,sopassengerseithertransferredtotrainsfromSandownatRosehillorsteamtramsatCamellia,thenknownasSubiaco.TheprivatetramwaythatoperatedbetweenRedbankWharfandParramattacrossedtheCarlingfordLineontheleveljustsouthofSubiacoStation. SubiacoStation(Camellia)waslocated113metresnorthofthejunctionoftheCarlingfordLine(Simpson’sRailway)withtheSandownLine(Bennett’sRailway).Itwas22.9kmfromSydneyand4.9metresabovesealevel.HowdidSubiacogetitsname? JohnMacarthur,anephewofthefamoussheepproducer,hadtosellhiselegantstonemansionandestatewhentheBankofAustralia(ofwhichhewasChairman)failedin1843.HesoldTheVineyardtoThomasIcelyfromwhomArchbishopJohnBedePolding,thefirstCatholicArchbishopofSydney,purchaseditfortheRomanCatholicChurch.TheArchbishopinvitedsomenunstoinitiateBenedictinemonasticlifeinAustralia.MothersScholastica(Jane)GregoryandMagdalan(Constantia)leClercarrivedfromEnglandin1848andsoontookupresidenceat“TheVineyard”.TheconventwasrenamedSubiacobecauseSaintBenedictlivedinacaveatSubiacoinItalyduringthesixthcentury.TheBenedictineSistersresidedinSubiacohousefor108yearsbetween1849and1957. AlthoughSubiacoStationwaslocatedonthesouthsideoftheParramattaRiver,theestatewasactuallylocatedonthenorthbankbetweenVineyardCreekandBishop’sCreek(laterrenamedSubiacoCreek). Thepropertywassoldin1961,andthehistoricmansionwasdemolishedtomakewayforexpansionoftheRheemfactory.TheBenedictineSistersmovedtoanewmonasteryinFranklinRoad,WestPennantHills(nowCherrybrook),wheretheyresideduntil1988.ThecommunitywasrelocatedtoJamberooAbbey,fromwhichtheyfeaturedinahighlysuccessfultelevisionmini‐seriestitledTheAbbeythatwasbroadcastontheABC’sCompassprogrammeduring2007.ANewName TheStateGovernmenttookoverSimpson’sRailwayin1901.SubiacoHousewasontheoppositesideoftheParramattaRivertoSubiacoStationandwasthusmoreaccessiblefromVictoriaRoadStation(Rydalmere).ChangingthenameofSubiacoStationwouldeliminateanyconfusion.Aproposedtimetable

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forthelinein1900referredtoSubiacoasParramattaTramJunction,butthestationreopenedwiththegovernmenttakeoveron1August1901asSubiaco.However,thenamechangedtoCamelliaafewweekslateron14September1901.Thenewnamecamefromalocalnursery,SilasSheather’sCamelliaGrove. WhenthedoubletrackwasextendedfromRosehillon19June1902,thetracksconvergedintoasinglelinejust47metressouthofCamelliaStation.AmechanicalsignalboxcontrolledthejunctionwiththeSandownLine.Hardies HardieswaslocatedontheSandownLine.NothingremainsofHardiesPlatform,whichwasonlyahop,stepandajumpfromCamelliaStation.JamesHardyandSonsproducedbuildingmaterialsandpipesinthenearbyfactory.Theasbestoscementinsomeoftheirproductsexplainswhythegroundintheareaispollutedwiththismaterial.Theoriginalplatform,whichwaslocatedontheDown(western)sideoftheline,openedforemployeeson4April1938. HardiesStationwasreplacedbyanewoneontheSandownsideoftheGrandAvenuelevelcrossingon18June1959.ItwaslocatedontheUp(south)sideofthelineandconsistedofawoodenplatformstandingonbrickpiers. TheAsbestosSlateandSheetManufacturingSiding,whichopenedon25October1916,servedJamesHardieandSons.ItwaslocatedontheDown(northern)sideoftheSandownLine.FrameBoperatedthepoints,whichfacedDowntrains.ThesidingcurvednorthwardstowardstheParramattaRiver.ThenamechangedtoHardiesAsbestosSidingon1May1926. JamesHardiepromotedFibroliteAsbestosCementSheets.Theiradvertisementclaimedthattheproductwassuitableforexternalandinteriorwalls,ceilings,partitions,gableends,eavesandlinings.Itwasfireretardant,whiteantproof,weatherproofand“practicallyeverlasting.” AnadditionalsidingforJamesHardiewasprovidedon27November1944.NamedHardiesAsbestosSidingNo.2,ithadaseparateconnectiontotheSandownbranchandwasthusoperatedbyanewlockedgroundframe,FrameJ. BernieBantonworkedatJamesHardie’splantfrom1968to1974.Heoperatedalatheproducingpipepartsandshapedblocksofasbestosforpowerstations.Liketheotheremployees,heinhaleddeadlydustparticles,butwasnottoldofthedangers. ByApril1985,theword“asbestos”wascausingsomeembarrassmentforfirmsthathadusedthematerialandwastakenoutofthenamesofHardiesSidings.BothsidingsservingHardieswereremovedon13November1990. BernieBanton,althoughsufferingfromasbestosis,ledthecompensationfightforworkerswhocontractedasbestosrelateddiseases,andhiseffortseventuallyledtotheestablishmentofafourbilliondollarsvictims’fund.Hediedofperitonealmesotheliomaon27November2007attheageof61. ElectricTrains ElectrictrainsbeganrunningtoCarlingfordonSunday9August1959andtoSandownfromMonday10August1959. Preservedelectriclocomotive4615wasthelastelectric“train”toSandownon20December2002.

