Quarterly Journal Autumn 1991 – Page 4-5
by
Win Lalor
In 1907, Blacktown was quite an important township, as the railway had been extended beyond Parramatta to Penrith and also to Windsor and Richmond.
Then the station was in its hey- day with its large waiting room where, in winter, there was always a cosy fire and it was the usual thing for the local lads (and some lasses) to go to the station to see the evening train come in. (There was a Sydney-bound train at 1pm and also a down train about that time.) They could also enjoy the warmth and a yarn. It was in this waiting room too, that, during World War I the Honour Roll was hung.
There was a residence adjoining the Parcels Room for the Station Master, but some time later a residence was provided for him in Wallace Street, but the most used entrance to it was from Sunnyholt Road just near the Garage at the corner of Railway Street. The Stationhouse was then occupied by Mr. Jack Smallwood, the Assistant: Station Master.
One of the earliest Station Masters then was McCoy, who later built his home in Sarsfield Street, the area which then was known as Billy Goat Hill. Also in Sarsfield Street was the home of Mr. John Vick, one of the early Headmasters.
There were loading docks from the Eastern end of the platform to a point where the present signal box now stands and pedestrians could cross there. You had to crawl through a two railed fence, but that was no problem. The
goods shed was also at the end of the docks. In the fruit season the docks were busy with spring-carts and drays bringing in hundreds of cases of fruit for despatch to City Markets. Fruit was packed in one bushed (gin) cases and half cases and would sometimes bring as much as 5/- or 6/- a bushel case. The cases were returned to the growers.
Behind the docks were cattle yards and many pigs, horses and calves were also loaded there for Flemington. Sometimes stock from country areas were unloaded and then taken by drovers to Riverstone when the meat-works opened there.
The signal box was at the end of the northern platform and for many years Mr. Henry Harvey was the head signalman, and also officiated as the No. 1 First Aid specialist. The nearest doctors were in Paramatta until about 1916.
The trains were steam-trains but the 25 to 8am from Richmond could complete the 22 miles from Blacktown to Central by 8.30am – faster than some of the electric trains, which I must confess however are more comfortable.
There was also a fast train to Richmond, exCentral, at 5.40 pm, arriving at Blacktown at 6.30 pm. The others were slower and took the full hour. The carriages were box type. As time passed by, they were replaced the wooden corridor type carriage.
More information – Contact Blacktown & District Historical Society – Website