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TheBridge Tenderswerecalledfortheconstructionofatwo‐lanebridgetocarryGrandAvenueovertherailwayatCamelliaon17December1980.GrandAvenuelevelcrossing(locatedsouthofCamelliaStation)wasreplacedbyalargeconcreteoverbridgein1982,andthehandoperatedswinggateswentoutofuse. Afterstayinginuseforjust100years,thebridgeovertheParramattaRiverwasreplacedbyanewsteelponyPratttrussstructureduringMay1996.Thepiersfromtheoldbridgearestillinuse,althoughstrengthenedbybeingencasedinsteeltubes.Theornamentalarchedabutmentsremainforthepresent.Safeworking OrdinaryTrainStaffandTicketWorkingstayedinuseontheCarlingfordLineuntilJune1992.TheheadoftheStaffwasroundinshapeandtheticketswereredoncolour.Thesectionwas“Camellia‐Carlingford.” AlthoughCamelliakeptits19thCenturysignallingtechnologyuntilJune1992,thesignalboxitselfwasreplacedon1November1981byoneinanewbrickbuilding.Thewornout“McKenzieandHolland6Apatternrockershafttypeframe”wasreplacedbyalessancient20leverframe.Itcontrolledtheroddingforthemechanicalpointsplusthewiresforlowerquadrantsignals,whichwerestillmakinguseofkerosenelamps. RosehillandCamelliaSignalBoxeswereabolishedon13June1992.ThecomplexjunctionatCamelliawasreplacedbyaverysimpleoneatRosehill.ItisoperatedfromParramattaRoadSignalBox,whereapushbuttoninterlockingmachinehasreplacedtheoldpanels. AnaxlecounteratRosehillreplacedordinaryTrainStaffsafeworkingontheCarlingfordLineon21June1992.

ThesecondHardiesStationthatopenedin1959andclosedin1991.HardiesAsbestosSidingNo.1curvesofftotheleft.JohnOakes.

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ThesignalfacingUptrainsatCamelliaStation.NotethefixeddistantsignalforRosehillthatalwaysshowedaredlightatnight.Whenthetoparmwaslowered,thesignalwouldshowgreenoverred(caution)atnight.Thesmallsignalarmisawrongroadsignal.WhentheUplinewasblockedbyracecoursespecials(orambulancetrainsduringWorldWarII),trainsfromCarlingfordcouldgoaroundthemviatheDownline.ClearingrequiredleversatbothCamelliaandRosehilltobereversed.ItcouldonlybeclearediftheDownsignalsatRosehillwereat“stop.”23September1991.NJSimonsCollection. ARHSRRC 059052.

ThediagraminCamelliaSignalBox.TheconnectionfromtheSandownBranchtotheUpCarlingfordlinewasintheformofasingleslip.NotethatLevers12and13operatedthepointsinthesingleslipaswellasrelatedpointsintheCarlingfordline.ASHayneARHSRRC075322.

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ThefirstHardiesPlatformwasclosetothejunction.CamelliaStationisintheleftbackground.NotethewrongroadsignalthatallowedtrainsfromtheSandownLinetousetheDownCarlingfordlineiftheUplinewasoccupiedbyracetrains(ortheambulancetrainduringWorldWarII.ARHSRRC010028

ThejunctionfortheSandownLine.NotethesingleslipintheUpCarlingfordline.ARHSRRC106795

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TheordinarytrainstaffandticketboxfortheCamelliaCarlingfordsection.ARHSRRC106848

CamelliaStationwithasteamtramontheprivateRedbankWharf–Parramattasteamtramline.CCSingletonCollection.ARHSRRC005276ParramattaSteamTram Thetramwayopenedon1October1883.GoodsandpassengerstransferredfromferriestotramsatRedbankWharf(neartheconfluenceofDuckRiverandParramattaRiver)tobypasstheshallowsectionsoftheParramattaRiver.ThebiggestcustomerwasMeggittLtdofParramatta,afirmthatproducedlinseedoil.Thetramwayclosedon31March1943.

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CamelliashowingthesteamtramcrossingandtheGrandAvenuelevelcrossingHHMatthewsCollectionARHSRRC024045c

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ThebuildingsontheCamelliaStationplatformandtheGrandAvenuelevelcrossingwiththehandoperatedgates.ThesignalontheSandownLinethatprotectsthejunctionisbehindthepoleintherightbackground.ARHSRRC100681.

Camelliashowingthepointroddingandsignalwires.ARHSRRC059049